Description
Delightfully soft and chewy frosted sugar cookie bars featuring a rich cream cheese-infused dough topped with a creamy vanilla almond buttercream and colorful sprinkles. These bars combine the classic flavors of sugar cookies with an easy-to-spread frosting, perfect for parties, holidays, or any sweet craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups flour (312 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ – ½ tsp salt
Cookie Dough
- 1 â…“ 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
Frosting
- ½ cup 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)
- Sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookie bars.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Blend: Add the eggs, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and softened cream cheese to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until fully incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. If you want sprinkles inside the bars, fold them in with the last bit of dry ingredients without overmixing.
- Prepare Baking Pan and Press Dough: Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly oil your hands or use parchment on top to help press the sticky cookie dough evenly into the pan.
- Bake the Bars: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 17-22 minutes, or until the edges turn light golden brown. The center might still seem slightly undercooked; it will firm up as it cools.
- Cool Completely: Remove from oven and allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan before frosting, ensuring the texture sets perfectly.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and a pinch of sea salt, mixing well. Slowly incorporate powdered sugar while beating, then add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is creamy and fluffy.
- Frost and Decorate: Evenly spread the frosting over the cooled cookie bars. Sprinkle extra decorative sprinkles on top and let the buttercream set before slicing into bars.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs and butter help create a smoother dough and better texture.
- Pressing the dough with lightly oiled hands or using parchment paper prevents sticking.
- Don’t overbake; the center should remain slightly soft for chewy bars.
- Add sprinkles inside the dough or just on top for extra fun and color.
- Allow frosting to set well before cutting to avoid messy edges.
