These Sugar Cookie Bars are the BEST ever! This recipe yields soft and chewy sugar cookies with a decadent buttercream frosting and plenty of rainbow sprinkles!
Soooo I turned 30 on Sunday and I am SO excited!
All throughout my twenties, I heard from tons of people that your thirties are amazing, and I am really optimistic that that will be the case for me as well. My twenties were filled with really high highs and very low lows, especially last year with the low lows. It feels nice and hopeful to start a new decade for me with a fresh new year!
And I can’t think of a better way to kick off my 30s than with these AMAZING Sugar Cookie Bars!
I posted this recipe back for Christmas and it went off like gangbusters. You guys LOVED this one and I had to reshare it for my birthday with an all-purpose rainbow sprinkle blend that works for every day. These bars are supremely soft and chewy and taste EXACTLY like a sugar cookie without being overly cakey which I love. So many sugar cookie bar recipes I’ve tried can yield dry, crumbly or cakey bars, but these are moist, soft and utterly perfect! The crowning jewel is a layer of silky smooth buttercream frosting.
Here are some key components to these delicious bars:
- Salted Butter: Salted butter is used for ample flavor. Sometimes sugar cookies need some help and I really believe salted butter elevates these!
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla is a must for sugar cookie bars! It adds amazing flavor and is a great base for these.
- Flavoring Add-ins: You can do a few different add-ins for amazing flavor! One option is adding in almond extract for a sweeter, almost cake batter-like flavor. Another is to add in fresh lemon or orange zest which really brightens the dough. I use fresh lemon zest in my Cut-Out Sugar Cookies and I love the elevated flavor it gives.
The best part about these Best Ever Sugar Cookie Bars? No chilling the dough, rolling, cutting into shapes, or royal icing! They are SO stinkin’ easy and beautiful, too! You can tint the frosting a different color for whatever you’re serving – your favorite sports team’s colors, baby showers, wedding showers, etc! And same goes with sprinkles! I used my Own Sprinkle Blend but you can use anything from chopped nuts, dried fruit, or miniature candies.
Whatever you do, you HAVE to make these amazing bars!
Best Ever Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract OR lemon zest optional but I love the addition of lemon zest
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or milk
- 2¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- Pink food coloring
- Rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Line a 13x9 light metal baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil or parchment with cooking spray; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and any additional mix-in, if using. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Lastly, add in the baking powder, cornstarch and flour and mix until just combined.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until just barely browned. The edges should be very light golden brown but the center will still look slightly underdone and pale. Remember, the bars will continue to cook in the pan as they cool. Allow to cool completely.
- For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and vanilla until creamy and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream until frosting is light and fluffy. Tint the frosting your desired shade, if you'd like.
- Spread the buttercream frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Top with sprinkles.
Notes
Buttery, soft, chewy and SO perfect! You’re going to love these!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Myke says
Can you name a brand of sprinkles you love. I have gotten some really bad sprinkles in the past. This sounds like a delicious recipe,. Thanks
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Myke, I like Wilton brand sprinkles or Cake Mate!
Megan Roy says
These were so delicious and easy to make! Very soft and buttery!
Sim says
These were really really good! Super easy to make and a huge hit in my house. They are light and buttery with amazing flavor. Definitely recommend, and you must make the frosting!!
KM says
These are awesome! I’ll be making them on a regular basis. I happened to have some salted butter, but I don’t always. How much salt should I add if I have to use unsalted butter?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi KM, I would use about 1/4 tsp salt if you’re using unsalted butter!
Katherine says
Me encantó! !!! Gracias por compartirla, la voy a preparar pronto!
Susan says
I tried three times at making these, following the recipe exactly. All three batches tasted like flour and were dense. What did I do wrong, I soooo wanted these to turn out.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Susan, did you measure the flour properly? I recommend measuring flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife rather than scooping the cup into the flour. That can cause an inaccurate flour measurement and make them too floury.
Sussn says
Thank you for responding, I love your post. Yes I always spoon my flour into my measuring cup and level it off. I’m no where near on your level of baking but I am known for my desserts, that’s why I was wondering what I did wrong. Oh well, I’ll just have to try ALL your other ones! Can’t wait to try your latest circus animal cookie one, I grew up on those cookies!
Sue says
Looks great. Is it possible to make the cookie bars, freeze them then put the frosting and sprinkles on later? We have a summer baby shower coming and I’m trying to do some things ahead of time. thanks