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The BEST thick and chewy Sugar Cookie Bars with vanilla buttercream frosting. Quick and easy to make bar cookies recipe! #dessert #homemade #fromscratch

Sugar Cookie Bars

Kelly
The BEST thick and chewy Sugar Cookie Bars with vanilla buttercream frosting. Quick and easy to make bar cookies recipe!
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 bars
Calories 179 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the sugar cookie bars:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour 6.7oz, 190g
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 4oz, 113g, melted and cooled
  • ¾ cup white sugar 5.25oz, 149g
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1  egg yolk

For the frosting:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 3oz, 85g
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 8.6oz, 245g
  • 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • A drop or two of gel food coloring optional
  • Assorted sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan by lining with aluminum foil or parchment. Spray the foil or parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and melted, cooled butter and whisk until the butter is absorbed into the sugar. Add egg and egg yolk and whisk until combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
  • Press into prepared baking pan. Bake until just set on top and the edges are turning golden, about 30 minutes. Don’t overbake! They will look undercooked but will firm up after cooling.
  • Let cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting:

  • With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides halfway through, about 4 minutes. Add more cream if needed to thin the frosting.
  • Spread the frosting on the cooled bars, smoothing it out with a spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if using. Cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Notes

  • Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9 by 13-inch pan. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
  • Don’t overbake! Bake until the bars are set on top and just turning golden on the edges. They will continue baking after removing from oven and will firm up while cooling.
  • Measure your flour carefully. If you can, measure by weight. Otherwise, I’ve used the spoon and level method here. There’s a significant difference between measuring method and even different sets of measuring cups. Too much flour will make a dry cookie bar.
  • When making the frosting use a cool, room temperature butter. If the butter is too warm, the frosting won’t be smooth and fluffy.
  • These cookie bars are super sweet. You can make only a half batch of the frosting if you’d like them less sweet.

Nutrition

Calories: 179kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 353IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cookie bars, sugar cookie bars
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