Memorial Day Star-Spangled Sugar Cookies

With Memorial Day right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to whip up something festive, fun, and just a little extra — because let’s be honest, cute cookies make every gathering better. These soft, buttery sugar cookies are decked out in red, white, and blue and shaped like stars to honor the day in the sweetest way. And don’t worry — you don’t need to be a professional baker or cookie artist to make them look adorable!

In today’s post, I’m sharing my go-to Memorial Day cookie recipe, plus an easy way to decorate them with patriotic flair. Whether you’re hosting a backyard BBQ, bringing treats to a cookout, or just want to add a little sparkle to your long weekend, these cookies are guaranteed to impress.

Let’s make something delicious and festive together!

DIY Blondie’s Memorial Day Star-Spangled Sugar Cookies

Soft, buttery cookies topped with red, white, and blue royal icing — perfect for patriotic parties and backyard BBQs!

Ingredients:

For the Sugar Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional, but yummy!)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Royal Icing:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp meringue powder
• 6 tbsp warm water (more as needed)
• Red and blue gel food coloring
• Piping bags & fine tips
• Star cookie cutters

Instructions:

1. Make the Cookies:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix into wet ingredients.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to ¼” thick on a floured surface.
6. Cut out star-shaped cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet.
7. Bake 8–10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Let cool completely.

2. Decorate with Royal Icing:

1. Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water on low for 2 minutes, then increase to medium-high for 4 minutes. You want stiff peaks.
2. Separate into bowls and color with red, blue, and leave one white.
3. Thin some of the icing slightly with water for flooding consistency (about like honey).
4. Use piping bags with fine tips to outline and flood cookies. Let the base layer dry before adding stars, stripes, or dots.

✨ Pro Tip: How to Get the Stars and Stripes Look

• Use white icing to flood the whole cookie.
• While still wet, pipe red stripes across half.
• On the other half, dot with blue and drag a toothpick through to create a starburst. OR use a mini star stencil and dab blue icing with a sponge.
• Want crisp stars? Use small star-shaped sprinkles or edible wafer paper stars!

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Perfect for make-ahead parties and festive dessert trays!

Star Spangled Sugar Cookies

Soft, buttery cookies topped with red, white, and blue royal icing — perfect for patriotic parties and backyard BBQs!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Ingredients

  

For the Sugar Cookies:

• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract optional, but yummy!
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Royal Icing:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp meringue powder
• 6 tbsp warm water more as needed
• Red and blue gel food coloring
• Piping bags & fine tips
• Star cookie cutters

Instructions

 

Make the Cookies:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix into wet ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough to ¼” thick on a floured surface.
• Cut out star-shaped cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet.
• Bake 8–10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Let cool completely.

Decorate with Royal Icing:

• Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water on low for 2 minutes, then increase to medium-high for 4 minutes. You want stiff peaks.
• Separate into bowls and color with red, blue, and leave one white.
• Thin some of the icing slightly with water for flooding consistency (about like honey).
• Use piping bags with fine tips to outline and flood cookies. Let the base layer dry before adding stars, stripes, or dots.

Notes

How to Get the Stars and Stripes Look

• Use white icing to flood the whole cookie.
• While still wet, pipe red stripes across half.
• On the other half, dot with blue and drag a toothpick through to create a starburst. OR use a mini star stencil and dab blue icing with a sponge.
• Want crisp stars? Use small star-shaped sprinkles or edible wafer paper stars!

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Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Perfect for make-ahead parties and festive dessert trays!

This recipe yields approximately 24–30 medium-sized star-shaped cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter and how thick you roll the dough.

If you’re using a standard 3-inch star cookie cutter and rolling to about ¼” thickness, expect around 2½ dozen cookies. Want to double the batch for a party or cookout tray? Just double all ingredients — it scales beautifully!

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