These Striped Red White and Blue Cookies are perfect for the Fourth of July! They only require a few simple ingredients for the colored shortbread dough. It's then divided into three different colors, rolled, layered, and cut, making them festive-looking and delicious!
Aren't these striped red, white and blue cookies gorgeous! They're surprisingly easy and you only need simple ingredients. Perfect for the Fourth of July!
Summer holiday celebrations mean lots of time outdoors and enjoying delicious foods like BBQ, refreshing drinks like Peach Iced Tea, and desserts!
If you're looking for the perfect dessert to bring to a holiday celebration, try making these colored striped shortbread cookies!
The layered design makes them look like they were straight out of a bakery but you can easily make them right at home.
First, you just mix up an easy shortbread cookie dough and then divided into 3 sections. You then add red and blue food coloring to two sections and roll them out.
Next, you just layer them together, slice and bake. Voila! You have a fun red, white, and blue dessert!
You can bring these cookies to a summer BBQ or party and enjoy them alongside the fireworks in the sky. Be sure to also bring some Soy Garlic Chicken Wings, Honey Sriracha Wings, Crescent Roll Pizza, and Mint Lemonade.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These striped red white and blue cookies are made with simple ingredients that can be found in any grocery store.
They are perfectly festive for any summer American holiday.
You can make them in advance if you're short on time.
You can use this recipe as a base to create other colors based on the occasion!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter - This gives the shortbread its rich buttery flavor and helps the texture stay nice and crunchy.
- Powdered Sugar - This finely milled sugar blends in perfectly with the rest of the ingredients which sweetens the cookie.
- Vanilla Extract - You can add a hint of vanilla flavor throughout the cookie with a little vanilla.
- All-Purpose Flour - Gives the cookies structure and helps bind the ingredients properly.
- Cornstarch - When cornstarch is added to shortbread cookies, it gives them a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Egg White - You need a little egg white to 'glue' the layers of colored shortbread dough together.
- Gel Food Coloring - You'll need gel food coloring in the colors red and blue for this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Are you wondering how to make this Red White and Blue Striped Cookies recipe? There are a few steps, but it's actually really easy!
You just need to follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Make the shortbread dough: Mix the butter, confectioners sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer or stand mixer until soft and smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, and salt until well combined, then add it into the butter and sugar mixture until a dough forms.
Divide and color: Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 3 even sections. Knead a few drops of red food coloring into one section, and a few drops of blue food coloring into another until desired colors are reached. Leave the 3rd section plain. Roll out each piece of dough until it's ⅛ inch thick, between pieces of wax paper, and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Layer the cookie dough: Once the dough has chilled, remove the wax paper from each layer. Brush the blue layer lightly with beaten egg white, then layer the white dough directly on top. Brush the top with egg white, then add the red layer of cookie dough. Trim the edges with a sharp knife to make an even shape.
Double layer: Cut the cookie dough into four large strips. Brush the remaining egg white on the top of two of them, then stack a layer on top of each so you have two long narrow strips.
Chill and prepare for baking: Place the layered cookie dough in a baking tray to keep them from falling over and chill in the fridge for an additional 15 minutes. While they are chilling preheat the oven to 400F/200C and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cut the cookies into ¼ inch thick slices and evenly distribute them onto the cookie sheet.
Bake and cool: Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Cook's Tips
When kneading the food coloring into the dough, make sure you do not overmix as this could create a shortbread cookie with a tough texture.
A little goes a long way with food coloring so start with a few drops and adjust as necessary.
Chilling the cookie dough is important because it helps the dough to firm up so it doesn't spread too much when baking.
If you don't have gel food coloring, you can use liquid food coloring, but you may need to add a little bit more flour to the dough to get the right consistency.
Variations
Dust the tops with powdered sugar for a pretty snow-like effect.
Replace the red and blue food coloring with green and red for a festive Christmas cookie!
For a Fourth of July party, you could use star-shaped cookie cutters to make patriotic cookies!
Swap the vanilla for almond, orange, coconut or other flavor extracts.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: These shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Freezing: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to two months. When you're ready to bake, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight and then cut it into cookie shapes. Bake according to the recipe instructions. It may be easiest to slice the layered cookies, freeze on a tray and then store. Thaw slightly before baking.
FAQs
The cookies are ready when the edges are very lightly golden. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the oven temperature by 25F/15C and continue baking.
More Fourth of July recipes
We hope that you love this tasty recipe for striped red white and blue cookies! Be sure to also check out these other Fourth of July recipes too!
Be sure to subscribe to my free Newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for more tasty recipes!
📖 Recipe
Red White and Blue Striped Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks, 225g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted (125g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (275g)
- ½ cup cornstarch (60g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
- Red and blue gel food coloring
Instructions
- Add the butter and icing sugar and vanilla to a bowl and beat until soft and combined. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl, then gradually beat it into the butter mixture.
- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and knead or beat a few drops of blue gel food coloring into one piece, adding more until the desired color is reached, then repeat with the red coloring in another piece. Leave the third plain.
- Roll each piece of dough between two pieces of wax paper or baking parchment paper in a square about ⅛-inch thick. Place onto a cookie sheet in it’s papers.
- Repeat with the other pieces, in the same shape and thickness, stacking each square (in their papers) on the cookie sheet. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Remove the top layer of paper from the blue square of dough, and brush with some of the beaten egg white. Place the white dough on top (without it’s wax paper), then brush the top with egg white. Place the red on top (without it’s paper).
- Trim the edges of the stack, so the sides are all straight. Cut the dough into 4 equal-width strips. Brush two of the strips with egg white and stack the other two on top of them. You will have two long narrow strips.
- Place them onto the baking tray (ensuring they won’t fall over) and chill for a further 15 minutes to firm up a little.
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough into ¼-inch thick striped slices. Place each one onto the cookie sheet, leaving space for them to rise.
- Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Leave them on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Mairead
I love making patriotic themed treats for 4th of July. Love this recipe and how the different colored stripes remain distinct after baking.
Aimee Mars
This is the PERFECT 4th of July cookie! I'm going to make these to bring to my parents house next week and I know the kids are going to go crazy for them.
GUNJAN
These cookies are stunning and so perfect for July 4th. I am baking these for my party and I am super excited for these.
Dana
Tested these out earlier this week and wow, so good! Going to make them for the 4th of July party we're attending this weekend! First batch didn't last 😉