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Best Ever Sprinkle Sugar Cookie Bars

January 26, 2021 by thedomesticrebel | 12 Comments

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Bite missing on a sugar cookie bar with sprinkles

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!

Stack of sugar cookie bars on a white plateI 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.

Two high stack of sugar cookie barsHere 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.

Closeup stack of sugar cookie barsThe 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!

Sugar Cookie Bars with a bite missing on a pink board

sugar cookie bars with bite missing
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Best Ever Sugar Cookie Bars

These Sugar Cookie Bars are seriously amazing and so easy! Super soft, chewy and buttery with a lovely buttercream frosting and plenty of sprinkles!
Prep Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Cook Time16 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 46 minutes mins
Course: Bars, Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Dessert

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

Almond extract or citrus zests are an optional mix-in that adds tremendous flavor. I love the combination of almond and vanilla extracts because it lends a cake batter-y, bakery flavor, but I actually prefer lemon zest and vanilla for a fresher flavor.
Sprinkles are optional and can be substituted with dried fruit, chopped nuts, or miniature chopped candies, such as mini M&M's. 

Closeup of a sugar cookie bar with a bite missingButtery, soft, chewy and SO perfect! You’re going to love these!

Best Ever Sugar Cookie Bars photo collage

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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Comments

  1. Myke says

    January 26, 2021 at 10:51 am

    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

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      January 26, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      Hi Myke, I like Wilton brand sprinkles or Cake Mate!

      Reply
  2. Megan Roy says

    January 27, 2021 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    These were so delicious and easy to make! Very soft and buttery!

    Reply
  3. Sim says

    February 8, 2021 at 7:48 pm

    5 stars
    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!!

    Reply
  4. KM says

    February 13, 2021 at 10:21 am

    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?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      February 15, 2021 at 1:01 pm

      Hi KM, I would use about 1/4 tsp salt if you’re using unsalted butter!

      Reply
  5. Katherine says

    April 8, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    5 stars
    Me encantó! !!! Gracias por compartirla, la voy a preparar pronto!

    Reply
  6. Susan says

    January 18, 2022 at 3:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      January 19, 2022 at 7:14 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Sussn says

        January 21, 2022 at 8:39 am

        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!

        Reply
  7. Sue says

    May 30, 2022 at 11:46 am

    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

    Reply
  8. GRV says

    July 20, 2023 at 7:07 pm

    Can you make these as individual cookies?

    Reply

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About me

Welcome to The Domestic Rebel! My name is Hayley and I am the 31-year old writer, photographer, recipe developer, taste-tester and creator of this blog. I’m so glad you’ve stopped by my little slice of sprinkly, butter-laden heaven on the interwebs. If it wasn’t apparent, I like to bake… a lot. Read More…

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