Sugar Cookie Bars

I have one thing to say to you about this particular recipe.  You have to make these sugar cookie bars.

No, they aren’t a lot of work.  Yes, they are fantastic.

I had been meaning to make these for such a long time-they have been bookmarked for ages.  But I always went for something chocolate or in cupcake form for treats instead of making these.  The upcoming Valentines Day gave me a great excuse to try this one out-and gave me an excuse to whip out those cute little heart sprinkles I have also had in my cupboard for months.

I did not sway at all from the original recipe here.  Sugar cookie dough is one thing that I refuse to play around with too much.  And the frosting?  I didn’t change that, either, and, you know what?  I’m glad I didn’t change that, either.  It’s amazing.  A regular, smooth and sweet buttercream.  I brought these into work, and they were a big hit.

As far as the cookie dough goes, I made mine a little thicker (I baked mine in a 9 x 9-inch brownie pan instead of the jelly roll pan), and I really avoided over baking it, in order to keep it soft and pliable.  I made my cookie dough about 3/4-inch thick, and this seemed to work out well.  *** Before making these, be sure to read the comments below.  A few people had issues with using a smaller pan.  Some seemed to find better luck with larger pans.

Will I be making these again?  Absolutely.  Maybe for the next holiday…Presidents’ Day, anyone?

Sugar Cookie Bars

Servings: about 18 bars

 

Ingredients

For the cookie bars:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch sea salt

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

5 tablespoons milk

Food coloring, as desired

Sprinkles, for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. For the cookie bars: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed 10 x 15-inch (or 9×9-inch brownie pan) with parchment paper; set aside.

3. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5. Add the vanilla.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda, mixing well.

7. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

8. Using a rubber spatula, evenly spread the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet (or brownie pan).

9. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  (They should be light golden brown).

10.  Let cool completely.

11. For the frosting:  In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

12. Add the vanilla and salt, mixing well.

13. Reduce the mixer speed to low and carefully add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time.

14. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

15. Add your desired amount of food color (if using) and mix until incorporated.

16. Frost and decorate as desired onto the cookie bars.

 

Source: Directly from Love and Olive Oil.

 

February 3, 2012 - 8:52 am

Blog is the New Black - I have these bookmarked, also! They look wonderful!

February 3, 2012 - 9:11 am

Caroline @ chocolate & carrots - Yum! I’m on a sugar kick recently, so these look amazing! 😀

February 3, 2012 - 11:11 am

Maureen - Perfect for Valentine’s Day with those itty bitty hearts. They make me all romantic.

February 3, 2012 - 12:54 pm

Annie - This recipe looks FANTASTIC, especially since I possess an unearthly passion for sugar cookies. Thanks for sharing, I bookmarked *and* pinned it. 🙂

February 3, 2012 - 3:48 pm

Ann P. - YUMM! I love how you made them thicker–I like the higher cookie to frosting ratio, too. 🙂

February 4, 2012 - 9:23 am

Simply Tia - These bars are really pretty! I bet they taste sooo good too!

February 4, 2012 - 11:33 am

Rachel @ Baked by Rachel - Oh wow – yes please! These are so cute. I’d have a hard time not tasting the frosting along the way though.

February 4, 2012 - 12:20 pm

Susan - I always think Valentine’s Day has to be chocolate things also. These look delicious and I can’t wait to try them.

February 5, 2012 - 8:00 am

Weekend Love: 2/5/2012 | Baked by Rachel - […] more is a pretty cake. The light colors and fun frosting technique make this cake a clear winner. Sugar cookie bars – The Curvy Carrot – Cookie bars covered in frosting?! I’m in! Bonus that they’re super cute and […]

February 8, 2012 - 12:52 am

Bertie's Bakery - Yummo!!! Looks great, thanks for sharing!

February 9, 2012 - 11:14 am

Sugar Cookie Bars « Kids in the Sink - […] Cookie bars from The Curvy Carrot, frosting from My Sweet and […]

February 9, 2012 - 9:54 pm

Liz - Found these on foodgawker. They look amazing. I am definitely trying these out this weekend!

February 10, 2012 - 2:01 pm

Friday Favorites | Iowa Girl Eats - […] easy treat: Sugar Cookie Bars. I couldn’t resist! Now THESE might be the perfect Valentine’s Day […]

February 11, 2012 - 5:46 pm

Amber - I dread the whole cutting out part of sugar cookies do I never make them but this is the perfect solution, plus I like my sugar cookies thick. Perfect perfect. Can’t wait to make!!! Thank you :$

February 13, 2012 - 5:00 am

The Curvy Carrot » Valentine Cake Truffles - […] Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Frosting […]

February 13, 2012 - 9:00 am

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars | - […] from The Curvy Carrot Share this:PrintEmailFacebookStumbleUponDigg Tagged with: bars • dessert. cookie  […]

February 13, 2012 - 3:52 pm

Lori - I am not seeing flour in the recipe… Am I missing something?

February 13, 2012 - 5:20 pm

srlacy - Hi Lori-

It’s in there…5 cups.

February 13, 2012 - 5:40 pm

Jackie Alcorn - I’m new to pinterest. HOW do I print a recipe? Can’t be in the kitchen with my desktop in the family room!

February 13, 2012 - 6:00 pm

srlacy - Hi Jackie-

The print option doesn’t seem to be working. I would recommend copying and pasting into Word. I know it’s a pain, and hopefully when I get the site redesigned in a few months this won’t be an issue anymore. Nice to meet you!

February 28, 2012 - 10:29 pm

Cristina - Not the greatest recipe, dry boring texture even though center was moist?

February 29, 2012 - 9:00 am

srlacy - Hi Cristina-

I didn’t have that problem. Other readers have not seemed to have had that issue. I wonder if it was baking time or ingredient-related?

March 2, 2012 - 11:55 pm

Lauren - I just made these. They were DELICIOUS. I divided the dough between two 8×8 inch pans. I’m taking the other pan to a friend’s baby shower tomorrow. The other pan is staying with me!

March 21, 2012 - 1:26 pm

Stephanie - Could someone who has made these cookies please tell me how long they cooked them for? They are so thick that I doubled the cook time. After letting them cool and frosting them I realized that they were completely raw in the middle. The recipe says they only need to back for 15 minutes. This doesn’t seem possible to me. Thank you.

March 21, 2012 - 1:27 pm

Stephanie - *That was supposed to say bake, not back. :)*

March 21, 2012 - 1:32 pm

srlacy - Hi Stephanie-

The recipe states to bake the bars for 15 minutes…or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Oven times will vary depending on the type/brand oven you have. Mine were a bit softer in the center, but when I inserted my tester, it came out clean.

March 23, 2012 - 7:20 pm

Drew - Hi. I just made these, and they are THICK. I used the 9×9 pan and the dough rose to about 1-3/4″. I had a gooey mess in the middle and had to bake for about 25 minutes. I’m wondering if I misread the directions, or if I just needed to leave it gooey, and it would solidify as it cooled?

March 23, 2012 - 7:27 pm

srlacy - Hi Drew-

The recipe is correct as written. Since oven temperatures will vary depending on the oven you have, etc, inserting a tester into the center of the pan is the most reliable way of checking the doneness of the cookie bars, as stated in the recipe.

March 26, 2012 - 7:43 pm

Lynn - I traced this recipe back thru at least 4 adaptations and the original recipe calls for using a 13×18 pan so that could account for those who are having problems with them coming out gooey in the middle. You might need a bigger pan.

April 7, 2012 - 11:29 am

Alyze - This recipe was such a hit for valentines day I’m making them again for Easter….like a few other commenters mine needed way more than 15 minutes to bake (I used the 9×9 pan) but no big deal, they were still moist, soft, and delicious!!!!

April 13, 2012 - 9:00 am

Best of Friday Favorites | Iowa Girl Eats - […] Favorite easy treat: Sugar Cookie Bars […]

April 15, 2012 - 11:07 pm

Chelsea - These look beautiful but taste EXTREMELY eggy. I thought 4 eggs seemed like too many, I wish I’d cut it back to two.

April 21, 2012 - 5:05 pm

Amanda - Thanks for the recipe! I just made this and they’re a big hit. The only thing is (to me) the frosting is a bit too sweet, so maybe I’ll reduce the confectioners sugar by one cup? Will that throw off the consistency?

April 21, 2012 - 5:25 pm

srlacy - Hi Amanda-
It shouldn’t, as long as you compensate by not adding as much milk.

April 26, 2012 - 12:02 pm

Banana Cookie Bars & Nutella Buttercream Icing | chef in training - […] of my favorite flavor combos: Bananas and Nutella. Delicious! I adapted this recipe from a basic sugar cookie bar and added my own icing. Banana Cookie Bars with Nutella Buttercream Icing Cookies: 5 Cups Flour […]

May 8, 2012 - 12:31 am

Banana Cookie Bars & Nutella Buttercream Icing | test - […] of my favorite flavor combos: Bananas and Nutella. Delicious! I adapted this recipe from a basic sugar cookie bar and added my own icing. Banana Cookie Bars with Nutella Buttercream IcingCookies:5 Cups Flour2 […]

May 10, 2012 - 5:06 pm

Banana Cookie Bars & Nutella Buttercream Icing - […] of my favorite flavor combos: Bananas and Nutella. Delicious! I adapted this recipe from a basic sugar cookie bar and added my own icing.     Banana Cookie Bars with Nutella Buttercream Icing   Cookies: 5 Cups […]

June 20, 2012 - 6:16 pm

Amy - Great easy reicpe. To make it even easier I used Wilton Candy melts for the frosting.

July 30, 2012 - 12:40 am

Caroline Lee - I found these extremely disappointing!! It may have been my own fault, as I’d had them bookmarked since you posted the recipe and have been looking forward to making it ever since, hence the let down when they were not incredible…HOWEVER,I followed the recipe to a t, correct-size pan and all, and they were still dry and crumbly and completely not special. I feel like something is off with the ratio of flour.

The frosting recipe, on the other hand, is a keeper. DE-licious!!

August 16, 2012 - 12:39 pm

Jennifer @ Sprinkle N Simmer - These were awesome! I always loved sugar cookies growing up and these brought me back in time. I baked mine in a 9×13 and they turned out perfectly. Thank you for sharing. Check mine out http://sprinklensimmer.com/?p=285

August 29, 2012 - 9:11 pm

Sugar Cookie Bars with Pink frosting | running4cupcakes - […] saw this recipe on Friday Favorites by Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats. And knew I had to make it! Sugar cookies. Yes. […]

February 11, 2013 - 4:16 pm

Sarah - I just made these and used a larger pan. Ended up having to double the baking time and took them out when the toothpick came out clean. However, I just cut into them and the center of it is completely raw and the outsides are dry and crumbly…very disappointed.

February 13, 2013 - 8:09 am

Sugar Cookie Bars | Tide and Thyme - […] The Curvy Carrot, originally from Anissa’s […]

March 27, 2013 - 11:50 pm

Sugar Cookie Bars — Koko Likes - […]  Adapted from The Curvy Carrot […]

June 28, 2013 - 11:55 am

Sugar Cookie Bars | The Rainy Day Baker - […] Sugar Cookie Bars Source: The Curvy Carrot […]

August 29, 2013 - 4:25 pm

Zakiya Taylor - these look good

September 29, 2013 - 7:47 pm

tln - Wished I had read down all the comments. This recipe does not work in a 9X9 pan! I doubled the time and they still came out undercooked in the center. Disappointing. I think one could have split between 2 of the 9×9 pans and it might have worked. I know another poster noted doing this.

December 20, 2013 - 2:03 pm

Sugar Cookie Bars | Recipe Hub - […] For full recipe visit source site here. […]

February 13, 2014 - 12:28 pm

Patricia - This recipe.worked great for me, I used a 15×11 inch pan and followed directions to a tea. They taste great. Thank you for the recipe.

May 11, 2014 - 6:05 pm

chester - best bars ever! mine came out a little thick even though i cut the recipe in half, but taste sooooo good!