Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable version)

Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and sprinkles—perfect for Easter celebrations.

# Ingredient list:

→ 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

→ 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

→ Decoration

14 - Festive Easter sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3–4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and almond extract if using.
05 - Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
06 - Press dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake for 18–20 minutes until edges are lightly golden and center is set. Cool completely in the pan.
07 - Beat butter until creamy. Blend in powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed. Divide and tint portions with pastel food coloring if desired.
08 - Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cookie base. Immediately sprinkle with festive Easter sprinkles before frosting sets.
09 - Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into 16 equal squares and serve or store in an airtight container.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Soft tender cookie base that stays perfectly moist even days later
  • The frosting becomes a canvas for whatever colors make you happy
  • They travel beautifully and feed a crowd without individual cookie decorating
02 -
  • Overbaking is the enemy of soft bars, so pull them out when the center still looks slightly underdone
  • Let the cookie base cool completely or your frosting will melt into an unhappy puddle
  • Gel food coloring keeps frosting thick while liquid versions can make it too thin to spread neatly
03 -
  • Use an offset spatula for bakery smooth frosting surfaces
  • Apply sprinkles in sections so you don't run out before finishing
  • Chill the frosted bars for 15 minutes before cutting for perfectly clean squares

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