Delicious 4th of July Cookies with M&Ms for Everyone
Celebrate the 4th of July with these festive, soft, and chewy cookies packed with red, white, and blue M&Ms, perfect for any patriotic gathering.
Equipment
- oven
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
- medium bowl
- stand mixer
- spatula
- wire racks
- plastic wrap
- measuring cup or glass
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (380 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter cool room temperature (67°F) (227 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar lightly packed (247 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (255 grams)
- ½ cup red, white, and blue M&Ms (milk chocolate or peanut butter) (96 grams)
For Ice Cream Sandwiches
- 1 scoop homemade or store-bought ice cream any flavor
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, then gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and M&Ms with a spatula.
- For enhanced flavor and texture, you can refrigerate the dough for 24-72 hours. Allow it to soften at room temperature until scoopable before proceeding.
- Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Assembling Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Soften your ice cream in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes until it's easily scoopable.
- Place a scoop of softened ice cream onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie and press gently to create a sandwich.
- Assemble the sandwiches quickly to prevent the ice cream from melting. If the ice cream becomes too soft, return it to the freezer to firm up.
- Freeze the assembled ice cream sandwiches for at least 1 hour before serving to allow them to set.
- If serving sandwiches that have been stored for a while, let them sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- To create uniform ice cream disks, scoop ice cream onto plastic wrap, cover with another sheet, and press flat with a measuring cup or glass to match the cookie diameter.
- Consider decorating the sandwiches with sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, or flag toppers for extra flair.
- Press toppings onto the sides of the sandwiches evenly with your hands, especially if the shape is irregular.
- For an added touch, drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate, white chocolate, or ganache before adding toppings.
- Cookies can be frozen before assembly, and assembled sandwiches can be individually wrapped and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Return melted ice cream to the freezer until firm before continuing with assembly.
Variations
- Experiment with different ice cream flavors like chocolate chip cookie dough, raspberry, mint chip, or peanut butter.
- Substitute M&Ms with other festive candies or use different colored chocolate chips for a unique look.
Notes
To create uniform ice cream disks, place a scoop on plastic wrap, cover with another sheet, and press flat with a measuring cup or glass to match the cookie diameter. Decorate with sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, or flag toppers. Press toppings onto all sides of the sandwiches evenly with hands if the shape is irregular. Drizzle with melted chocolate, white chocolate, or ganache before adding toppings if desired. Cookies can be made ahead and frozen before assembly. Assembled sandwiches can be individually wrapped in plastic and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Return melted ice cream to the freezer until firm before continuing assembly.