What are your plans for the 4th of July? Are you having a big shindig to celebrate Independence Day? Are you planning to going to the town celebration? Are you heading to someone else’s party? Or, are you keeping it quiet with just your family this year? Let’s get real here, there are many different ways that you can celebrate our country’s birthday and have an amazing time doing it. But one thing is for sure, any good 4th of celebration, be it a quiet celebration or a wild one, needs some yummy foods and delicious desserts! My favorite foods during the 4th of July include just about anything cooked on the grill, and for dessert? Cookies and ice cream, of course. Why? You ask. Well, ice cream is a given, because well, it’s summer and ice cream is amazing and cookies, because they too are amazing, but also so easy to eat, no big cleanup and you don’t even need dishes to serve them on! They are the perfect party treat.

I know what you are thinking...we are right smack in the heat of summer, who wants to bake cookies?! It’s ok though! You can bake cookies year round! Just be sure to have the right tools on hand and get an early start (to beat the heat) and you’ll be just fine. One great thing about cookies is that they don’t need to cook for long so it’s not an all day long situation, which is good for those days that you are trying to keep the house cool.

So let's talk about our favorite 4th of July cookies and ice cream recipes, shall we? I have a substantial list actually so prepare yourself for some decision making. I struggle to decide which ones to make each year because they are all so delicious and frankly, I love sweets so it’s hard to decide. In the end, I almost always make one kind of ice cream and 2-3 different types of cookies, so for me, it’s good to look at a list of options and decide from there, otherwise I will be staring at my kitchen cupboards all day long trying to decide what to bake.

Awesome 4th of July Cookies

Joe Froggers Cookies - These are great cookies for those who really get into the spirit of the holiday, because while they aren’t your typical red/white/blue type 4th of July cookies, they date clear back to the revolutionary war times, so there is a deep rooted history with these cookies!

Captain America Cookies - Okay, okay, these aren’t necessarily 4th of July themed, but they are quite American and any super hero fan is going to love them too! These are super easy to make and you don’t even need to turn on the oven if you don’t want to!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Because every single party needs chocolate chip cookies, don’t you think? This recipe that I have linked to here is one of my favorites.

Awesome 4th of July No Churn Ice Cream

First and foremost, be sure to grab this super fun Sundae Kit to serve up your homemade ice cream! 

Yeah, I know that ice cream isn’t specific for the 4th of July, but I since this is the only time I make a large batch of no-churn ice cream, I like to consider it a special 4th of July treat. This post contains several different recipes for homemade no-churn ice cream and they all look simply delicious!

If you have any guests that need a sugar free or low carb alternative, check out this no-churn Cannoli Ice Cream that is amazing.

Whatever ice creams you choose and whichever cookies you decide to make, just be sure you are using the right tools for the job. Over all of my years baking (25+ years and going strong), I have discovered that the best tools for the job isn’t always what it seems. For instance, I have learned that I almost never use cookie sheets anymore to bake my favorite cookies, instead I use a pizza stone. That’s right! Pizza stones make excellent cooking surfaces for cookies and using one means that you will likely never burn the bottom of your cookies again! If you haven’t yet used a pizza stone for baking cookies, you should definitely try it! Take note though, that you will likely need to increase your cooking time by a couple of minutes

With themed cookies, it is good to have some fun shaped cookie cutters on hand too. This kid's mini cookie tray kit includes lots of fun cookie decorating pieces including a star shaped cookie cutter, perfect for the 4th!

Well, I’m off to make some decisions on which fun 4th of July treats I will be making for our 4th of July party this year, my friends! I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday celebration!