Patriotic Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars might be a mouthful to say, but you won’t mind once you get a mouthful of delicious cookie! These patriotic cookies are a chocolate packed cookie treat with a homemade vanilla buttercream that is simply amazing.
These 4th of July cookies are soft, sweet, chewy, and a little crunchy thanks to the chocolate candies on top. Using red, white, and blue m&m’s these cookies are a perfect patriotic dessert to show off to friends and family Who wouldn’t love 4th of July decorated cookies?
What are patriotic chocolate chip cookies?
These cookie bars are made using storebought cookie dough mix to help save us time ad effort (who doesn’t appreciate that?) With a simple homemade vanilla buttercream on top and a nice designed flag using red white and blue chocolate candies, these cookies are simple, easy, and semi-homemade.
Patriotic Chocolate Chunk Cookie Ingredients
-Cookie Mix: Using Krusteaz triple chocolate chunk cookie mix we can create a cookie bar with little to no effort.
-Egg: The cookie mix needs an egg to help turn it from a dry powder into a cookie dough. The egg helps to give the cookies the binder they need to stay together and not fall apart.
-Butter: You’ll need about 1 cup of butter, and it’s going to be softened and divided between the cookie dough mixture and the buttercream frosting.
-Powdered Sugar: This works as the sweetener and base in the buttercream frosting. Most frostings use powdered sugar because it’s the perfect consistency and amount of sweetness.
-Vanilla: We only need a teaspoon of vanilla but it really helps to flavor the buttercream frosting so that it tastes like vanilla and not so much like butter.
-Milk: About 2 tablespoons of milk is all you’ll need for the frosting. The actual amount used may vary though as you only need enough to turn the frosting into a good spreadable consistency.
-Chocolate Candies: We’re going to want red, white, and blue chocolate candies like M&M’s to create a patriotic appearance on top.
How to make patriotic cookie bars
-Preheat your oven to 375F degrees.
-In a medium sized bowl, combine your cookie mix, egg and ½ cup of softened butter, stirring until a dough forms and kneading with your hands if necessary.
-Press the dough into a lightly greased 8x8x2 inch pan.
-Bake the cookie for 22-24 minutes or until it’s a light golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into 9 bars.
-When the cookie has been cooled and cut, prepare the frosting.
-In a bowl, whisk together ½ cup of butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and milk and mix again until smooth.
-Spread the frosting over the top of each cookie bar and then assemble the chocolate candies into the design of an American flag.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Krusteaz Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened & divided
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp milk
- Red, White & Blue chocolate candies
Instructions
For the cookie bars
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place cookie mix, egg and 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl.
- Stir together until dough forms, hand kneading if necessary. Press dough into a lightly greased, 8x8x2-inch pan.
- Bake 22-24 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely and cut into 9 bars.
For the vanilla buttercream frosting
- Whisk remaining ½ cup butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add in vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth.
- Spread frosting on each cookie bar. Arrange chocolate candies to resemble the American flag.
Can I use a different cookie mix?
Absolutely! Pick your favorite cookie mix and make it according to the package directions for an 8×8 baking dish, or use this recipe as a cooking guide.
Do I have to use homemade frosting?
Nope! If you want to use canned frosting go for it! It not only helps to make the effort that much less, but it can be great for those of us working on a time constraint and trying to get a dessert on the table quickly!
How to store patriotic cookie bars
After the cookies have completely finished decorating you can place them on a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leaving them at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week.
Need more 4th of July ideas? Check out these Patriotic recipes!
- Patriotic Layered Jello Salad
- Patriotic Red Velvet Trifle
- Patriotic Jello Sugar Cookies
- Patriotic Red White and Blue Italian Cream Sodas
- Patriotic Marshmallow Bark
- Red White and Blue Swirl Cupcakes
- Patriotic Recipes
- Red White and Blue Fruit Popsicles
- 4th of July Cookies
- 4th of July Red White and Blue Treats
- Swirled Red White and Blue Cookie Bars
Fun & festive triple chocolate chunk cookie bars topped with red, white, and blue candies perfect for the 4th of July or anytime you feel like being patriotic!
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