Perfect American Flag Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
These festive sugar cookies feature a tender, buttery base decorated with smooth, glossy royal icing in red, white, and blue, perfect for patriotic celebrations like the Fourth of July.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder or 2 large egg whites (pasteurized recommended)
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water, plus more to adjust consistency
- Gel food coloring in red, blue, and white
- Optional: A drop of lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla: beat in egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture on low speed; mix until just combined. Chill dough if too sticky for 15 minutes.
- Chill dough: shape dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll and cut dough: roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness on lightly floured surface; cut with rectangular cookie cutters about 3 inches wide. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until edges are just golden; cool on sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare royal icing: beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (7-10 minutes). Adjust water for piping consistency. Divide and tint icing red, blue, and leave one white.
- Decorate cookies: outline each cookie with white icing and flood inside. After about 20 minutes, pipe blue stars and red stripes carefully. Use toothpick to fix bubbles or spread colors. Let dry completely for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Notes
Chill dough for at least 1 hour to prevent spreading. Use gel food coloring sparingly to avoid runny icing. Keep royal icing covered with damp towels to maintain pliability. Let decorated cookies dry fully (4-6 hours or overnight) before stacking or storing. Cookies freeze well uniced for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (about 3 in
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 16
- Sodium: 90
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Protein: 2
Keywords: American flag cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, Fourth of July, patriotic cookies, easy sugar cookies, homemade cookies, festive treats