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4th of July Brownies

4th of July brownies with dense, fudgy layers and a thick vanilla cream-cheese frosting. Topped with a flag pattern of sliced strawberries and tightly packed blueberries for bold red, white, and blue decorated brownies.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
cooling + chilling 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brownie base
  • 1 box fudge brownie mix Use the ingredients listed on the box (eggs, oil, and water), or substitute your homemade brownie batter.
White vanilla frosting
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 oz cream cheese Softened.
  • 2 tbsp butter Softened.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp milk Add more as needed to reach spreadable consistency (2–3 tbsp total).
Flag toppings
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries Sliced.
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake and cool the brownies
  1. Heat and bake the brownies in a 9x13 pan according to the package directions, until set in the center (typically about 30 minutes). Let cool completely for at least 1 hour so the frosting won’t melt.
Make the cream cheese frosting
  1. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until thick. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Frost and decorate as an American flag
  1. Spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer over the cooled brownies.
  2. In the upper left corner, arrange a tight rectangle of blueberries to form the canton.
  3. Lay sliced strawberries flat across the rest of the pan to create red stripes in rows.
  4. Leave alternating gaps between strawberry rows so the white frosting shows through as the stripes.
Chill, cut, and serve
  1. Refrigerate the brownies for 30 minutes to set the frosting.
  2. Cut into squares and serve after chilling.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the baked brownies completely (at least 1 hour) before frosting, and slice strawberries uniformly so the stripes look clean. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze undecorated or fully frosted for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and 1% milk to slightly reduce richness while keeping the frosting spreadable.