Let me share my secret to the BEST Cookie Recipes! Sugar Cookie Bars are so soft, light and full of flavor that you will always want to have some on hand. Topped with light and fluffy pink frosting and sprinkles. Tell me you aren't smiling, I sure am!
So what's my secret to making these delicious soft sugar cookie bars recipe? I use a combination of granulated sugar and powdered sugar. I also use a combination of fats too. Butter and vegetable oil.
This combination creates the softest most delicious sugar cookie bar ever. Just give it a try, I promise you will come back for more.
Sugar Cookie Bars are a fast and easy sweet treat baked in a pan. So when you are short on time, forget making cookies and go for a bar cookie. Some will even call this a blondies cookie bars recipe.
Ingredients
Sugar. Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar or added softness to the cookie
Fats. Softened Butter and Vegetable Oil
Egg and Vanilla. The egg gives lift and helps bind the ingredients together and the Vanilla adds richness of flavor too. But try adding Almond Extract. YUM!
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, and Cream of Tarter.
Pink Frosting
Sugar. Powdered Sugar is the only sugar to use when making frosting. It creates a nice smooth frosting
Fats. Butter and Coconut Oil or substitute Crisco
Liquid. Almond Extract and Heavy Whipping Cream or Half and Half or Whole Milk as a substitute.
Food Coloring. Use a few drop of red food coloring for the beautiful pink color
How to make Sugar Bar Cookies
I like to make this recipe using a large mixing bowl and hand mixer. I've included a link below to the supplies I love to use! Preheat oven to 350 Degrees and line a ¼ size baking sheet with parchment paper or use a 9x13 pan that is well greased with cooking spray.
Allow Butter and egg to come to room temperature by setting it on the counter for 1 hour. This is a necessary step and makes all the difference in the texture of the cookie dough.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer cream butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes increasing the speed of hand mixer as ingredients combine. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Drizzle Vegetable Oil into butter mixture and allow to fully combine before adding powdered sugar. Cream for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla extract and cream for 1 more minute.
In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients of All Purpose Flour, Cream of Tartar, and Baking Soda adding a little at a time making sure to fully mix together before adding more.
Once sugar cookie dough is mixed together carefully spread it in prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Pink Frosting
While the bar sugar cookie recipe is cooling it's time to make frosting. I'm so excited for this recipe. It's a favorite.
In a mixing bowl combine butter and coconut oil together scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Carefully add Powdered Sugar and mix using a hand mixer. As the ingredients come together add more powdered sugar until fully combined.
Add Almond Extract and whip. Add Heavy Whipping cream one Tablespoon at a time and only use enough to reach desired consistency. Too much will make a thin frosting.
Mix in food coloring and blend until you no longer see white streaks and frosting is all one color.
Spread frosting on cooled sugar cookie in pan and immediately top with sprinkles.
Cut into bite size bars to serve.
There is no need to chill this sugar cookie recipe.
Store and Freeze
Store recipe for sugar cookie bars in a sealed container or wrap with a layer of plastic and foil on top to keep air out. Pink Frosting Cookie can be stored at room temperature but it's also fantastic stored and served chilled.
Freeze. Sugar cookie Bars can be frozen. Wrap each bar individually in plastic and place in a sealed container to freeze. Sugar Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Quick Tips
Let's not forget about the fluffy Pink Frosting! Because, well...it's delicious too and you will love how thick and fluffy it is. Mmmmm, it's a favorite recipe so I've included here in this recipe as well as in a separate post so you can link directly to it and use for other recipes too!
And don't forget to top it with sprinkles too! You can make this into any Holiday, or themed party event by changing the color of the frosting and adding themed sprinkles too! Yes, it's really that easy.
Parchment Paper Liner. I love using parchment paper, it helps with clean up and makes it easy to remove the cookie from the pan too.
Baking. Do not over bake. This recipe will produce soft texture. Edges should be light golden brown and the center should look set before removing from oven.
Holiday Ideas
Making Sugar Cookie Bars for the Holidays is so fun too. Here are some of my favorite ways to make this quick bar cookie recipe.
Valentines Day. Pink Frosting with Valentine Sprinkles
Patriotic. White Frosting with Red and Blue Sprinkles
Halloween. Orange Frosting with Halloween Sprinkles
Christmas. Red or Green Frosting with Christmas Sprinkles
Super Bowl Parties. Coordinate frosting and sprinkles in your favorite team colors.
High School Graduation. Use colors from your graduates school. Show some team spirit.
Baby Showers or Gender Reveal Parties. Pink with Pink Sprinkles, Blue with Blue Sprinkles.
Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Butter Softened
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- ½ Cup Powdered Sugar 63g
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Egg Large
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cup All Purpose Flour 240g
Frosting
- ½ Cup Butter Softened
- ½ Cup Coconut Oil
- 4 Cup Powdered Sugar 500g
- ¼ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 teaspoon Almond Extract
- Sprinkles Optional
- Red Food Coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees and line ¼ size baking sheet with parchment paper
- Allow Butter and egg to come to room temperature by setting it on the counter for 1 hour
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer cream butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes
- Drizzle Vegetable Oil into butter mixture and allow to fully combine before adding powdered sugar
- Cream for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and cream for 1 more minute
- Spread cookie dough in prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Do not over bake.
- Allow bar cookies to fully cool before adding frosting
Pink Frosting
- In a mixing bowl combine butter and coconut oil together scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Add Powdered Sugar and mix using a hand mixer.
- Add Almond Extract and whip. Add Heavy Whipping cream one Tablespoon at a time and only use enough to reach desired consistency
- Mix in food coloring and blend until you no longer see white streaks and frosting is all one color. Use as much or as little as you want to reach desired color.
- Spread frosting on cooled sugar cookie in pan and immediately top with sprinkles
- Cut into bite size bars to serve.
Notes
Store and Freeze
Store recipe for sugar cookie bars in a sealed container or wrap with a layer of plastic and foil on top to keep air out. Pink Frosting Cookie can be stored at room temperature but it's also fantastic stored and served chilled. Freeze. Sugar cookie Bars can be frozen. Wrap each bar individually in plastic and place in a sealed container to freeze. Sugar Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.Holiday Ideas
Making Sugar Cookie Bars for the Holidays is so fun too. Here are some of my favorite ways to make this quick bar cookie recipe.- Valentines Day. Pink Frosting with Valentine Sprinkles
- Patriotic. White Frosting with Red and Blue Sprinkles
- Halloween. Orange Frosting with Halloween Sprinkles
- Christmas. Red or Green Frosting with Christmas Sprinkles
- Super Bowl Parties. Coordinate frosting and sprinkles in your favorite team colors.
- High School Graduation. Use colors from your graduates school. Show some team spirit.
- Baby Showers or Gender Reveal Parties. Pink with Pink Sprinkles, Blue with Blue Sprinkles.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Lily
These look delicious! How long would I bake them in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan? Thank you.
Rebecca Johnston
Try a 9x13 pan and use the same time. An 8x8 or a 9x9 would create really thick bars and would take longer to bake and potentially dry out the edges being that thick.