Easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
These frosted sugar cookie bars are tender and moist and topped with a light and fluffy vanilla scented frosting. They are so good and can be made with a few simple ingredients, in less than an hour.

So easy to bake…
I’m serious this recipe takes less than an hour and requires no rolling, or cutting out cookies, individually frosting etc.
Don’t get me wrong I love making regular sugar cookies but sometimes, knowing that I could have a tray of frosted sugar cookies ready in an hour is all I need.

Ingredient Notes
The ingredients that go into these melt in the mouth frosted sugar cookie bars

Butter – for that soft, tender and buttery sugar cookie base
Caster Sugar – duh! Sugar cookie bars need sugar and caster sugar gives a chewy and soft bar
Eggs – one whole egg and one egg yolk gives the perfect amount of rise and a tender crumb
Lemon Zest – this is optional but this really brightens the sugar cookie bars and adds some more depth
Vanilla Extract – adds so much flavour and gives you that classic sugar cookie smell
Baking Powder – helps that bars rise and adds some lightness
Cornflour – gives a wonderful crisp exterior
Plain Flour – perfect for the soft, tender and chewy bars
Salt – will balance out the sweetness and bring out that sweet vanilla flavour
Frosting

Butter – the frosting is a lighter version of an american buttercream, very similar to the lofthouse frosting and of course, what is buttercream without butter?!
Double Cream / Heavy Cream – will make the frosting lighter and creamier
Vanilla Extract – will give a great flavour and add a slight richness
Icing Sugar – of course, we need icing sugar for the frosting
Food Colouring – is the fun part you can add any colour you like I went for a tiny bit of purple because it makes the icing completely white. But, feel free to use any colours you’d like.
Sprinkles – for that lofthouse cookie finishing touch and because they are so fun and cute
How to make frosted sugar cookie bars step by step – (with pictures)

1. Cream together the butter and sugar, until pale and fluffy
2. Whisk in the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla, and combine well
3. Next, mix in the dry ingredients until you get a crumbly dough

4. Press the dough in the baking pan using your hands, a measuring cup or a glass, making sure to get a flat and even base

5. Place into a preheated oven at (170 degrees / 375 Fahrenheit / gas mark 5) for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown, firm and cooked through

6. Cream the butter, cream and vanilla, until pale and fluffy
7. Add in the icing sugar in the 3 parts, mixing the frosting in between each time
8. Once the frosting is light and fluffy, add in the food colouring of your choice

9. Finally, smooth the frosting over the sugar cookie bars and top with sprinkles
10. Then, cut into 16 bars and enjoy!
Let’s talk about frosting and food colouring!
I used a little dab of purple food colouring that cancels out the yellow of the butter giving a lovely white frosting which really makes the sprinkles pop.
However feel free to use any colour of your choosing, you could even separate the icing into separate bowls, and create multiple colours to marble together.

Tips and Tricks
- I use a 9×9 inch baking tray but, if you prefer a thinner sugar cookie bar you can use a larger baking pan
- Using a hand or stand mixer for the frosting will help make it even lighter and fluffier
- If the dough looks very dry and crumbly don’t worry, that is how it is supposed to be
- These keep well for about a week, if, they last that long that is.To make sure they stay moist in the middle place into an airtight container


Easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9 x 9 inch square baking pan
- Hand mixer optional
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 125 g butter 1/2 cup
- 225 g caster sugar 1 cup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 210 g plain flour 1 3/4 cup
- 30 g cornflour 1/4 cup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
Frosting
- 75 g butter 1/3 cup
- 260 g icing sugar 2 cups
- 60 ml double cream 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Food coloring
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Cream together the butter and sugar, until pale and fluffy
- Whisk in eggs and lemon zest, combine well
- Next, mix in the dry ingredients until you get a crumbly dough
- Press the dough in the baking pan using your hands, a measuring cup or a glass, making sure to get a flat and even base
- Place into a preheated oven at (170 degrees / 375 Fahrenheit / gas mark 5) for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown, firm and cooked throughAllow to completely cool before frosting
Frosting
- Cream the butter, cream and vanilla, until pale and fluffy
- Add in the icing sugar in the 3 parts, mixing the frosting in between each time
- Once the frosting is light and fluffy, add in the food colouring of your choice
- Finally, smooth the frosting over the sugar cookie bars and top with sprinklesThen, cut into 16 bars and enjoy!