Description

The ultimate patriotic dessert! These 4th of July Brownie Bars are rich, fudgy, and topped with red, white, and blue swirls plus star sprinkles. A festive, crowd-pleasing treat that’s easy to make ahead.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Brownies:

1 cup unsalted butter

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

For the Patriotic Frosting:

2½ cups heavy cream or prepared buttercream

Red gel food coloring

Blue gel food coloring

White star-shaped candies

Instructions

Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.
Make the brownie batter: In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in both sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
Bake the brownies: Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan, about 2 hours.
Prepare the patriotic frosting: Divide frosting into three equal portions. Leave one portion white, tint one red and one blue with gel food coloring. Transfer each color to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Decorate: Cut cooled brownies into rectangles. Pipe decorative swirls or stars using the three frosting colors, creating a patriotic pattern. Sprinkle with star-shaped candies while frosting is still soft.
Serve: Store decorated brownies in refrigerator until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature for best texture contrast.

Notes

For best results, use gel food coloring rather than liquid coloring to maintain frosting consistency.
Brownies can be made 1–2 days ahead and stored covered at room temperature before decorating.
Star candies can be found in the seasonal baking section or ordered online.
These freeze well for up to one month when properly wrapped.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 410
Sugar: 34g
Sodium: 80mg
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 47g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 90mg

Keywords: 4th of July brownies, patriotic dessert, red white blue bars, brownie bars for summer