Looking for a patriotic red, white, and blue, show-stopping dessert idea for the 4th of July? These unique, easy Fourth of July Brownies taste amazing, look spectacular, but are completely manageable to pull off. No baking extraordinaire experience required and works with from scratch or box mix brownies.
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Best July 4th Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Now’s the time to start scouring the internet for creative, easy July 4th dessert recipes. Locating those red, white, and blue patriotic recipes doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Finding desserts that actually result in the perfected pictures can be more difficult to come across. (Not to mention one that doesn’t resemble an American flag – it’s had its moment.)
My easy Fourth of July Brownies won’t result in a disappointing case of “Pinterest fail.” I want you to step into that holiday party with your confidence and swagger intact.
In fact, these brownies are so easy a 12 year old can make them. My daughter stepped in and created the design. (Evidently flag desserts flood the internet for good reason – only one thing came to my mind when staring at white frosting, strawberries, and blueberries).
So, if a 12 year old can make it happen, I have nothing but utter confidence in you!
Made this and it turned out perfect!! I used cool whip and boxed brownies. Would recommend this as it is easy and information for decorating made it a breeze. Thank you for sharing this recipe 😉
—Vicki
First, Choose Brownies – Boxed, From-Scratch, or Gluten-Free
Now it’s time to turn those homemade chocolate brownies or a store bought mix into a red, white, and blue show stopping, patriotic dessert! The first thing you will have to do is prepare homemade brownies, my go-to homemade fudgy gluten-free brownie recipe, or box mix that yields enough for a 9X13 pan.
However, you will not bake the brownies in the 9X13 pan, but instead in a 15X10 jelly roll pan. This will allow more room to decorate and serves more people, which is ideal for a 4th of July celebrations, picnics, or Memorial Day party!
After the brownies have baked they will have to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating. Otherwise, the cream cheese frosting will melt into the brownies.
Next, Fluffy Whipped Cream Frosting
After the brownies have cooled, begin to make the frosting. For a less sweet taste, I recommend whipping heavy cream to fold into the cream cheese mixture. To save time, or have a sweeter frosting, substitute 2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping.
Next, Fluffy Whipped Cream Frosting
After the brownies have cooled, begin to make the frosting. For a less sweet taste, I recommend whipping heavy cream to fold into the cream cheese mixture. To save time, or have a sweeter frosting, substitute 2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping.
Easy Decorating Patriotic Brownies
Now it’s time for what may be intimidating to some home bakers. Don’t worry, it’s actually quite easy and I’ll show you how step-by-step.
First, cut the tops off of strawberries and slice each lengthwise. Use the 5 best slices for each “star” on brownies. Place 1-2 blueberries in middle of each “star.”
Use the remaining blueberries to make an “tails” starting from the “stars” and leading to corner. For best results, line the arch first to get an outline and then fill in with the rest of the blueberries.
Pipe a small swirls of remaining excess frosting in about 1 ½-inches around edge. Place blueberry on top of each swirl.
Bonus Tips and Tricks
- For a less sweet taste, I recommend whipping heavy cream to fold into the cream cheese mixture. To save time, or have a sweeter frosting, substitute 2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping.
- I use frosting decorating kit all the time for quick little frosting decorations. Alternatively, use a small plastic baggie with a corner snipped off. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just something for the blueberry to sit on.
- Or, don’t mess with the decorating tip at all. Just line the edge with some more fresh blueberries and call it a day!
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Easy 4th of July Brownies (Box Mix or From Scratch)
Ingredients
- 1 brownie recipe (yields enough for a 9X13 pan), homemade, boxed mix, or gluten-free brownies
Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese , 2 blocks
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream , or 2 cups Cool Whip
- 6-7 fresh strawberries, washed and dried well
- 1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and dried well
Instructions
- Make your homemade brownies, gluten-free brownies according to directions or alternatively prepare a store bought brownie mix that yields enough for a 9X13 pan. Pour into a greased 15 X 11 inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 33-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool brownies completely.
- In a small bowl beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
- If using heavy cream, pour into a separate clean, large bowl. Beat on high until it holds shape and peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Fold the whipped cream (or Cool Whip) into cream cheese mixture until no streaks remain.
- Set aside ¾ cup frosting if you wish to pipe a decorative edge. Dollop the remaining cream cheese frosting all over cooled brownies and then gently spread. TIP: Evenly dispersing dollops all over first will avoid spreading frosting around too much and pulling up brownie crumbs into frosting.
Decorating 4th of July Brownies
- Cut the tops off the strawberries and then slice lengthwise. Use 5 best slices for each of strawberry "stars." Refer to recipe image for placement. TIP: Arrange the stars on brownies first before arranging blueberries. Place 1-2 blueberries in middle of strawberry "stars."
- Use the remaining blueberries to arch "tails" from strawberry "stars," ending in one corner point. For best results, start at the "star" and line the the outline of the "tails" first, and then fill in with the rest of the blueberries. TIP: Only have blueberry “tails” coming from first and last “star.” Leave the middle “star” as is.
- If decorating the edge, put remaining frosting in decorating bottle or piping bag. Pipe small swirls placed about 1 ½" apart around edge. Place a blueberry on top of each swirl. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Baking Without a Jelly Roll Pan
You may use another size cookie sheet, but it should have at least a 1 inch edge. Please note, the baking times will differ if you use a bigger or smaller pan, though. A larger cookie sheet will need less time and yield a thinner brownie. Using a 9X13 pan will require a longer baking time and you will have a smaller area to decorate. You may also want to place 2 stars, instead of 3, if using a 9X13 pan.Make Ahead Tips
Make the brownies and frosting ahead of time, but save the decorating until a few hours before serving. Prepare the brownies and frosting up to 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate. The strawberries will become mushy sitting that long, or the red white color will bleed together. For best results, decorate the brownies the day they will be served.Storing and Freezing
Since the frosting contains cream cheese and heavy cream, you will want to refrigerate until ready to serve. However, they are fine to sit out up to 6-8 hours if the room isn’t very warm. If sitting outside, refrigerate until ready to serve. Leftovers may be sliced and stored in an airtight container. To stack, place sheets of parchment paper in between. If you would like to freeze the brownies for longer storage, I recommend removing the fruit first. Wrap sliced brownies in plastic wrap, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to three months.Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
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I actually did one like this with the brownies a base and also did one with sugar cookie as a base.
Great ideas, Mary! I appreciate you sharing.
Best,
Melissa
Hello. Can I do this cake as a gluten-free cake?
Yes, that’s a great idea! I would just bake the cake in the jelly roll size pan, though, so you still have plenty of room to decorate. The baking time will be less then what the cake would bake for in a 9X13 inch pan.
Best,
Melissa
Made this and it turned out perfect!! I used cool whip and boxed brownies. Would recommend this as it is easy and information for decorating made it a breeze.
Thank you for sharing this recipe 😉
Thanks so much, Vicky! Glad it was a success! I wish there was a way people could add pics to the comments!
Best,
Melissa
why would u give it a 1 star its amazinggg