4th of July Donut Cookies
These 4th of July Donut Cookies are a fun way to celebrate the holiday with family and friends. They are delicious, easy to make, and can be customized with different colored frostings and toppings.
The outside of these cookies is crisp and golden brown while the inside is soft and fluffy. When decorated with festive 4th of July-themed decorations they will look amazing on your dessert table this summer.
Plus, if you want to change up these donut cookies you could also switch up the colors and sprinkles to suit your occasion.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These delicious cookies are the perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July.
- They are easy to make and can be customized in different colors and decorations.
- Plus, they look amazing on your dessert table
🛒Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to help you make this delicious recipe. You can find all of these ingredients either on hand in your pantries already or easily at your local grocery store.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Salt
- Warm Water
- Meringue Powder
- Powdered Sugar
- Karo Syrup
- Red White and Blue Sprinkles
- Red food coloring
- Blue food coloring
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make 4th of July Donut Cookies
Making these cookies take a little bit of effort but they are so worth it. Just follow these instructions or the ones in the recipe card below and you will have festive cookies that your guests will love in no time at all.
Step 1: Cream together the butter, sugar, and egg
In the mixing bowl of a Stand Mixer, add the Butter, Sugar, and Egg, and blend with the Whisk attachment until smooth, and creamy. Add the Vanilla, and mix until blended.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Salt, and mix well to blend.
Step 3: Combine the wet and dry ingredients
Add the Flour mixture to the mixing bowl, and mix until blended, and smooth.
Step 4: Roll out the cookie dough
Place a large piece of Parchment paper on the Kitchen Counter, and sprinkle with Flour. Place half of the Cookie dough on the Parchment paper, and with a Floured Rolling Pin, roll the Dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
Step 5: Cut out the cookies
Cut out the Donuts with the Cookie Cutter, and place on a Parchment paper lined Cookie Sheet.
Step 6: Bake the cookies
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until Cookies being to turn golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool completely.
Step 7: Make the royal icing
In the mixing bowl of a Stand Mixer, place the Warm Water, Meringue Powder, and Karo Syrup, and blend with the Whisk attachment until completely blended and smooth. Add the Powdered Sugar, about 2 cups at a time, and mix on low, until all the Powdered Sugar has been added. Scrape down the sides of the Mixing Bowl as needed, and blend until the Icing is smooth and creamy.
Step 8: Color the icing
In two bowls, place about 1/3 of the Icing in each bowl, and leave the remaining Icing in the Mixing Bowl. And, in one of the bowls, add several drops of Blue Food Coloring Gel, until you have the desired color of Icing. In the other bowl, add a couple of drops of Red Food Coloring Gel, and stir well. If needed, add more Red Food Coloring Gel, until you have the desired color.
Step 9: Frost the cookies
Place the Icing in a plastic Pastry Bag, (You’ll have Three bags, one Red, one White, and one Blue), and snip off the very end of the bags. Pipe the Icing around the outside of the Cookies, and pipe around the inside of the Donut hole. Fill in with the Icing, and add Sprinkles of choice.
Step 10: Serve and enjoy
Allow about 1 hour for Icing to completely set. Serve, and Enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
Colors: Use different colors for the icing and sprinkles to match the occasion (like pink, orange, and purple for a birthday).
Flavor: Add some fun flavors to your frosting like lemon or raspberry. Adding a 1/2 teaspoon of extract to the icing.
If you love red, white, and blue recipes you may also enjoy these Red White, and Blue Donuts.
🥄 Equipment
To make this recipe you will need the following equipment:
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutter
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry Bag (for Icing)
- Wire Rack
🥫 Storage
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to three months.
💭 Tips
Here are a few tips to use so that you can ensure these cookies turns out perfectly for you every time that you make them.
- Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature before baking these cookies.
- Use a light hand when rolling out the dough so it does not become too thin.
- If the icing is too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Using parchment paper or a baking mat will prevent your cookies from browning too much on the bottom.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes, you can use any color that you want to customize your cookies.
Yes, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
I used a 3-inch cookie cutter for this recipe.
🍽 More 4th of July Recipes
Do you enjoy 4th of July recipes, try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
4th of July Cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutter
- parchment paper
- Pastry Bag (for Icing)
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Royal Icing
- ¾ cups Warm Water
- ⅓ cup Meringue Powder I used Wilton
- 32 ounces Powdered Sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Karo Syrup
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a Stand Mixer, add the Butter, Sugar, and Egg, and blend with the Whisk attachment until smooth, and creamy. Add the Vanilla, and mix until blended.
- In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Salt, and mix well to blend.
- Add the Flour mixture to the mixing bowl, and mix until blended, and smooth.
- Place a large piece of Parchment paper on the Kitchen Counter, and sprinkle with Flour.
- Place half of the Cookie dough on the Parchment paper, and with a Floured Rolling Pin, roll the Dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Cut out the Donuts with the Cookie Cutter, and place on a Parchment paper lined Cookie Sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until Cookies being to turn golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool completely.
Royal Icing
- In the mixing bowl of a Stand Mixer, place the Warm Water, Meringue Powder, and Karo Syrup, and blend with the Whisk attachment until completely blended and smooth.
- Add the Powdered Sugar, about 2 cups at a time, and mix on low, until all the Powdered Sugar has been added.
- Scrape down the sides of the Mixing Bowl as needed, and blend until the Icing is smooth and creamy.
- In two bowls, place about 1/3 of the Icing in each bowl, and leave the remaining Icing in the Mixing Bowl.
- In one of the bowl, add several drops of Blue Food Coloring Gel, until you have the desired color of Icing.
- In the other bowl, add a couple drops of Red Food Coloring Gel, and stir well.
- If needed, add more Red Food Coloring Gel, until you have the desired color.
