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These Brownie Sandwich Cookies turn boxed red velvet and blue velvet cake mix into fudgy, star shaped brownies sandwiched around a rich cream cheese frosting for the easiest showstopper *4th of July* dessert on the table. There is no complicated homemade brownie batter here, just two cake mixes, a cookie cutter, and a quick frosting. For another fun red, white, and blue treat, our 4th of July flag fruit pizza is just as colorful and crowd-pleasing.
Star shaped red velvet and blue velvet brownies made from boxed cake mix, sandwiched around a rich cream cheese frosting.
Brownie Sandwich Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 60 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 420kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, fudgy, and sweet with tangy cream cheese frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, just as simple as our chocolate poke cake
Quick Answer
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the blue velvet cake mix with an egg, milk, and oil until it resembles cookie dough, then repeat with the red velvet cake mix in a separate bowl. Spread each colored dough onto its own parchment lined sheet pan to about 1/2 inch thick, then bake the red velvet layer for 15 to 18 minutes and the blue velvet layer for 10 to 13 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let both layers cool completely, then use a medium star cookie cutter to cut out star shapes from each color. While the brownies cool, cream together softened cream cheese and butter, then mix in vanilla and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Frost one brownie star on the cut side, then top with a star of the opposite color to sandwich them together.
Jump to:
- Brownie Sandwich Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Brownie Sandwich Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Brownie Sandwich Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Patriotic Desserts
- Patriotic Brownie Sandwich Cookies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cake mix creates an easy, foolproof brownie base. Using red velvet and blue velvet boxed cake mix instead of a from-scratch brownie batter keeps this recipe quick and foolproof while still giving a rich, fudgy texture.
- Baking each color on its own pan keeps them separate and even. Spreading each color onto its own sheet pan lets both bake evenly without the colors bleeding into each other.
- A star cookie cutter turns brownies into a festive shape. Cutting cooled brownie sheets with a star cutter turns a simple bar dessert into an eye-catching centerpiece for the 4th of July.
- Cooling completely before cutting keeps the stars intact. Letting the brownie layers cool fully before cutting prevents them from crumbling or losing their shape when lifted with the cutter.
- Cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness. A tangy cream cheese frosting sandwiched between the two brownie stars cuts through the sweetness of the cake mix base.
- Frosting the crinkled side down shows off the pretty top. Sandwiching the brownies with the flat baked side against the frosting keeps the pretty crinkled top facing outward for the best presentation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They turn a simple boxed cake mix into a festive, patriotic showstopper.
- The star shape makes them perfect for any 4th of July or Memorial Day spread.
- They are just as easy as our candied grapes but feel like a bigger dessert.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our easter sugar cookies.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our fudgy brownie cookies.
- It earns a spot in the rotation right next to our soft snickerdoodle cookies.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our cookies and cream blossom cookies.
Key Ingredients
Just two boxed cake mixes and a handful of frosting ingredients make these festive sandwich cookies possible.
- Red velvet and blue velvet cake mix: The easy, colorful base for these fudgy brownie cookies.
- Eggs, milk, and oil: Mixed into each cake mix to create a thick, brownie-like dough.
- Cream cheese and butter: Creamed together for a rich, tangy sandwich filling.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and helps it whip up light and fluffy.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor of the cream cheese frosting.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Brownie Sandwich Cookies are easy to switch up depending on the occasion.
- Use a different cookie cutter shape for other holidays, like hearts for Valentines Day.
- Add red, white, and blue sprinkles to the frosting edges for extra sparkle, similar to our patriotic bundt cake.
- Swap the cream cheese frosting for a simple vanilla buttercream if you prefer a sweeter filling.
- Serve alongside our flag fruit pizza for a full patriotic dessert table.
- If you want to switch things up, our chocolate chip cookie sandwich recipe plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
- If you want to switch things up, our lemon sandwich cookies plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
- In the mood for something different? Our cosmic brownie cookies scratches a similar itch.
- If you want to switch things up, our cookies and cream cookies plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
How to Make Brownie Sandwich Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the blue velvet cake mix with 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk, and 1/4 cup oil until combined and it resembles cookie dough. In a separate bowl, mix the red velvet cake mix with the remaining egg, milk, and oil the same way.
- Spread each colored dough onto its own parchment lined cookie sheet to about 1/2 inch thick, then bake the red velvet layer for 15 to 18 minutes and the blue velvet layer for 10 to 13 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack. Using a medium star cookie cutter, cut out star shapes from each color, getting about 15 stars per color.
- Carefully lift each star brownie off the pan with the cutter and set aside on a wire rack until ready to frost.
- Cream together the softened cream cheese and butter, then add the vanilla and powdered sugar a little at a time until fully incorporated. Whip until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Frost one brownie star on the cut side, keeping the pretty crinkled side facing out, then top with a star of the opposite color to sandwich them together.
- Repeat with the remaining brownie stars, then serve and enjoy.
- Stack a few finished cookies together for a fun presentation, then serve immediately or store chilled until ready to enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Let both brownie layers cool completely before cutting or they will crumble instead of holding their star shape.
- Wiggle the cookie cutter gently to loosen the brownie from the pan before lifting it out.
- Use two separate pans for the red and blue layers so the colors do not bleed together while baking.
- Whip the frosting for the full 3 to 5 minutes for the lightest, fluffiest texture.
- Store finished cookies in the fridge since the cream cheese frosting needs to stay chilled.
- Save the brownie scraps left over from cutting stars for a snack, no need to waste them.
- Plan the whole menu. This pairs effortlessly with our red velvet cookies and cream brownies when company is coming.
- Plan the whole menu. This pairs effortlessly with our christmas sandwich cookies when company is coming.
- Make it a full spread. Our red velvet sandwich cookies rounds out the table.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Brownie Sandwich Cookies are perfect served chilled straight from the fridge on a hot summer day.
And if you want one more idea for the table, our reeses peanut butter cup cookies never misses.
Serve alongside a cold glass of milk for the ultimate treat.
Pack them in a cooler for a 4th of July picnic or backyard barbecue.
Add a few extra sprinkles on top right before serving for extra sparkle and color.
Brownie Sandwich Cookies FAQs
Yes, bake and cut the stars a day ahead, then store them separately from the frosting and assemble just before serving for the best texture.
No, any shape cookie cutter works, though a star shape keeps with the patriotic 4th of July theme.
Yes, any two cake mix colors or flavors can be swapped in, though red velvet and blue velvet give the best patriotic color contrast.
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days since the cream cheese frosting needs to stay chilled.
Yes, freeze the un-frosted brownie stars in a single layer, then thaw and frost with fresh cream cheese frosting when ready to serve.
Make sure the brownie layers are completely cool before cutting, since warm brownies are much more likely to crumble or lose their shape.
Tried these Patriotic Brownie Sandwich Cookies? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Patriotic Brownie Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
brownies:
- 1 box blue velvet cake mix
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 Cup milk
- 1/2 Cup oil
cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Cups powdered sugar
Instructions
brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix blue cake mix with 1 egg, 1/3 Cup milk and 1/4 Cup oil until combined, should resemble cookie dough. Mix red cake mix with 1 egg, 1/3 Cup milk and 1/4 Cup oil until combined, should resemble cookie dough.
- Spread each different color dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet to 1/2 inch thick. Bake red velvet brownies for 15-18 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake blue velvet 10-13 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool on wired rack until completely cooled. Using a medium star cookie cutter, cut out star shapes. Try to get them as close together as possible, you should be able to get 15 stars from each color. Cut dough with cutter, wiggle cutter to loosen brownie from bottom of pan. Brownie should lift off with cutter, carefully place brownie on wired rack or surface of you choice until ready to frost.
cream cheese frosting:
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add in the vanilla and 1/2 Cup of the powdered sugar in at a time until fully incorporated. Whip frosting until light and fluffy about 3-5 minutes.
- Frost one of the brownies cook side down, you want the pretty crinkled side up. Top with the opposite color brownie.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Made these this weekend and they were a huge hit. Didn’t have red velvet cake so I used a white cake mix and used red food coloring. Still very yummy. The kids enjoyed eating the scraps from the star cut outs almost as much as the cookies. Will definitely be making again the 4 th.
What a fun treat! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
These patriotic cookies are really cute and look delicious Thanks for sharing at Submarine Sunday!
You nailed it with these Dana! Featuring you at this weekend’s party! Thanks for linkin up to Sunday FUNday!
Nope, that sounds like a great idea!!
I was thinking about adding a thin glaze and topping with patriotic sprinkles. Do you think it would make the brownies mushy?
thanks for linking these up to Friday Frenzy last week, I wanted to let you know that it is one of the featured posts this week. http://www.stayingclosetohome.com/friday-frenzy-fourth-july-craft-recipes-linky.html