Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable View)

Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and festive sprinkles, perfect for Easter gatherings.

# What You 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 - Pastel food coloring (pink, yellow, green, purple)

→ Decoration

14 - Festive Easter sprinkles

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly blended.
03 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and almond extract until incorporated.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
06 - Press dough evenly into prepared pan, smoothing surface with spatula. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden and center is set.
07 - Beat butter until creamy. Blend in powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth and fluffy. Add remaining milk if needed for spreadable consistency.
08 - Divide frosting and tint with pastel food coloring if desired. Spread evenly over completely cooled cookie base.
09 - Sprinkle with festive Easter decorations. Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang and cut into squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in one bowl without requiring any rolling or cookie cutters
  • Soft buttery base that stays tender for days unlike crisp cookies that go stale
  • The frosting canvas lets you get creative with pastel colors and sprinkle designs
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough will make these bars tough so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The center should still look slightly soft when you take them out—they firm up as they cool
  • Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable for achieving that smooth creamy frosting texture
03 -
  • Chill the dough for 15 minutes if it feels too sticky to spread smoothly
  • Use an offset spatula for the smoothest frosting application

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