Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable Version)
Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and festive sprinkles for Easter celebrations.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cookie Base
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
→ Frosting
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2-3 tablespoons whole milk or cream
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Food coloring in pastel tones
→ Decoration
14 - Festive Easter sprinkles
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and almond extract.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough bars.
05 - Spread dough evenly in the prepared pan, using a spatula to create a smooth surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are barely golden and center is set. Cool completely in the pan.
06 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk. Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding more milk if needed for spreadable consistency. Divide and tint with pastel food coloring if desired.
07 - Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookie base. Decorate with Easter sprinkles. Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang and cut into 16 squares.
# Quick Tips:
01 -
- The bars stay incredibly soft for days unlike traditional cutout cookies that can harden
- You can frost and decorate them in under an hour which is a blessing when holiday time is tight
02 -
- Overbaking is the enemy of soft sugar cookie bars so pull them out when the center still looks slightly underdone
- Completely cool the bars before frosting or the colors will melt into an unappealing mess
03 -
- Chill the dough for 15 minutes if it feels too sticky to spread evenly
- Use a warm knife dipped in hot water to get perfectly clean cuts between bars