4th of July Cookies

4th of July Cookies are festive and delicious! They are soft, chewy, and filled with crunchy bits of M&Ms.

4th of July Cookies are a perfectly patriotic treat to munch on while watching fireworks or gathering at an Independence Day BBQ. For more festive and tasty desserts, try Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats and Patriotic Poke Cake!

A Patriotic Twist

Cookies are a quick and easy treat to bring to BBQs or whip together for a sweet tooth craving. These Fourth of July cookies are also fun and festive for your favorite summer 4th of July celebration!

These cookies are soft and chewy with the perfect amount of crunch from the M&Ms. Those red, white, and blue beauties add just the right amount of color. Try different flavored M&Ms to shake things up a bit too!

They’re easy to make ahead of time and store as cookie dough or as baked cookies, making it easy to whip these out for friends and family for ALL of the special events.

They are a great addition to your Fourth of July Dessert spread.

How to make 4th of July Cookies

This festive cookie recipe is so easy to throw together!

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and on medium speed cream together sugars, butter, and oil. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Add dry ingredients as well as vanilla. Mix in chopped M&Ms {however many you want}.

BAKE. Place in balls on greased pan, and insert a few M&Ms on top. Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes.

Variations:

• Sprinkle or roll the dough into 4th of July colored Jimmies as another way to make them cute and festive.
• For a subtle flavor twist, use ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead of 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
• White chocolate chips would be a perfect addition.

Recipe Tips

Sugar. For chewy cookies, substitute the white sugar with an equal amount of brown sugar so that you are using all brown sugar.

Room temperature ingredients. Using room-temperature eggs will help them incorporate them more smoothly into the dough.

Dough. Using a cookie scoop can help make uniform sizes. Chilling the dough before baking can help create a nicely browned outside with a soft center.

Storing info

STORE DOUGH. Cover and store the dough in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking. For longer storage:

• Log shape. Form into a log shape, wrap it with plastic wrap and again with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before shaping and baking.
• Dough ball. Form the cookie dough balls, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze for a couple of hours or until the dough is solid then transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc. 

When freezing cookie dough, save the M&M’s (for the tops) to add just before baking.

STORE cooled 4th of July M&M cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Tossing a piece of white bread into the container will help them stay soft and chewy.

FREEZE baked cookies for up to 5 months.

Recipe FAQ

for More 4th of July Desserts, try:

• Red, White and Blue Trifle
• Patriotic Pudding Cups
• Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats
• Red, White and Blueberry Cupcakes
• Patriotic Fruit Pizza