Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar Cookie Bars are soft and chewy dessert bars topped with a festive red homemade American buttercream frosting.
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 821kcal
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks / 340 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (454 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1-3 tablespoons whole milk, as needed
- red gel food coloring*, as much as needed for desired color
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well-combined (about 2 minutes).
- With the mixer on low, add in the eggs and egg yolks, mixing until well incorporated.
- Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer back on low, add the vanilla and almond extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Mix the flour mixture with the butter mixture about a cup at a time until fully incorporated.
- Press the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool as you make the buttercream frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
- Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
- Add in food coloring until desired color is reached. Spread the buttercream over the cooled sugar cookie bars. Cut and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*If you are not using gel food color, you may want to add peppermint extract to cover the bitterness of red food coloring.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 821kcal