There is something very cheery, very uplifting, and very pretty about frosted sugar cookies. They evoke special occasions, decorated to highlight the time of the year in the most wonderful, delightful, visual, and tasty way. As much as we all love sugar cookies, we all don’t like the tedious prep that comes with rolling, cutting, re-rolling, cutting, baking, and frosting each and every cookie. So Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are here to step in and lend a hand. These no-fuss cookies are all baked in a large pan, eliminating the rolling completely. The whole pan of cookies is frosted at one time and sliced for a quick prep that yields one amazing dessert.
The butter-based cookie dough is easy to whip up. Small touches of brown sugar and vanilla give the cookie dough a deeper caramelized note of flavor that you won’t find with traditional sugar cookie recipes. The dough is soft and luckily since this dough is baked in a pan, there’s no need to chill the dough in the refrigerator, cutting back on inactive prep time!
Once the cookie dough is baked and cooled, a thick and creamy vanilla frosting is spread on top. Unlike classic recipes, the ratio of powdered sugar is much lower, meaning it isn’t sickly sweet. You can change up the frosting color to suit the season or occasion. Here, a classic soft pink makes for a fun and happy appearance.
The trick to getting cleanly sliced Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars comes from letting the cookie and frosting rest in the freezer for 20 minutes. Once chilled, slice the cookies with a knife that’s been dipped in hot water and then wiped them with a clean towel.
These Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars have all the taste and flavor of a classic sugar cookie but minus all the stress and fussy prep. The texture is chewy and moist, and the frosting adds just enough sweetness without going overboard.
These are great to make for a crowd as they can be made ahead of time by a day or two and still be fresh in taste and texture. Any occasion deserves a bright and sunny pick-me-up in the form of a fun and cheery cookie!
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
For the Cookie Base:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Gel food coloring (optional)
- Sprinkles (optional for garnish)
To make the Cookie Base:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x9 square baking pan with baking spray and then line it with parchment paper, set aside.
- In one bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- In another bowl cream butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until super smooth and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, mixing well to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter-mixture until just combined, do not overmix the dough. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to combine the dough more thoroughly without overmixing.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 17 to 23 minutes or until the sides are beginning to become golden.
- Allow the cook base to cool in the pan for 2 to 3 hours before removing from the pan.
To make the Frosting:
- In a bowl beat butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and salt, beating until well combined. If the frosting is still too thick, you can add additional cream if needed.
- If you want to color the frosting you can add it in small batches until it reaches the desired shade.
- Apply the frosting evenly over the cookie base and garnish with sprinkles.
- For a cleaner cut, freeze the cookie bars for 20 minutes and then slice with a sharp knife, cleaning the blade between slices. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Life Love and Sugar.