Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable)

Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and festive Easter sprinkles. A tender, easy-to-make dessert for spring gatherings.

# 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

→ 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

→ 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.
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. 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.
06 - 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.
07 - Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookie base. Decorate with Easter sprinkles.
08 - Lift bars from the pan using parchment overhang and cut into squares. Serve or store in an airtight container.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The bars stay incredibly soft for days unlike cutout cookies that can harden
  • You get that tender sugar cookie taste without spending hours rolling and cutting dough
  • The frosting canvas lets everyone express their inner Easter artist
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough will make tough bars so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The bars continue baking slightly from residual heat so pull them when the center just looks set
  • Wait until frosting is completely set before stacking or storing or theyll stick together
03 -
  • Chill the dough for 15 minutes if it feels too sticky to spread evenly
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid for more vibrant pastel shades without thinning the frosting

Return