Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable)
Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and festive sprinkles, ready in 40 minutes for Easter celebrations.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the 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 (optional)
→ For the 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 (pink, yellow, green, purple)
→ For 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 evenly blended.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla extract and almond extract, if using.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Spread dough evenly in the prepared pan. Use a spatula to create a smooth surface.
06 - Bake 18–20 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden and the center is set. Do not overbake. Let cool completely in the pan.
07 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk. Beat until smooth and fluffy; add more milk if needed for spreadable consistency. If desired, divide frosting and tint each portion with pastel food coloring.
08 - Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookie base. Decorate with Easter sprinkles.
09 - Lift bars from the pan using parchment overhang and cut into squares. Serve or store in an airtight container.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These bars stay incredibly soft for days unlike traditional sugar cookies that can harden
- The frosting is foolproof and perfect for practicing pretty swirled designs
02 -
- Overbaking is the enemy of soft bars pull them when the center still looks slightly underdone
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the dough from separating and ensure even baking
03 -
- Let the bars cool completely before frosting or your beautiful pastel colors will melt right off
- Use an offset spatula dipped in hot water for the smoothest frosting application