When you’ll be able to’t resolve if you’d like a cookie or cake in your birthday (or, actually, any day of the week), I’ve the answer for you; this Sugar Cookie Bars recipe is the budget-friendly better of each worlds! You get the delicate, buttery taste of a sugar cookie with the benefit of baking it multi functional pan like a cake. Frosted, festive, and completely customizable, I believe these bars are good for events, potlucks, or anytime you desire a low-effort deal with that also feels slightly particular.
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Straightforward Recipe for Sugar Cookie Bars
Why are these referred to as “sugar cookie bars” and never common outdated funfetti cake? As a result of they’re denser, slightly crumbly, and agency as compared—just like a sugar cookie! Nonetheless, you may completely bake this in a cake pan and serve it in slices in case you wished to! It’s not as gentle and fluffy as your typical vanilla cake, nevertheless it’s a enjoyable and simple strategy to make a hybrid of two of my favourite candy treats. Plus, the vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles on high make them appear to be a celebration, irrespective of the day!
Sugar Cookie Bars
These frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are baked in a single pan and topped with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Excellent for birthdays, holidays, or as an any-day deal with!
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Cookie Bars
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp rainbow sprinkles, divided ($0.86)
- 1 cup sugar ($0.34)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.04)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.33)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract ($0.48)
- 1 giant egg ($0.41)
- 1 stick salted butter + extra to grease the pan*, room temperature ($0.99)
- 1 cup complete milk ($0.27)
Frosting
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature ($0.99)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.24)
- 2 cups powdered sugar ($1.10)
- 2 Tbsp complete milk** ($0.01)
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Collect components and preheat your oven to 350℉. Go away each sticks of butter out to achieve room temperature. Grease a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray or slightly butter.
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Mix 1 Tbsp rainbow sprinkles, sugar, baking powder, and flour in a single bowl. Mix 2 tsp vanilla and egg in one other smaller bowl.
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Combine collectively dry components within the first bowl after which add softened salted butter. Combine with a hand mixer till mixed.
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Then, add egg and vanilla combination.
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As soon as mixed, pour in 1 cup milk and blend.
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Pour batter into ready baking dish and easy it out so it’s stage with a spatula.
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Bake for 25-Half-hour till the perimeters are golden brown and a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Let cool utterly earlier than frosting.
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Whereas your cookie bars are cooling, make frosting by combining softened unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, powdered sugar, and a pair of Tbsp complete milk with a hand mixer till easy.
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Frost the cooled cookie bars. I used an offset spatula.
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Prime with the remaining 1 tsp rainbow sprinkles. Slice and revel in!
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**Heavy cream or half and half additionally works rather than the complete milk within the frosting.
Serving: 1sliceEnergy: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 3gFats: 13gSodium: 90mgFiber: 0.5g
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how one can make Sugar Cookie Bars step-by-step pictures
Put together components: Collect your entire components. Let your sticks of butter come to room temperature and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×13” baking dish with some butter or cooking spray.
Make the batter: Add 1 Tbsp rainbow sprinkles, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and a pair of cups flour to a mixing bowl. In a smaller mixing bowl, mix 2 tsp vanilla and 1 giant egg.
Combine the dry components collectively and add 1 stick of softened salted butter. Use a hand mixer to combine till mixed.
Pour within the egg and vanilla combination. Now, combine till mixed.
Pour 1 cup of complete milk into the bowl and blend simply till a easy batter types. Watch out to not overmix!
Bake: Add your batter to the greased baking dish. I prefer to easy out the highest utilizing a spatula to verify it’s stage.
Bake within the preheated oven for 25-Half-hour. The sides must be golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the middle ought to come out clear (some crumbs are okay!) Now, let it utterly cool within the baking dish earlier than frosting.
Make the frosting: Whilst you anticipate the sugar cookie bar base to chill, add 1 stick softened unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups powdered sugar, and a pair of Tbsp complete milk to a mixing bowl.
Use your hand mixer to combine the frosting components collectively till easy.
Frost the bars: As soon as the sugar cookie bars have cooled utterly, pour the frosting on high and use a spatula to unfold it out evenly from edge to edge. I like to make use of an offset spatula for this—it makes it tremendous simple to get a easy and even layer.
End and slice: Sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp rainbow sprinkles on high. Slice into 15 slices and revel in!
- Use each salted and unsalted butter, as famous. I take advantage of salted butter within the batter for the bars as a result of it enhances the flavour and balances the sweetness. However with regards to frosting, unsalted butter is the best way to go. It offers you extra management over the flavour, so your frosting stays candy and buttery with none sudden saltiness. And don’t neglect…each sorts of butter must be at room temperature so that they combine in easy and creamy!
- Grease your baking dish properly. A bit butter or cooking spray will do the trick. It retains the bars from sticking and helps them carry out cleanly as soon as cooled.
- Clean the batter earlier than baking. As soon as the batter’s within the pan, take a second to stage it out with a spatula. This helps it bake evenly so that you don’t find yourself with excessive peaks or sunken facilities. It additionally creates a easy floor for frosting!
- Let the bars cool utterly earlier than frosting. I let my sugar cookie bars cool within the baking dish earlier than frosting. Be affected person right here! If the cake continues to be heat, the frosting will soften, and also you gained’t get clear slices if you lower into them.
- Keep away from overmixing the batter. Combine till simply mixed. Overmixing can develop the gluten within the flour an excessive amount of, which might make the bars slightly robust as an alternative of soppy and tender.
Variations to Strive!
I do love these bars as-is (Jennie, one in every of our new recipe builders, mentioned these cookie bars gave her Dolly Parton vibes, which is genuinely a private life objective of mine—to emulate Dolly at any time when potential!) However if you wish to swap issues up, listed here are a number of enjoyable concepts:
- Swap the rainbow sprinkles for mini chocolate chips.
- Strive decreasing the vanilla extract within the batter to 1 ½ teaspoons and including ½ teaspoon of almond or lemon extract.
- Make it seasonal by switching out the rainbow sprinkles for festive ones relying on the time of yr. I really like pink and inexperienced for the vacations, pastels for spring, or black and orange for Halloween.
- Strive a distinct frosting! The honey buttercream from my cornbread cake recipe can be so good on these bars. Or attempt a chocolate, strawberry, or tangy cream cheese frosting (just like the one we use in our carrot cake recipe).
Storage Directions
These do-it-yourself sugar cookie bars could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge, the place they’ll keep contemporary for a couple of week (though I’d get pleasure from them inside 3-4 days for one of the best texture). Allow them to sit out for a couple of minutes earlier than serving so the frosting softens up a bit.
You can too freeze these bars for as much as 2-3 months. Slice them, chill within the fridge to agency up the frosting, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. They’ll hold for as much as 2-3 months. I prefer to freeze them unfrosted and add the frosting contemporary once I’m able to serve, however both means works!
