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sugar cookie bars recipe

Soft Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Icing

Print Recipe
Thick, soft sugar cookie bars slathered with vanilla buttercream frosting, with a secret ingredient. These melt in your mouth. 
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

For the sugar cookie bars:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp almond extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the vanilla buttercream frosting:

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp milk
  • 1-2 drops pink food coloring optional
  • 1-2 tbsp sprinkles optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F or 180 C and line an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper (or grease with butter).
  • In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and extracts and continue to mix until combined.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the baking powder, soda, salt and flour.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the butter/egg mixture and whisk until incorporated. Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon once the dough becomes too tough to mix by hand.
  • Spread the dough evenly onto the prepared pan, it will be quite thick.
  • Bake until the top is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes and cool completely before cutting.

To make the frosting:

  • Beat the butter slightly to loosen.
  • Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar, alternating with the milk and beating vigorously until you get a thick, smooth texture. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if it is too thick or more sugar if it is too thin.
  • Add the food coloring if using.

Putting it together:

  • Take the cookie slab out of the pan using the parchment paper as handles.
  • Spread the frosting evenly on top and evenly distribute the sprinkles, if using.
  • Cut into 16-20 small pieces.