Go Back

4th of July Brownies

4th of July brownies with dense, fudgy baked squares topped in a thick white vanilla cream cheese frosting. The red-and-white strawberry stripes and blue blueberry canton come together fast for a clear American flag look.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
cooling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

fudge brownie mix
  • 1 fudge brownie mix Use a 9x13 pan brownie mix (follow box or your homemade equivalent).
topping
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 oz cream cheese Softened.
  • 2 tbsp butter Softened.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2.5 tbsp milk Add 2–3 tbsp as needed for spreadable consistency.
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries Sliced.
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake and cool
  1. Heat oven to the temperature listed on the brownie mix box and bake the brownies in a 9x13 pan as directed.
  2. Let brownies cool completely, at least 1 hour, so the frosting spreads without melting.
Make the vanilla cream cheese frosting
  1. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and spreadable.
Decorate the American flag
  1. Spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer over the cooled brownies.
  2. In the upper left corner, arrange a tightly packed rectangle of blueberries to form the canton.
  3. Create red stripes by laying sliced strawberries flat in rows across the rest of the brownies.
  4. Leave alternating gaps between strawberry rows so the white frosting shows through as the stripe color.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the frosting.
  2. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: Slice strawberries uniformly so the red rows look crisp and straight. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze brownies (already cut) up to 2 months for best texture—thaw in the fridge overnight. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and replace half the powdered sugar with powdered sugar substitute, then adjust milk to keep the frosting spreadable.