Patriotic Sugar Cookies with Egg Paint

Last updated on June 26th, 2025

Wet Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Make your own ingredients
Dietary Substitutions
Equipment
Storage
FAQ’s
Related Recipes
More Cookie Recipes
1960’s Vintage Cookbooks

These Patriotic Sugar Cookies with Egg Paint are the quintessential treat for your upcoming 4th of July celebration. This delightful decorating technique was used for sugar cookie decorating before buttercream and royal icing became the go-to methods. My vintage inspiration is from my original copy of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book (1963). Try this easy technique at your next holiday cookie decorating party.

My vintage inspiration.

My vintage inspiration to make these sugar cookies is from my Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book (1963).

Wet Ingredients

Butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
Eggs are produced by female chickens and are important in baking because their proteins provide structure, they act as a natural leaving agent by trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods.
Sour cream is cream that has been cultured, giving it a tangy flavor and thick texture. For the best quality, select an all-natural brand labeled “cultured cream”. Avoid “light” varieties, as they contain additives or diluted with milk.
Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Look for a high-quality, all-natural brand made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol.

Dry Ingredients

All-purpose unbleached flour is made by grinding the seeds of the wheat plant and removing the bran and germ. It has a moderate protein content of 10-12%, making it a versatile option for baking cookies, cakes, and pastries.
Instant ClearJel is a modified food starch used as a thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent, used for pie fillings creating a clear, smooth texture rather than cloudy. In baked goods it helps retain moisture and produces a light, tender texture. Use cornstarch as a substitution if ClearJel is hard to find. For every 1 T. of cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. For every 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel. You can find it online here.
Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
Pink salt is a type of rock salt that contains trace minerals, adding nutrients to baked goods.

Make your own ingredients

Homemade Vanilla: Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Here are some tips for gluten free baking

Use a premium gluten-free flour blend.
Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. After pulling the container from the freezer, bring to room temperature before opening the lid.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.

Equipment

Recommended tools: (affiliate links)

Storage

Pre-baked cookies:

You can make the batter and store until ready to bake.
Short-term, scoop the batter into cookie pucks/balls and place in storage container until use.
Long-term, place all of the mixed batter into a ziploc bag or storage container and let the batter come to room temperature before scooping into cookie pucks/balls.

Baked cookies:

Store baked cookies in airtight container on counter 1-2 days.
Seal in in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. Place cookies in layers lined with parchment paper. You can also individually heat seal cookies and place them in a larger container.
To thaw frozen cookies, allow them to come to room temperature before opening the container.

FAQ’s

Can you add other flavors instead of just vanilla?

Yes, you could try adding 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 bourbon, and a bit of nutmeg, or try adding 1 T. fresh lemon zest with a bit of lemon extract. Another popular flavor combination is to combine vanilla with a little bit of pure almond extract. When adding flavors to your dough use the best all-natural quality to make a difference in the taste of the cookie.

How do you keep the cut-out shape to stay crisp and not spread?

For sugar cookies to keep their original cookie cutter shape and ensure less spread, it is really important to chill them 2 times during the process. First chill: After mixing the cookie dough, roll out immediately between 2 sheets of parchment paper into desired thickness 1/4″ or 3/8″ and place the stacks of rolled dough on a baking sheet to chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Second chill: Cut out the dough into shapes and then chill again for 5-10 minutes.

What type of baking sheet is best for sugar cookies?

Use light-colored, aluminum cookie sheets to reflect even heat during the baking process. Dark cookie sheets conduct more heat off the surface, which may burn or darken on the edges before they are fully cooked through.

How many cookies sheets can you put in the oven?

For even browning, place only 2 cookie sheets in the oven at the same time. Place the cookie sheet horizontally and rotate them halfway through the baking process. To rotate, spin the cookie sheets around 180° and swap the cookie sheets from top to bottom and vice versa.