Go Back
Red, White, and Blue Sugar Cookies Everyone Will Love

Red, White, and Blue Sugar Cookies

Buttery vanilla sugar cookies are divided into red, white, and blue portions, gently twisted into a patriotic design, chilled, sliced, and baked until just set. The recipe makes about 24 to 30 colorful cookies.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup (226 g) Unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (313 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Coloring and Decoration
  • As needed Red gel food coloring
  • As needed Blue gel food coloring
Optional Decoration
  • As desired Red, white, and blue sprinkles
  • 1/2 cup Powdered sugar
  • 1-2 teaspoons Milk or water for drizzle

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until a soft dough forms.
  4. Divide the dough into three equal portions. Leave one white, tint one red, and tint one blue with gel food coloring added a little at a time.
  5. Roll each color into a rope or flatten each into a rectangle, then stack or twist the portions together and gently roll them into a log. Avoid overmixing so the colors remain distinct.
  6. Wrap the dough log and chill it for about 30 minutes, until firm enough to slice.
  7. Slice the chilled log into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and add sprinkles if desired.
  8. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes per tray, until the edges are set and only very lightly golden while the centers remain pale.
  9. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Drizzle or decorate only after the cookies are completely cool.

Notes

Use gel food coloring instead of liquid coloring for strong shades without adding excess moisture. Chill the shaped log before slicing, and remove the cookies from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone; they firm as they cool.