This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These patriotic sugar cookie bars are the easiest red, white, and blue dessert you can make for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or Labor Day. They start with a thick, buttery vanilla sugar cookie base, get topped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream, and finish with a generous shower of patriotic sprinkles. No rolling, no cutting, no chilling dough for hours. Just press, bake, frost, and slice.
Since you are here make sure to check out these other patriotic dessert ideas, like these patriotic chocolate dipped Oreos, these Patriotic m&m’s blondies, and this berries and cream cookie recipe.
We always enjoy these cookie bars and I love you can dress them up for every occasion! Quick and easy too! I always get comments on how fabulous they look and taste
Let’s chit chat about these patriotic sugar cookie bars
There is a specific kind of summer magic that happens the second a tray of red, white, and blue treats hits a folding table in someone’s backyard. The cooler is sweating in the heat, somebody is fighting with a string of cafe lights, a sprinkler is going somewhere, and the dessert table is the one thing everyone circles back to between burgers. That is exactly the feeling I want these patriotic sugar cookie bars to capture.
I love them for summer parties because they are the definition of low effort, high reward. You are not standing over a hot oven rolling and cutting individual cookies while your guests melt in the sun. You press one big slab of dough into a pan, bake it once, frost the whole thing, rain sprinkles over the top, and slice it into squares. They travel beautifully to a cookout, they hold up on a picnic blanket, and they look like you fussed way more than you actually did. (If a friend ever asks where you found them, send them straight to Lifestyle of a Foodie sugar cookie bars and you’ll be the hero of the cookout.)
Table of Contents
- Why you need to make these patriotic cookie bars
- Ingredients for this patriotic easy sugar cookie bar recipe.
- How to make patriotic sugar cookies
- Patriotic cookies for every summer holiday
- Tips for the best patriotic sugar cookie bars
- Want patriotic cut-out cookies instead?
- Frequently asked questions – FAQ
- How to store this easy patriotic treat
- Patriotic sugar cookie bars Recipe
Why you need to make these patriotic cookie bars
- They are the easiest way to celebrate every summer holiday: Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day.
- One bowl, minimal ingredients, no dough chilling, and no cookie cutters required.
- The thick sugar cookie base stays soft and chewy for days, not crunchy.
- You can recolor the buttercream and swap the sprinkles to fit any party theme.
- They are a guaranteed crowd pleaser for a 4th of July BBQ, a picnic, or any outdoor party.
- They make ahead and freeze beautifully, so you can bake on your schedule, not the party’s.
Ingredients for this patriotic easy sugar cookie bar recipe.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these 4th of July cookie bars. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed ingredient measurements.
- Butter– Make sure to use room temperature butter, salted or unsalted both work
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar- The mixture of sugars will make your cookie bars extra soft.
- Egg– Make sure that the egg is at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract & almond extract– These are some of my favorite sugar cookie bar flavorings but feel free to add some peppermint instead of the almond extract.
- Flour- All purpose flour works great for this recipe.
- Corn starch- The corn starch will make these bars extra tender.
- Baking powder- This is out leavening agent.
- Salt– Always add a little salt to your baked goods.
- Powdered sugar– This is to sweeten our frosting.
- Heavy cream- Make sure to use extra cold heavy cream to create a light and fluffy frosting.
- Festive sprinkles- Pick your favorites and decorate as you please!
How to make patriotic sugar cookies
This is how you can make the best sugar cookie bars. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed instructions!
- Cream the butter and both sugars together in a mixing bowl until creamy.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Fold in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until soft dough forms
- spread into the prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven.
- Don’t worry if your bars look underdone, for best results
- Let the cookies cool down before frosting.
MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Whisk vanilla extract and heavy cream until fluffy again.
- Frost the sugar cookie bars with a thick layer of frosting and sprinkle the top with patriotic sprinkles, chill to allow the frosting to set, slice and enjoy around Labor Day, 4th of july & memorial Day!
You can make these cookies with a paddle attachment and a stand mixer, a hand mixer or even by hand! You’ll just have to put in some extra elbow grease to make your frosting extra fluffy!
Patriotic cookies for every summer holiday
One of my favorite things about these bars is how many holidays they cover. The same red, white, and blue formula works for the entire summer lineup, so you can make one recipe your whole season.
For Memorial Day, I keep the patriotic sprinkles classic and lean into the red, white, and blue. These read as the perfect Memorial Day sugar cookies in bar form, and if you came here looking for easy Memorial Day cookies, these bars are the lowest-effort win, ready for that first cookout of the year.
For the 4th of July, this is my go-to. These 4th of July sugar cookie bars are the dessert I bring to every Independence Day party, and they always disappear first. Whether you search them up as sugar cookie bars 4th of July or fourth of july sugar cookie bars, this is the recipe, and yes, sugar cookie bars fourth of july works too. They are the easiest 4th of July cookie bars on the table.
For Labor Day, they are the easy send-off to summer. Same patriotic cookies, last hurrah of the season.
If you want true patriotic cookies you can hand out one at a time, scroll down to the variation section where I show you how to turn this exact dough into cut-out patriotic sugar cookies.
Tips for the best patriotic sugar cookie bars
- Underbake on purpose. Pull the bars when the center still looks slightly raw. They keep cooking from residual heat as they cool, and that is what keeps the base soft and chewy instead of dry.
- Use cold heavy cream for the frosting. Cold cream whips up lighter and holds its fluff better than room temperature cream.
- Add the sprinkles while the frosting is still soft so they actually stick. If you wait until it sets, they roll right off.
- For the cleanest squares, chill the frosted slab for 20 to 30 minutes, then slice with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts.
- Want bolder color? Split the buttercream and dye one half red and one half blue with gel food coloring, then swirl or stripe it before sprinkling.
Want patriotic cut-out cookies instead?
If you came here wanting true patriotic cookies you can hand out one at a time, these bars aren’t your dough. A soft, chewy bar base is built to stay soft, which means it spreads and loses its edges the second you try to roll and cut it. For crisp, clean shapes that actually hold, you want a recipe designed for it. Head over to my no-spread cut-out sugar cookies, decorate them in red, white, and blue, and you’ll get picture-perfect patriotic sugar cookies every time. Then come back here for the bars when you want the easy, no-cutter version.
Frequently asked questions – FAQ
Yes, and I almost always do. Bake and frost them up to two days ahead, store them covered in the fridge, and let them sit out for a few minutes before serving so the frosting softens.
At around 8,000 feet, add 3 tablespoons of flour, reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon, use only 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder instead of 1/2, add a tablespoon of milk, bake at 375F instead of 350F, and pull them a minute or two early. (Pulled from your own reply to Kendra in the comments.)
Absolutely. They freeze well even after frosting. Flash freeze them on a flat tray first, then layer them in an airtight container with parchment between the layers so the frosting and sprinkles stay intact.
Chill them until the frosting is set, then pack them in a single layer in a flat container. If you need to stack, lay parchment between the layers. They hold up well to travel once the frosting is firm.
The easiest way is patriotic sprinkles on white buttercream. For a bolder look, split the buttercream and tint half red and half blue with gel food coloring, then swirl it before adding sprinkles.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these sugar cookie bars stay soft and fresh for up to 7 days.
Yes. Double everything and bake in a 9×13 pan. You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time, so watch for that slightly underbaked center as your cue to pull them.
How to store this easy patriotic treat
Store these patriotic sugar cookie bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. I like them cold straight from the fridge, but if you prefer a softer frosting, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Patriotic sugar cookie bars
Ingredients
Cookie base
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour & 2 tablespoons
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
Frosting
- 4 tbsp butter salted or unsalted, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla exract
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- Patriotic sprinkles
Instructions
Cookie layer
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a light-colored metal 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the bars out later. (If you only have a glass pan, plan to add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time, since glass bakes slower and is the most common reason the center turns out underdone.)
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and mix to combine.1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp almond extract
- Mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan, pushing it all the way into the corners so it bakes evenly.1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 cup all purpose flour & 2 tablespoons, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center looks puffed and matte, not wet or shiny. The very center will still feel soft to the touch, and that is correct. A toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. These bars finish setting as they cool, so it is better to pull them slightly early than to overbake.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan, at least 1 hour, before frosting or slicing. This step is not optional. They keep cooking and setting as they cool, so cutting in while they are warm is the number one reason the center seems raw. Once fully cool, the center firms into a soft, chewy bar.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, whip the softened butter and powdered sugar together until combined. Add the cold heavy cream and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy.4 tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla exract, 3 tbsp heavy cream, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Frost the cooled bars with a thick layer, then top with patriotic sprinkles while the frosting is still soft so they stick. Slice and serve, or chill for 20 to 30 minutes first if you want the cleanest squares and a firmer frosting.Patriotic sprinkles
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So easy and such great taste! Thank you for sharing such a nice recipe!
Any tips for spreading in the pan it was very difficult and I gave up and just made cookies out of these
Hi Robert! The dough is thick, so the best trick is to spread it with an offset spatula, it glides over the dough and makes it much easier to smooth into an even layer. It’s a little extra step that makes the bars bake evenly and look great.
Making these now and the dough was superrrrrrr sticky and really hard to press into the pan. It seems like a very thin layer. Any tips on how to spread sticky dough? Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hi Liz! Sticky dough is totally normal here, that’s what keeps them soft! An offset spatula is the easiest way to spread it evenly without sticking. They do bake up on the thinner side in an 8×8 pan, but you can double the recipe if you’d like a thicker bar.
😬
Can I just tell you how much I appreciated that you brought the listed ingredients down into the instructions?!? I hate having to scroll
up and down over and over!! That’s was the best!!!
I’m glad you liked it!
hey I made these and they are so gooey I have let them sit for a long time but still really gooey what did I do
Hey Krista! These bars are meant to be super soft in the center, but if they’re too gooey even after cooling, they may have needed an extra couple of minutes in the oven. Every oven runs a little different, so next time try baking 2–4 minutes longer and letting them cool fully in the pan before slicing, that helps them set without overbaking.
Just made these with my daughter last night – they turned out great. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
These are super easy to make and they are soo good! They taste better than what I thought were the best sugar cookies (the ones all over stores). Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome!
Made these for memorial day and they were a hit! I even added some sprinkles to the dough and they turned out so cute!
That’s awesome!
My bars sank in the middle 🙁 any advice?
Hi Estella! Sinking usually means they were slightly underbaked in the center or the batter got a little overmixed, adding too much air. Next time, try baking just until the edges are lightly golden, then letting them cool fully in the pan. An oven thermometer can also help make sure they’re baking at the right temp.
you mention almond extract, but I don’t see where it goes. please help
Goes with the vanilla extract but feel free to omit it if you don’t want almond extract in your bars!
These look great! I’m going to make them this weekend. I’m sure you get this question a lot, but if I double the recipe, could I bake it in a 9×13 inch pan? Thanks!
Yes you sure can!!
Someone also asked me on Instagram if they could use store bought frosting to save time and yes you can do that as well to save some time!
I’ve made these twice now, once with the almond extract and once I substituted lemon extract for it and those were so good! The frosting is so good! My daughters always ask to lick the bowl!
I would have never thought of adding lemon extract, i’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed them 🙂