American Flag Sugar Cookies
These American Flag Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, and decorated with fluffy vanilla buttercream, patriotic red and blue sprinkles, and classic stars-and-stripes styling. Perfect for 4th of July celebrations, these festive cookies require no special cookie cutters and are easy enough for beginners while still looking impressive on any dessert table.
Equipment
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
- bench scraper or sharp knife
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
- wire cooling rack
- piping bag with round tip Wilton 10 recommended
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup red sprinkles
- 1/4 cup blue star sprinkles
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined, then add vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until a dough ball forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- If using room temperature butter, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to just under 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut 3x5 inch rectangles from the dough using a bench scraper or knife. Re-roll scraps as needed.
- Place cookies one inch apart on prepared baking sheets and refrigerate trays for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until edges begin turning golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, beat softened butter with half the powdered sugar. Add remaining sugar, salt, and vanilla, then beat until fluffy.
- Fit a piping bag with a small round tip and fill with buttercream.
- Pipe a square in the top left corner of each cookie and add blue star sprinkles. Pipe horizontal stripes and decorate alternating stripes with red sprinkles to resemble the American flag.
Notes
Chill the dough thoroughly before baking to help the cookies maintain clean rectangle edges. Sift powdered sugar before making the buttercream to avoid lumps and clogged piping tips. Add sprinkles immediately after piping each stripe so they stick properly. For softer cookies, roll the dough slightly thicker and reduce baking time slightly. Store decorated cookies in an airtight container layered with parchment paper for up to 4 days.