Consider Salted Pretzel Peanut Butter Cup Cookies or Almond Cookies for your next meal.

Why These Red, White & Blue Sandwich Cookies Are a Patriotic Hit

These red, white, and blue funfetti sandwich cookies are my go-to for the 4th of July and Memorial Day. The soft, tender cookie studded with colorful jimmies and nonpareils gets sandwiched with a rich vanilla buttercream that’s just sweet enough. The almond extract in both the cookie and frosting adds a subtle bakery flavor that makes them taste extra special. I love how the sprinkle colors stay bright against the pale dough, and the creamy filling brings it all together.

3 Reasons These Patriotic Cookies Are a Must-Make

Festive without artificial dye: The red, white, and blue sprinkles do all the work, so you don’t need any food coloring in the dough.
Make-ahead friendly: Bake the cookies and freeze them unfrosted, then fill them the day of your party.
Customizable for any holiday: Swap the sprinkles for orange and black at Halloween or pastels at Easter.

Key Ingredients for These Patriotic Frosted Cookies

Unsalted butter: Use high-fat butter (82% or more) for the richest flavor and tender cookies. For the frosting, make sure it’s softened but not melted.
Jimmies vs. nonpareils: Jimmies (rod-shaped sprinkles) hold their color better in the dough. Nonpareils (tiny balls) tend to bleed more, so add them right before baking if you want distinct dots.
Cornstarch: This little addition makes the cookies softer and more tender by inhibiting gluten formation. Don’t skip it.

Kitchen Tools for Making Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Stand mixer or hand mixer: For creaming butter and sugar and making the frosting.
Large baking sheet: Line with a Silpat or parchment to prevent spreading.
Cookie scoop: A 1-teaspoon scoop ensures even cookies for perfect sandwiches.
Cooling rack: Helps cookies cool evenly without soggy bottoms.
Piping bag (optional): Makes filling the cookies neat and quick, but a small offset spatula works too.

Tips for Perfect Funfetti Cookies Every Time

The biggest mistake with sprinkle cookies is overmixing. Once you add the sprinkles, stir just a few times by hand, or the colors will bleed into the dough. Also, scoop the dough into even teaspoon-sized balls so the cookies bake uniformly. Bake just until the edges are light golden, 8 minutes is usually enough. The centers will look soft, but they’ll set as they cool.

For the buttercream, beat the butter for a full 3 minutes before adding the sugar. That makes it extra light and fluffy. When you pipe or spread the filling, use a generous tablespoon, you want the cookies to have a thick, creamy layer. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting; if they’re even slightly warm, the buttercream will melt and slide off.

Fun Variations on Patriotic Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Change the sprinkles to match any celebration, green and red for Christmas, orange and black for Halloween. For a citrusy kick, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the buttercream. If you’re not a fan of almond extract, use all vanilla in both the cookie and frosting. You can also make mini cookies by using a half-teaspoon scoop; just reduce the bake time to 6-7 minutes.

How to Serve Your Red, White & Blue Cookies

These sandwich cookies are perfect on a dessert table alongside other patriotic treats like fruit skewers or a berry trifle. For a fun twist, serve them as ice cream sandwiches with vanilla bean ice cream. A cold glass of milk or a lemonade is the ideal drink to balance the sweetness.

How to Store Leftover Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Store the assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer them between sheets of parchment paper so the frosting doesn’t stick to the lid. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate them, just let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream.

Freezing Instructions for Patriotic Cookies

You can freeze the unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature, then fill with frosting. Alternatively, freeze the assembled cookies: flash-freeze on a sheet pan, wrap each in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Red, White & Blue Funfetti Cookies: Your Questions Answered

Can I use gel food coloring instead of sprinkles?

You can, but it will change the dough’s texture slightly. Add a few drops of gel color to the butter-sugar mixture before adding the dry ingredients. For a true funfetti look, I recommend sticking with sprinkles.

Why did my cookie dough turn blue?

That happens when you overmix the sprinkles into the dough. The nonpareils in particular can bleed their color. To avoid this, fold the sprinkles in gently by hand, and use jimmies (the rod-shaped ones) instead of nonpareils if possible.

Can I use a different frosting?

Absolutely. A cream cheese frosting would add a nice tang, or you could use a chocolate buttercream for contrast. Just make sure it’s thick enough to hold the cookies together.

How do I get perfectly round sandwich cookies?

Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough, then roll each ball slightly between your palms before placing on the baking sheet. After baking, while the cookies are still warm, you can use a round cutter to nudge them into perfect circles.

Recipe

Red, White & Blue Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Funfetti cookies filled with rich buttercream frosting. These festive red, white, and blue sandwich cookies are perfect for the 4th of July or Memorial Day!

easyVegetarian

Servings

American

Cuisine

881 kcal

Calories

Ingredients

Servings

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1.25 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg, large
2.5 cup all-purpose flour
0.25 cup cornstarch
0.75 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp salt

0.5 cup red white and blue jimmie sprinkles
2 tbsp red white and blue nonpareil sprinkles
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3.5 cup powdered sugar, sifted
0.125 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
0.25 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp heavy cream
blue food coloring, powdered

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2
Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and egg. Beat until well combined.

3
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix on low speed until ingredients are combined. Gently mix in the sprinkles. Don't over mix or the sprinkles will bleed into the dough.
4
Form cookie dough into small balls, about a teaspoon in size. Place cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown around the edges. The cookies will

Nutrition (per serving)

881kcal

Calorie breakdown

Protein3%24 kcal

Fat35%311 kcal

Carbohydrates62%557 kcal

How this was calculated — 18 of 18 ingredients matched

unsalted butterButter, salted1721 kcal

sugarSugars, brown1140 kcal

vanilla extractVanilla extract29 kcal

almond extractOil, almond44 kcal

eggEgg, whole, raw, fresh1 kcal

all-purpose flourFlour, wheat, all-purpose, enriched, bleached2196 kcal

cornstarchCornstarch229 kcal

baking sodaLeavening agents, baking soda0 kcal

saltSalt, table0 kcal

red white and blue jimmie sprinklesOnions, red, raw53 kcal

red white and blue nonpareil sprinklesOnions, red, raw13 kcal

unsalted butterButter, salted1721 kcal

powdered sugarSugars, powdered3268 kcal

saltSalt, table0 kcal

vanilla extractVanilla extract43 kcal

almond extractOil, almond11 kcal

heavy creamCream, fluid, heavy whipping102 kcal

blue food coloringEgg, whole, raw, frozen, pasteurized (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)1 kcal

Serving size ≈ 208 g · 12 servings

Nutrition information is automatically calculated from USDA FoodData Central, so should only be used as an approximation. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, and preparation methods used.

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Keyword: 4th of July, cookie, dessert, Oven Baked, vegetarian

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