Description
Delight in classic Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars made with a soft cream cheese-infused cookie base and topped with a creamy vanilla almond buttercream frosting. These bars are easy to bake and perfect for sharing at parties or celebrations, featuring a tender, slightly gooey center and a festive sprinkle topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Bars
- 2½ cups flour (312 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ – ½ tsp salt
- 1â…“ cups sugar (267 g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226 g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Sprinkles for topping (optional)
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream (more as desired)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for the cookie bars.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Beat Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the softened butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add eggs, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and softened cream cheese to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until fully incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until no flour streaks remain. Gently fold in sprinkles with the last portion of dry ingredients if desired, taking care not to overmix.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press the sticky cookie dough evenly into the pan. To handle the dough more easily, lightly spray your hands with oil or use parchment paper laid atop the dough while pressing.
- Bake the Bars: Bake for 17-22 minutes, until the edges begin to turn a light golden brown. The center may still seem slightly underbaked, but it will set as it cools. Remove from oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla bean paste, sea salt, and almond extract, mixing to combine. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until incorporated. Finally, add 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat until the frosting is creamy and fluffy. Adjust cream quantity as needed for spreading consistency.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the buttercream evenly over the cooled cookie bars. Sprinkle additional sprinkles on top for decoration if desired. Let the frosting set before cutting into squares for serving.
Notes
- The cookie dough will be sticky; lightly oiling your hands or pressing with parchment paper makes handling easier.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding flour to keep the bars tender.
- Let the bars cool completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- You can customize the sprinkles to match any occasion or holiday theme.
- If you prefer, substitute vanilla bean paste with equal amounts of vanilla extract without affecting results.
