Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable Version)

Soft vanilla cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and colorful sprinkles for Easter celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# Preparation Steps:

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 until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and almond extract.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - Press dough evenly into the prepared pan, using a spatula to create a smooth surface. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are barely golden and center is set. Cool completely in the pan.
06 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk, beating until smooth and fluffy. Add additional milk as needed for spreadable consistency. For colorful frosting, divide and tint each portion with pastel food coloring.
07 - Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cookie base. Decorate immediately with Easter sprinkles while frosting is still soft.
08 - Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares and serve, or store in an airtight container.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cookie base stays incredibly soft for days thanks to the perfect butter to sugar ratio I discovered after three attempts
  • You get all the festive fun of decorated cookies without spending hours rolling and cutting individual shapes
  • The frosting divides perfectly into separate bowls so everyone can pick their favorite pastel color to mix and spread
02 -
  • Overbaking by even two minutes will turn these soft bars into dry crackers so watch closely during those final minutes
  • The almond extract completely transforms the flavor profile but you can skip it if anyone in your family has nut allergies
  • Room temperature ingredients make or break this recipe so take everything out of the fridge at least one hour before starting
03 -
  • Chill the frosted bars for 15 minutes before cutting to get those perfectly clean edges
  • Save a pinch of unfrosted dough crumbs to sprinkle over the frosting for a bakery style finish

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