Summer patriotic red white blue thumbprints are vividly colorful, easy-to-make cookies with a depressed inlay begging to be filled with colorful patriotic icing, and the berry blue flavor bolsters the simple-to-follow recipe crafted from a base of cake mix, creating a no-fail holiday cookie recipe that can be served for any summer picnic, BBQ, celebration, or Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day!
The simple icing filling is just sweet enough without being too much and the cookies are fantastic for anyone who is looking to satisfy a hankering for a sweet bite without going overboard on the sweet.
Thumbprint cookies with red icing fill the void!
Why You’ll Love This Red White Blue Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
Whether you are seeking a fast recipe, a tasty cookie, or a very colorful thumbprint, this is the recipe you’ll fall in love with!
- 4 ingredients to combine
- great for those red white and blue picnics we all celebrate
- a fabulous dessert that’s wildly colorful and a fan favorite
- the berry blue flavor is outstanding
- simple recipe answering the question “What desserts for summer holidays can I make?”
- You can and should ake these ahead
- The cookies are easily transported
- A very kid-friendly option
Equipment Needed To The Make Red White Blue Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
To make and bake these easy cookies you’ll find no need to purchase anything special to create them.
I’ve made a shortlist of items to use to make the red white blue dessert cookie dough and what is needed to bake them.
- cookie sheets
- parchment paper
- mixer (this could be mixed by hand)
- spatula
- spoon
- oven
- 3 small mixing bowls
- 2 forks or small spoons
- Plastic bag (optional )
- small bowl
- measuring cup
Now I will share why my cookies turn out perfect every single time I bake, no matter what I bake, and it does matter!
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Ingredients For Your Summer Patriotic Red White Blue Thumbprints
Uncomplicated, no-fail ingredients set you up to make simple to roll ball-shaped cookies that are then indented, baked, cooled, and filled with colorful icing.
These ball cookies are fun for kids and parents alike, as the kids can help, and gain hands-on experience in the indented part so that mom or dad can keep on rolling the balls out!
The ingredients are very straightforward and it’s not hard to make them if you follow the outlined steps below!
- Cake Mix (White)
- Food Coloring (red and blue)
- Berry Jello
- Flour
- Egg
- Butter
- Confectioner’s Sugar
- Water (milk or cream)
- Food Coloring
How To Make Summer Patriotic Red White Blue Thumbprints
In this simple step-by-step overview of prep, I’ll share how to make the indented and filled red white blue dessert so that you can do this for the upcoming holiday!
As a reminder, there is nothing difficult in this red white blue dessert cookie recipe, it is kindergarten-level baking, and the taste is stellar!
Step 1: How To Mix the 4 Ingredient RWB Thumbprints
In a large mixing bowl, place your butter and eggs.
Mix to combine.
Add in the cake mix and the flour.
Step 2: Creating the flavored Berry Flue Flavored Thumbprints
Now that the ingredients are done being combined, it is time to add in the berry blue gelatin.
While this step is optional it takes the recipe to the next level.
Berry blue flavored patriotic thumbprint icing-filled cookies are very tasty as the gelatin adds the flavor, but if you opt not to add the flavoring in, just move on ahead to next step 3.
Step 3: Divide the Summer Thumbprint Batter
Now you will divide the batter into 3 bowls.
One portioned bowl will be white, another will be blue and the last will be red.
The easiest way to do this is to remove the white, then remove one more section of the batter into a bowl, and leave one portion of the batter in the bowl to color first.
Step 4: Making The Colorful Patriotic Dough Before Rolling
You will be working with the portioned dough we set aside.
Using the mixer again, and one portion of the dough add red food coloring to this portion.
Mix to combine and set aside.
Do not overmix the dough or it will be too dry to work with and lack moisture once baked.
Mix it just enough to get the color mixed and brilliant but not enough to dry it out.
Now repeat that for one more portion of dough and add the blue food coloring to this portion and set aside.
Step 5: Patriotic Dough Balls
You’ll now take each respective portion of dough, roll it into a ball and then combine the balls together to make a larger multicolored red white, and blue large ball.
From that, you will pinch take about a teaspoon-sized portion and roll it into red white, and blue patriotic dough balls.
Place each red white and blue dough ball onto a parchment-lined tray, and then you will press the middle.
You are making indented and filled red white blue dessert cookies!
Step 6: Bake the Patriotic Thumbprint Roll and Indented Cookies
The dough will rapidly bake, so you will need to keep an eye on them, since the dough is colorful you won’t be able to tell if they are finished, so you’ll want to set the timer and keep an eye on the oven.
Remove them to a cooling rack and allow cookies to cool.
Once cooled, you will fill them with red icing or blue icing if you choose to change up the color!
Popular Substitutions
- You could roll patriotic dough balls out of solid colors or Red, White, And Blue instead of marbling
- Use Blue Icing Instead.
- Try multiple colors of icing
- Create just Red cookies and ice with alternating blue and white
- Icing filling could be just white on all and use red and blue sprinkles to make the dessert icing-filled cookies colorful.
How To Store The Summer Patriotic Red White Blue Thumbprints?
Here are a few storage and freezer tips to help you out.
The best way to store the patriotic thumbprint cookies is in an airtight container
Can I Freeze the 4 Ingredient RWB Thumbprints?
Yes, you can freeze the cookies for up to 6 months.
Red White Blue Thrumprint Cookie Recipe FAQs
Here are a few tips to help you with the most asked questions about the recipe!
Can I Freeze the Summer Thumbprint Batter Before Baking?
Yes, you can, just make sure to use a freezer-safe plastic bag and you can store this for up to 6 months.
Do I Have To Add The Berry Blue Flavoring To The Patriotic Thumbprint Cookies?
No, you do not have to, that is just an additional flavor, but the vanilla flavor is delicious as well!
Other Dessert Recipes You Will Love
Don’t Forget To Come Back and Tell Me How Your Summer Patriotic Red White Blue ThumbprintsTurned Out
Grab the recipe for the colorful Summer Patriotic Holiday Thumbprint Cookies ↓
Summer Patriotic Red White Blue Thumbprints
Summer patriotic red white blue thumbprints are vividly colorful, easy-to-make cookies with a depressed inlay begging to be filled with colorful patriotic icing, and the berry blue flavor bolsters the simple-to-follow recipe crafted from a base of cake mix, creating a no-fail holiday cookie recipe that can be served for any summer picnic, BBQ, celebration, or Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day!
Ingredients
- 1 Box White Cake Mix
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Stick of Softened Butter
- 1 C Flour
- Red And Blue Food coloring
- FOR THE RED OR BLUE ICING
- 2 C Confectioner's Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tbsp of Water (Milk or cream)
- 1 Tbsp of Karo Syrup (for the beautiful sheen)
- red food coloring
- blue food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and the eggs.
- Add in the flour and mix to combine.
- If you are adding in the berry blue gelatin for flavor do it now otherwise skip to step 6.
- Once combined, divide the dough into 3 separate portions, leaving one portion in the bowl to add food coloring too.
- Add red coloring to this portion, mix just enough to get the color you want, and then stop, and remove it to a holding bowl.
- Add in the next portion of dough (after cleaning out the mixing bowl so the red color (if any is remaining does not mix into the Blue).
- Place blue food coloring on the dough portion and repeat the mixing as above in step 4.
- Once mixed leave it in the bowl.
- Add in the other colors, then roll into a large bowl.
- Then you will use that ball of dough to form teaspoon-sized portions and roll each into balls.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- After you've filled the tray with the patriotic dough balls you will indent each without pressing through the ball.
- Place the tray of summer patriotic red white blue thumbprints into the oven to bake for 8 minutes.
- Keep an eye on the cookies as you will have a slightly more difficult time knowing if they are browning on the bottom and you don't want that!
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes, letting the cookies set a bit.
- Then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Allow the cookies to rest for about 40 minutes before filling with red or blue icing.
- TO MAKE THE ICING
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, place your confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and teaspoon in a teaspoon of water (or milk or cream) and the Karo Syrup.
- Mix to combine and make sure it's not runny.
- If it is runny you will need to add more confectioner's sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon.
- However, if the consistency is just right (which it should be) you can add in the food coloring of choice until your desired color is achieved.
- Fill Each cookie with the icing.
- Allow each cookie to set up and the icing to dry (a few hours)
- Then seal in an airtight container until you are ready to serve them.
Notes
For the icing, you can either use a long ice-tea spoon to deliver the icing per cookie or you can transfer the icing into a plastic bag (use a cup to support the bag when pouring the icing), or a plastic disposable sleeve to pipe the icing into each indented cookie.
If you want you can add sprinkles to the icing.
We love these refrigerated on a hot holiday weekend!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 78Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 34mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
You may yield more or less depending how big or small you create your cookies.
