Patriotic Fruit Pizza Cookies

Celebrate the red, white, and blue holidays with these festive soft butter cookies topped with cream cheese frosting, chopped strawberries, and blueberries.

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About Patriotic Fruit Pizza Cookies

Perfect for the 4th of July or Memorial Day, these red, white, and blue patriotic cookies are a fun, easy addition to any American celebration.

Do you have to chill the dough?

Because this recipe uses a lot of butter, you may want to consider chilling the dough for 1-2 hours before baking.

As for me, I have never chilled this dough and have always been happy with the results, so the recipe instructions do not mention chilling.

However, if you’re curious what chilling does do cookie dough and whether or not you’d like to try it for this recipe, be sure to check out this article: Chilling Cookie Dough: Does it Make a Difference?

Do you have to use margarine?

This recipe uses two types of butter: “standard” butter and margarine.

Margarine was very popular in older recipes like this one, but over time, that’s become less common because the ingredients in margarine have changed. Margarine used to have a lot more fat than butter, but from what I understand from my limited research, that’s no longer the case.

So, that begs the question: do you have to use margarine in this recipe?

I always have used margarine, so I don’t have any advice to give based on personal experience, but this discussion on Chowhound has some good info that can help you make the choice for your own baking.

Can you make your own frosting?

Yes, you totally can! This recipe is great for using either storebought or homemade frosting.

If you have the materials on hand, below is an easy recipe for cream cheese frosting that should make enough for decorating these fruit pizza cookies:

• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon heavy whipping cream or milk

Whip all ingredients together on a LOW mixing speed until creamy and smooth. If you need to adjust the consistency, try add more milk or powdered sugar (1 teaspoon at a time) until the desired consistency is reached.

Can you make these cookies in advance?

The answer to this is both yes and no.

You can prepare certain parts of this recipe in advance (such as baking the cookies, hull and chopping the strawberries, etc) but I do not recommend decorating the cookies in advance. The juice from the strawberries will slowly tint the white frosting and will stain and saturate the cookies, making them mushy.

For best results, plan to decorate the cookies just before serving.

How long are fruit pizza cookies good for?

Once prepared, cookies can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days. However, this time may vary depending on how fast the juice from the cut fruit saturates the cookie.

Can you freeze baked thumbprint cookies?

Yes! You can totally freeze these cookies, but there’s a catch.

I can only recommend freezing the cookies before they’ve been decorated. Save the decorating for after the cookies have been thawed.

For best results, allow the baked and undecorated cookies to cool completely, then arrange them in a single layer (without touching) on a baking sheet or large plate. Freeze the cookies first, then once completely chilled, they can be transferred to a sealed container or freezer bag of your choice. If possible, separate layers of cookies with wax paper or parchment paper.

When stored correctly, baked cookies can be frozen for up to two months.

Notes and tips for these patriotic cookies

• If you’re doing a lot of baking, I highly recommend having some silicone baking mats on hand. Baking cookies takes enough time without having to cut or measure parchment paper. Or if you prefer using parchment paper, you can try using pre-cut parchment paper sheets instead.
• Plus, some quality baking sheets are a must for a cookie baking extravaganza!
• For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This recipe would be difficult to make by hand with a whisk.

More Red, White, and Blue Recipes

More fun cookie recipes

How to make Patriotic Fruit Pizza Cookies

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – In a large bowl, whisk together flour and powdered sugar until thoroughly mixed, then set aside.

Step 2 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), whip together the butter and margarine until fluffy.

Step 3 – Add the vanilla and dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, whipping until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated into the butter. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl to collect any wayward butter or flour, if needed.

Step 4 – Using a cookie scoop, scoop out some of the dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie dough ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat this step until all the dough has been rolled into balls.

Step 5 – Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to gently press down on the cookie dough balls, creating a well in the center.

Step 6 – Bake!

Step 7 – Once the cookies have cooled, decorate them by placing a dollop of frosting in the well of the cookie, topped with a few pieces of strawberry and a few blueberries, then drizzled with more frosting in a stripe pattern across the top.

Step 8 – Serve and enjoy!