Easter Sugar Cookie Bars (Printer-Friendly)

Soft sugar cookie bars with creamy pastel frosting and sprinkles, perfect 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 (optional)

→ 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 (pink, yellow, green, purple)

→ Decoration

14 - Festive Easter sprinkles

# How-To 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 combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and almond extract if using.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
06 - Press dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake 18–20 minutes until edges are barely golden and center is set. Cool completely in the pan.
07 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk. Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding additional milk as needed for spreadable consistency. Divide and tint with pastel food coloring if desired.
08 - Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookie base. Top with Easter sprinkles immediately. Lift from pan using parchment overhang and cut into 16 squares.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The soft, pillowy texture melts in your mouth like a warm hug
  • One pan feeds a crowd without the fuss of rolling and cutting individual cookies
  • Pastel frosting creates that instant holiday magic everyone craves
02 -
  • Underbake slightly—those bars continue cooking in the pan and stay softer longer
  • Completely cool the cookie base before frosting or you'll end up with melted streaks
  • Gel food coloring is your friend—liquid colors can turn frosting into a runny mess
03 -
  • Chill the frosted bars for 15 minutes before cutting to get clean, professional-looking squares
  • Use an offset spatula with warm water for the smoothest frosting application

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