Patriotic Cookie Cups

🍯 Why This Recipe Works

1. It's easy. Made with boxed cake mix cookie dough, these cookie cups are a simple dessert that really hits the spot. The homemade cream cheese frosting in the middle is also quite nice, although you could cut down on time and effort by simply using a store-bought container of frosting.
2. There's fresh fruit. Top off your little cookie treats with fresh berries for a nice burst of tangy flavors and a great summer-ready appearance.
3. There's plenty to share. One batch of these cookies is plenty for sharing at a party, but you may want to double or triple the recipe because everyone will keep coming back for more.

🥘 Ingredients

Ingredient Notes:

Boxed cake mix- You will need to use yellow or white boxed cake mix for the base of the cookie dough.

Red and blue food coloring- This is optional, but using red and blue food coloring will give the cookies a nice patriotic color.

Butter- Use butter for added richness and taste in the filling. You can use salted or unsalted butter.

Cream cheese- This is the base of the frosting recipe, and it adds a tangy, rich flavor that pairs perfectly with everything else.

Powdered sugar- For a sweeter flavor and smooth texture, you'll need to use powdered sugar. Granulated sugar can be used in a pinch but will make the frosting feel grainy.

For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until a dough forms. Divide the dough between two bowls.

Step 3: Add red coloring to one bowl and blue coloring to the other and blend each until the color has been evenly distributed.

Step 4: Grab a tablespoon of each dough and roll lightly together into a ball before placing it in a generously greased mini muffin pan.

Step 5: Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes and immediately press down the centers with the back of a spoon to form a small bowl.

Step 6: Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7: In a large bowl prepare the cream cheese filling by blending together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, a little at a time until the frosting is a good pipable consistency.

Step 8: Either spoon the filling into the cookie centers or put the frosting in a baggie with the corner snipped off and pipe it into the cookie centers.

Step 9: Garnish each cookie with a slice of strawberries and 2 blueberries.

Enjoy!

🍴 Recipe Tips

Making these 4th of July cookies cups is so much fun. I recommend using gel food coloring for stronger colors but liquid food coloring should work just fine too.

Make sure to grease the muffin pan well so that the cookies come out of the muffin cups easily. If you find yourself struggling, run a butter knife or small rubber spatula along the edges of the cookies so that they don't break during removal.