Easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

These melt in your mouth Easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are tender, chewy and topped with creamy, dreamy cream cheese frosting!

If you love chewy cookies, you’re going to love these bars which are essentialy cookies in bar form! You can top them with your favorite frostings, flavor them during the festive season and top them with your favorite patterns or candy.

Typically topped with buttercream frosting, I opted for something less sweet, my dreamy Cream Cheese Frosting which is super easy to make and pairs perfectly which the tender and buttery cookie bars.

By the way, if you’re looking for delicious cookie ideas, check out my new Chewy Chocolate Cookies, my Chocolate Chip Blondies or my Brownie Cookies!

Why you’ll love these cookie bars?

Essentially, these are a variation of my popular Blondies recipe. They’re chewy, delectable and so easy to make!

• So cute! – I’ve always wanted to make these because they’re so cute. That combo of golden cookie with pink frosting and sprinkles is so adorable!
• Chewy and delicious! – these cookie bars are everything you love about regular cookies just a little thicker with delicious and not overly sweet frosting on top. Speaking of!
• Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting – that isn’t too sweet and is so easy to make! The secret is the milk powder. For more info on my dreamy Cream Cheese Frosting, click here!
• Easy! – these cookie bars as so easy to make and easy to serve!

Ingredients You Need To Make Frosted Cookie Bars

Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.

• Flour – I used all-purpose flour, also known as plain flour. Make sure you spoon and level if using cup measurements. As usually, measuring with kitchen scales is the best way for recipe success.
• Bread flour – this is a high gluten flour that helps give these bars a nice chewy texture.
• Salt – I used fine salt.
• Baking powder – helps the cookies rise.
• Butter – Melt your butter first and let it cool down to room temperature without setting.
• Granulated sugar -caster sugar will also work.
• Eggs – I used a whole large egg and an egg yolk to help give these cookies an even chewier texture.
• Rainbow sprinkles – I used rainbow jimmies. You can use whichever colored sprinkles you like.

To find out more about the Cream Cheese frosting I used on these bars, click here!

How to make Frosted Cookie Bars!

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Combine wet ingredients.
3. Add wet to dry and mix until a dough forms.
4. Add sprinkles and fold through.

5. Line baking tin with baking paper.
6. Add dough and spread flat and even.
7. Bake and allow to cool.

8. To make the frosting add the butter and cream cheese in a bowl
9. Add the milk powder and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed.
10. When no dry ingredients are showing mix on high speed.
11. Add the pink food gel and mix until evenly colored.

12. Add the frosting to the cooled cookie bars.
13. Add sprinkles.
14. Slice and serve!

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

• Make sure you line your baking tin with baking paper for an easy lift out cookie experience!
• No need to chill this dough, it goes straight in the oven. Bake on the middle rack.
• Spread the dough out so it’s nice and even before baking.
• Underbaking gives you chewy, fudgy cookie bars.
• Cool down before frosting to avoid a melting disaster like I did when I was a kid once.
• Add 1/2 tsp of almond extract for extra flavor or 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract for something festive.
• Use a large sharp knife to slice cookie bars. I like to carefully wipe my knife with a paper towel before each slice for extra sharp and clean slices.
• Make sure you chill your bars before slicing.

Get creative!! Make it yours.

Experiment with frosting and toppings for a more personalized cookie bar. You can even do different types of patterns or use your favorite candy! Some of my favorite frostings are:

• White Chocolate Ganache
• Chocolate Ganache
• American Buttercream Frosting
• Marshmallow Meringue Frosting
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
• Chantilly Cream Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions about Frosted Cookie Bars

How do I store the cookie bars?

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They get chewier the next day!

Can I make the frosting ahead of time?

Yep! Make it up to three days ahead of time. Store in the fridge, covered. Thaw completely at room temperature before whipping up again.

What type of sprinkles should I use?

I used rainbow sprinkles. We don’t have good sprinkles in Australia, we just don’t so I buy mine on Amazon. They’re the Hoosier farm brand ones. They’re not quite as good as the American ones, but it’s as close as I’ve ever found. You don’t want to use 100’s and 1000’s. they melt in the oven.

Can I use a different sized pan?

I tested this in a 9×9 inch baking tin and they came out too thin. You can use a loaf tin and cut them into thinner bars. They will be a little taller.

Can I freeze them?

Yes! Freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks.

Can I double the recipe?

Yep! Bake in a 9×13-inch cake tin and double the frosting amount.

Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!

If you loved this recipe, check these out!

• Chocolate Chip Blondies

• Brownie Cookies

• Chewy Chocolate Cookies

• Lofthouse Cookies

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

These melt in your mouth Easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are tender, chewy and topped with creamy, dreamy cream cheese frosting!

Serves 9

4 from 1 vote

Author: Nick Makrides

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 430kcal

---

Ingredients

Cookie Bars

• ▢ 1/2 cup / 75 g all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 75 g bread flour, (see notes)
• ▢ 1/4 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 125 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ▢ 1 packed cup / 200 g granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 60 g rainbow sprinkles, (rainbow jimmies)

Frosting

• ▢ 1/2 cup / 125 g unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 125 g cream cheese, cold
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 75 g powdered sugar, sifted
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 75 g milk powder, (see notes)
• ▢ 1 drop pink food gel
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 60 g rainbow sprinkles, (rainbow jimmies)

---

---

Instructions

Cookie Bars

• Preheat a fan forced oven to 170C / 350F. Spray the bottom of a 20cm x 20cm / 8 x 8-inch baking tin with oil spray and line with baking paper. Set aside.
• Add both flours, salt and baking powder to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
• To a separate bowl add the melted and cooled butter and brown sugar and whisk until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients and sprinkles to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to combine until a dough forms.
• Transfer the dough into the baking tin and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remining chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes. Lift out of the baking tin and cool completely on a cooling rack. Use a large knife to slice into 9 pieces.

Frosting

• Add your softened butter, cold cream cheese and vanilla extract to a large bowl. If using a stand mixer fit it with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
• Scrape down the bowl and add all of the sifted powdered sugar and the pink food gel and begin beating on low speed. When no dry ingredients are showing, turn the speed up to high speed and beat for 5 minutes.

To Finish

• Take the cooled cookie bar out of the cake tin. Add the frosting to the cookie layer and spread around evenly using a spoon or spatula. Finish with a sprinkle of rainbow sprinkles.

Notes

Milk powder – Milk powder is what people used to use to make milk before fridges were widely used in kitchens. It can be found in the long-life milk isle of your supermarket. Skim or full fat can be used. To learn more about Milk Powder, take a read of the post I wrote up!

Storage – Cookie Bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Nutrition – is based on per one cookie bar. This recipe makes 9 cookie bars.

A note on measurements – all ingredients in this recipe are offered in Australian cup measurements and weight measurements. Weight measurements are created by me, in my kitchen here in Melbourne Australia. The best way to get recipe success is to measure ingredients by weight, using kitchen scales.

Nutrition

Calories : 430kcal

Carbonhydrates: 38g

Protein: 5g

Fat: 29g

Saturated Fat: 18g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g

Monounsaturated Fat : 7g

Trans Fat : 1g

Cholesterol: 114mg

Sodium: 165mg

Potassium : 143mg

Fiber: 0.4g

Sugar : 26g

Vitamin A: 921IU

Vitamin C: 1mg

Calcium: 104mg

Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclosure

Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!