These 4th of July Cookies have a soft and chewy red velvet cookie base that's filled with blue sprinkles. They are then topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting and more festive sprinkles! With a stunning deep red hue, these red velvet cream cheese cookies are the most gorgeous little holiday treats and they taste just like mini red velvet cakes! If that wasn't enough, they're gluten free, nut free, eggless and can easily be vegan! They’re a must try for you red velvet lovers!
Just like my Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies, these 4th of July Cookies stay soft for days thanks to the secret ingredient...molasses! Eggless cookies have a tendency to dry up once cool, but not these! Red, white and blue cookies are so festive and fun; these beauties are perfect for all your backyard BBQs! Like my 4th of July Sugar Cookies, these cookies are not just for the 4th, but they could also be great as Memorial Day and Labor Day cookies!
For more red, white and blue recipes, try my Blueberry Cookies, my Mixed Berry Cake, my No Bake Strawberry Pie and my Chocolate Chip Blueberry Muffins.
Reasons to Love These Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Gooey Inside- The cookies are soft, chewy and filled with blue sprinkles inside!
- Red and Blue Sprinkles- They are filled and topped with sprinkles for a fun pop of color and a nice little crunch like with my Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies!
- Red Velvet- There is that slight tang that's classic of red velvet. They taste like little red velvet cakes!
- Topped with Frosting- Love frosted cookies! The frosting always adds a lovely sweetness! If you're a chocolate lover, make sure to check out my Frosted Chocolate Cookies or my Sugar Cookies with Frosting!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
- Vegan Baking Stick/Butter- Only use room temperature like in my Chocolate Chipless Cookies. If you use melted, the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- Cornstarch and Water- These are eggless cookies so this mixture helps bind everything together.
- Dark Brown Sugar- I use brown sugar instead of granulated for added moisture like in my Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- Molasses- The secret ingredient! I use a tablespoon of unsulphured molasses. Without it, the cookies will dry up within a day.
- Red Food Coloring- Make sure to read the label to keep your food safe. I use McCormick.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these Vegan
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non dairy milk of choice.
- Read the label on your sprinkles to ensure they’re gluten free, nut free and vegan.
- Make sure the red food coloring is made in a vegan facility or is plant based.
- Use a vegan cream cheese to make the frosting a vegan cream cheese frosting.
Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ½ packed cups of regular flour (252 grams).
- Make sure to also use packed cups of cocoa powder (29 grams).
- You still need to chill the dough due to the lack of eggs.
For Make Smaller Cookies
- Use a small cookie scoop or roll the dough into 1 inch balls.
- Bake the cookies at the same temperature but for 11-13 minutes. Reshape as needed. Should make 22 cookies.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Fourth of July Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions to make this red velvet cookie recipe!
Step 1: Make the Homemade Buttermilk
Add the white vinegar into the milk and stir. Let sit 5-10 minutes and stir again. The milk will appear chunky; that's normal.
If you don’t have ¼ tablespoon just fill up ½ tablespoon about half way full. It doesn't need to be 100 percent exact.
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 3: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 4: Cream the Sugar
Beat the butter and the dark brown sugar together until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 5: Add in the Other Wet Ingredients
Slowly beat in the cornstarch water, the homemade buttermilk, the molasses, vanilla and red food coloring until fully combined. It will appear chunky. That’s normal.
Step 6: Add in the Dry Ingredients, Fold in the Sprinkles and Chill
Slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
Gently fold in ¼ cup of the blue sprinkles until combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop the entire bowl of dough in the fridge for 2.5 hours.
Step 7: Scoop the Dough
Using a large cookie scoop, make 12 scoops with the dough.
If the dough is sticking to the cookie scoop, wash the scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
Step 8: Bake the Cookies and Cool
Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-15 minutes.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack.
Let the cookies cool completely before adding the buttercream, otherwise the frosting will turn into a liquid mess.
Step 9: Mix The Frosting Ingredients
Mix together the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and a pinch of kosher salt until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Step 10: Frost the Cookies and Add Sprinkles
Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the tops of the cooled cookies but don't go all the way to the edge of the cookie.
Top the cookies with red and blue sprinkles while the frosting is still wet, so the sprinkles stick.
Expert Baking Tips
For the Cookies
- Make the Homemade Buttermilk- Measure out ¼ cup of milk of choice. Add in ¼ tablespoon of white vinegar and stir to combine. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then stir again. It will appear chunky and that’s normal. If you don’t have ¼ tablespoon just fill up ½ tablespoon about half way full.
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. Or read the gram measurement.
- Use Room Temperature Butter- Do not use softened or melted butter/vegan baking sticks. The cookies will spread out when baking into a giant mess.
- Chill the Dough- If you don’t chill the dough for at least 2.5 hours, the cookies will spread and be flat and thin. Chilling overnight is the best.
- Wash Your Cookie Scoop- If you noticed the dough is starting to get sticky, wash and dry your cookie scoop halfway through making the dough balls.
- Wet Your Hands- The red velvet cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. If the dough balls need some reshaping, simply use your slightly wet hands to make the dough ball tops smooth. You can see my video for how I do this.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape.
For the Frosting
- Making The Frosting- If the frosting is too liquidy, here is how to thicken cream cheese frosting; add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. It should be thick enough to stay put on the cookies and not run off. If the cream cheese buttercream appears too thick, add a little water ¼ teaspoon at a time. Make sure your butter isn't too soft. It should be room temperature, not softened.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the dough the night before. Keep it in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to chill again prior to baking.
Or you can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze the dough for up to 30 days. Thaw the dough in the fridge the night prior to using.
Most gluten free baked goods are best made the same day, but you can make these cookies a day before! Just make sure the frosting has completely solidified prior to storing them in a single layer in the fridge. Do not stack.
Yes! If making the frosting ahead of time, store the frosting in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge.
When ready to use, bring the frosting to room temperature and mix with a spatula or electric mixer to regain that creaminess.
Many food colorings are not safe for those with celiac and nut allergies.
It appears to me that McCormick is.
I checked their website and it said that any product that contains a gluten free label is produced on a dedicated gluten free line and has been validated as gluten free.
McCormick says if gluten appears in a product, they will always list it on a label.
They will never hide allergens under the term “natural flavors.”
I even called the company. The statement said, if a product ever contained an allergen it would be declared on the label. If it is not declared, this means the product does not contain it.
I feel very confident in using McCormick products due to these procedures they have in place, but of course you need to make your own decisions.
You can also use plant based natural food colorings but keep in mind it won't be as deep a color as mine are.
No. It's more than just that.
There is cocoa powder in the cookies but if you were to eliminate the red food coloring, there wouldn’t be enough cocoa powder to make this a true double chocolate chip cookie.
In addition to a small amount of cocoa powder, red velvet contains buttermilk and white vinegar. Those things help give it that tang that we know so well.
Since we are making our own buttermilk with white vinegar, I eliminated the extra vinegar as I thought it would make the cookies a bit too tangy.
Yes, of course! You can use my recipe for my Vegan Vanilla Frosting! Just divide the recipe in half. You'll still have some frosting left over.
Once the frosting has hardened a bit, store the cookies in a single layer, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not stack. Also, do not leave them at room temperature since the frosting contains cream cheese.
They're still soft when in the fridge but you can leave let them come to room temperature before eating if desired. I prefer to eat them cold!
Other Red Velvet Desserts You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @laneandgreyfare and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube! Enjoy!!!
📖 Recipe
4th of July Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ tablespoon white vinegar
- 1.5 cups gluten free flour (I use a 1:1 gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (I use Dutch or Natural Unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar , packed
- 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Red Food Coloring (I use McCormick. You may need less if you’re using a gel or paste)
- ¼ cup blue sprinkles
For the Frosting
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
For the Topping
- red and blue sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Measure out ¼ cup milk. Add in ¼ tablespoon of white vinegar. If you don’t have ¼ tablespoon just fill up ½ tablespoon about half way full. It doesn’t have to be 100 percent exact. Stir and let sit for 5-10 min. Stir again. It may look slightly chunky and that’s normal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1.5 cups gluten free flour, the ¼ cup cocoa powder, the 1 teaspoon baking soda and the ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, beat the ½ cup room temperature butter or vegan baking stick and the 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar until soft and creamy. About 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly beat in the cornstarch water, the homemade buttermilk, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon red food coloring until fully combined. It will appear chunky. That’s normal.
- Still on low speed, beat the gluten free flour mixture into the wet ingredients, a little at a time until just combined.
- Once combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and using the spatula, fold in ¼ cup of the blue sprinkles. You can use more if you'd like but I just wanted a few pops of blue here and there.
- The batter will be very wet and sticky. Don’t try to take it out of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 2.5 hours. It needs to chill that long otherwise the cookies will spread all over the place.
- After 2.5 hours, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and use an ice cream scoop or a large cookie scoop to make large cookies. (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop). It makes 12 scoops. The red velvet cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then shake off any excess water. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. If the dough balls need some reshaping, simply use your slightly wet hands to make the dough ball tops smooth. You can see my video for how I do this.
- Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 14-15 minutes. Store extra dough balls in the fridge while the rest are baking if they don't all fit. I only bake 6 at a time.
- Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven by using a spatula to push them into a circle shape and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess. Let the cookies cool completely before adding the buttercream, otherwise the frosting will turn into a liquid mess.
For the Frosting
- In a small bowl, using a spatula, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the ½ cup of butter, 4 ounces of cream cheese, 2 cups of confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 pinch of kosher salt until the frosting is smooth and creamy. (If the frosting is too liquidy, add more confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. It should be thick enough to stay put on the cookies and not run off. If the cream cheese buttercream appears too thick, add a little water ¼ teaspoon at a time. Make sure your butter isn't too soft. It should be room temperature, not softened.)
- Using an icing spatula or a butter knife, frost the tops of the cooled cookies. Don't go all the way to the edge of the cookie. Make sure you can see the pretty cookie on the edges.
- Top the cookies with red and blue sprinkles while the frosting is still wet, so the sprinkles stick.
Ginny says
So yummy and the cutest treat for the 4th!
John says
These cookies are so soft and sweet and delicious!
Lee says
Thank you!