Description
Delicious and indulgent frosted sugar cookie bars that combine a tender, buttery cookie base with creamy, flavored frosting, perfect for parties or casual snacking.
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 prepare for baking the cookie bars.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, add softened butter and sugar. Beat using an electric mixer at medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the eggs, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and softened cream cheese into the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until fully combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. If using sprinkles inside the bars, fold them in with the last bit of dry ingredients. Avoid over mixing.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press the sticky cookie dough evenly into the pan. To manage stickiness, lightly spray your hands with oil or place parchment paper on top while pressing.
- Bake: Bake for 17-22 minutes until edges turn a light golden brown. The edges will be less gooey than the center, which may still appear a little underbaked but will set as it cools. Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: Beat softened butter until creamy. Add vanilla, almond extract, and sea salt, mixing to incorporate. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Mix in heavy cream to reach a creamy, fluffy consistency.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the frosting evenly over cooled cookie bars. Decorate with additional sprinkles if desired. Let the buttercream set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The dough is sticky; spraying hands with oil or using parchment paper can help with pressing it evenly into the pan.
- Don’t overbake; the center should remain slightly soft to keep a chewy texture.
- Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing and texture.
- Vanilla bean paste offers a more intense flavor than vanilla extract but either works well.
- Adjust heavy cream in frosting to achieve your desired consistency.
