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4th of July Brownies

4th of July brownies with dense, fudgy brownies topped in a thick white vanilla frosting for a true red-white-blue flag look. Finished with tightly packed blueberry rows in the upper-left canton and alternating strawberry stripes with the frosting showing as the white lines.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
cooling + setting 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brownie base (use box mix directions)
  • 1 box fudge brownie mix Use 1 box fudge brownie mix, plus any ingredients required by the package (typically eggs, water, and oil).
White vanilla frosting
  • 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 spreadability.
Red white blue decorations
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries Sliced.
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake and cool the brownies
  1. Heat oven to the temperature listed on the fudge brownie mix box and bake the brownies in a 9x13 pan according to package directions.
  2. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the brownies cool completely, at least 1 hour, until they are cool to the touch.
Make the frosting
  1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together until smooth and spreadable.
Decorate the flag design
  1. Spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer over the cooled brownies, smoothing to cover the edges.
  2. In the upper-left corner, arrange a rectangle of blueberries tightly packed to form the canton.
  3. Create red stripes across the rest of the brownies using rows of sliced strawberries laid flat.
  4. Leave alternating gaps between strawberry rows so the white frosting shows through as the stripe base.
Set, cut, and serve
  1. Refrigerate the brownies for 30 minutes to set the frosting until it feels firm on top.
  2. Cut into squares and serve once chilled so the flag pattern holds cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: If the frosting seems too thick to spread, mix in milk by the teaspoon until it flows but still holds ridges. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; for best texture, serve chilled. Freeze undecorated brownie pieces for up to 2 months (freeze frosting separately), then thaw and frost for decorating. For a simple swap, use a gluten-free brownie mix to keep the same fudgy structure.