These 4th of July deviled eggs are a perfectly patriotic, red, white and blue appetizer – complete with their own starry fireworks! All you need are a few tiny cookie cutters, bell peppers, cheddar cheese and a little dye to make those little blue stars!
You might be wondering where I found star-shaped cookie cutters that small. Well, they’re technically not “cookie” cutters at all. They’re used for fondant to decorate pastries, but I don’t see why I can’t use them to decorate deviled eggs. I got my tiny star cutters from Amazon, but I’m sure you can find them at just about every baking accessories store, or even craft stores.
As you can see, I made my eggs with little cheese stars that have been dyed blue. This caused a lot of controversy over on my Instagram feed. Some folks loved it, and other folks preferred to keep the eggs with only white cheese and peppers. No matter which side of the debate you’re on, I’ll show you how to make the tiny blue stars, but feel free to decorate with red, yellow and white like this.
Why This Recipe is Special
They’re so original – I’ve honestly never seen anyone decorate their deviled eggs with edible stars before. I’m quite pleased with these twinkly little works of art.
They’re a perfect appetizer for a 4th of July cookout – everybody loves deviled eggs at a 4th of July barbecue! Why not make yours extra special by garnishing them with a few tasty fireworks?
You can prepare everything a whole day ahead – You can cut your eggs, mix the filling, cut the stars and easily assemble everything before the party.
Ingredient Notes
yellow bell pepper – You’ll only require yellow if you want to make yellow stars instead of blue. Otherwise, just use red.
spicy brown mustard – If you’re not a fan of spicy mustard, feel free to use yellow deli mustard or Dijon.
paprika – You can also use Old Bay, cayenne pepper and chili pepper.
sour cream – I love the tanginess of sour cream in deviled eggs, but feel free to use the more traditional mayonnaise if you like.
white cheddar – You can also use horseradish, white American or any other white cheese as long as it doesn’t crumble, isn’t soft or semi-soft.
blue dye – I used a standard blue dye for this recipe, but if you want to use a natural dye, try butterfly pea powder.
How to Make These Deviled Eggs – Step by Step
To Make The Bell Pepper Stars
1. Slice a side off of 1 red bell pepper and “fillet” it a little so that the skin is not so thick. You may find that even when you fillet it, the outer skin may still be too thick for the star cutter. If this happens, simply use the inner skin that you sliced off instead of the outer skin.
2. Use a tiny star cutter to punch about 12-18 little stars. It all depends how many stars you want to add.
3. If you prefer to add yellow stars instead of blue, slice 1 yellow bell pepper just as you did the red.
4. Punch 12-18 little stars and set them aside.
To Make the Cheese Stars
1. Slice 2 oz. white cheddar about half-an-inch thick. Cut 12-18 little stars.
2. To make them blue, add a small drop of blue dye to a small bowl with about 2 tbsp. of water. Stir throughly. Add some of the stars (not all – you want some to stay white), and allow them to sit for about 10-20 seconds.
3. Pour them out into a small strainer. Gently and quickly rinse them under cold water.
4. Pour them out onto a paper towel. Gently dab to dry them. Set aside.
To Make the Deviled Eggs
1. Add 6 large eggs to a pot of cool water, then place them on the stove and boil them for 20 minutes over MEDIUM heat. After 20 minutes, place them in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Once the eggs are cool, remove the shells by carefully tapping around the center and peeling. Crack and peel very carefully so the egg is pristine and free of tears and dents.
3. Slice the eggs. I slice through the center-middle, as opposed to longways. I find the egg-halves have a more sturdy base when cut this way. Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. They’ll almost always slide out if you’re gentle, so you don’t have you use a spoon.
4. Slice a tiny bit off the bottom so your deviled eggs sit perfectly flat. This will prevent them from sliding around the plate.
5. Push the yolks through a mesh strainer. This will break up the yolks and ensure that your filling is perfectly smooth when you mix in your other ingredients.
6. In a mixing bowl, mix your egg yolks, 2 tbsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. You want the texture of your filling to be like creamy hummus, so if it appears on the dry side, give it a taste, and see if it could use a little more sour cream or mustard to make it more creamy. Spoon it into a pastry piping bag with a pretty tip.
7. Gather your pretty stars, whether they be red, white and blue, or red, white and yellow.
8. Pipe your egg whites, top them with stars and sprinkle each with a tiny bit of paprika.
Common Questions
You can make your deviled eggs and use a well-washed, plastic egg container (that has no paper inside) to transport them, then use a spoon to carefully remove them once you get to your destination, but I find this method a little wrought to uncertainty. One little bump or jump in the car, and they can get messy.
My preferred method is to slice my eggs and make the filling, first. Then, I place the egg whites and garnish in a plastic egg container. Then, add the filling to a pastry piping bag with a tip. I seal both ends of the bag with twisty ties and when I get to my destination, I simply remove the egg whites from the container, remove the twisty-ties, fill them in the kitchen and garnish.
Slice eggs through the center with the egg standing up, then slice a tiny bit off the bottom to make a nice, flat base. You can also add a tiny bit of filling underneath the egg whites on the plate, and use it as a little “glue” to hold them in place if you really want to make them extra secure.
You can make deviled eggs a whole day ahead of time if you want to, but you’ll just want to fill them shortly before your party. As mentioned below in the tips, you can simply slice your whites and make your filling, but refrigerate the egg whites and store the filling in a sealed bag until you’re ready to fill them the next day.
You can also create all the little stars a day ahead, but just be sure to place them in either a plastic baggie or sealed container in the refrigerator.
They’re actually called “star-shaped plunger cutters.” I found mine on Amazon, but I’m sure you can find them at just about every baking accessories story, or even craft stores.
A Few Tips
1. Don’t fill the eggs until a half-hour (or less) before serving.
You really want to fill them as close to party-time as possible for maximum prettiness, as they will start to dry out after about a half-hour. I highly suggest slicing your eggs, then placing them in a sealed container in the fridge. Then, make your filling and add it to a bag (or pastry piping bag). Seal it with twisty-ties and don’t fill the egg whites until just before guests arrive.
2. Don’t sprinkle paprika directly from the container!
Believe me, you’ll end up with an over-spiced deviled egg heartbreak. Sprinkle it on your hand or in a bowl, then use your fingers to sprinkle the eggs, or you risk too much coming out and spoiling your starry works of art.
A Little More 4th of July Recipe Inspiration
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4th of July Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- 1½ quart pot to boil 6 eggs
- cutting board and sharp knife
- mixing bowl
- mesh strainer
- pastry piping bag and tip
- star-shaped plunger cutters
- tiny bowl of water – if making blue stars
- paper towel – if making blue stars
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large yellow bell pepper – if making yellow stars
- 2 oz. white cheddar
- 1 drop blue dye – or butterfly pea powder.
- 2 tbsp. sour cream – or mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
- paprika – to sprinkle
- salt & pepper – to taste
Instructions
To Make The Bell Pepper Stars
- Slice a side off of 1 red bell pepper and “fillet” it a little so that the skin is not so thick. You may find that even when you fillet it, the outer skin may still be too thick for the star cutter. If this happens, simply use the inner skin that you sliced off instead of the outer skin.
- Use a tiny star cutter to punch about 12-18 little stars. It all depends how many stars you want to add.
- If you prefer to add yellow stars instead of blue, slice a yellow bell pepper just as you did the red. Punch 12-18 little stars and set them aside.
To Make The Cheese Stars
- Slice 2 oz. white cheddar about half-an-inch thick. Cut 12-18 little stars.
- To make them blue, add a small drop of blue dye to a small bowl with about 2 tbsp. of water. Stir throughly. Add some of the stars (not all – you want some to stay white), and allow them to sit for about 10-20 seconds. Pour them out into a small strainer, and gently rinse them under cold water. Pour them out onto a paper towel. Gently dab to dry them. Set aside.
To Make The Deviled Eggs
- Add 6 large eggs to a pot of cool water, just covering the eggs, then place them on the stove and boil them for 20 minutes over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. After 20 minutes, place them in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes.
- Once the eggs are cool, remove the shells by carefully tapping around the center and peeling. Crack and peel very carefully so the egg is pristine and free of tears and dents.
- Slice the eggs. I slice through the center-middle, as opposed to longways. I find the egg-halves have a more sturdy base when cut this way. Carefully remove the yolks and place them in a bowl.
- Slice a tiny bit off the bottom so your deviled eggs sit perfectly flat. This will prevent them from sliding around the plate.
- Push the yolks through a mesh strainer. This will break up the yolks and ensure that your filling is perfectly smooth when you mix in your other ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl, mix your egg yolks, 2 tbsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. You want the texture of your filling to be like creamy hummus, so if it appears on the dry side, give it a taste, and see if it could use a little more sour cream or mustard to make it more creamy. Spoon it into a pastry piping bag with a pretty tip.
- Pipe your egg whites, top them with stars and sprinkle each with a tiny bit of paprika.
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