4th Of July Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable Version)
Soft baked sugar cookie bars with creamy vanilla frosting and festive red, white, and blue sprinkles for Independence Day celebrations.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Base
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 large egg yolk
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
→ Vanilla Frosting
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
14 - Pinch of salt
15 - Red, white, and blue sprinkles
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal later.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough bars.
06 - Press dough evenly into prepared baking pan using spatula or lightly floured hands to create uniform thickness.
07 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden brown but center remains soft. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack.
08 - While bars cool, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue beating until fluffy and spreadable consistency is achieved.
09 - Spread frosting evenly over completely cooled bars. Immediately top with red, white, and blue sprinkles while frosting is still moist for better adhesion.
10 - Using parchment paper overhang, lift bars from pan. Cut into 16 equal squares. Serve immediately or store in airtight container.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These bars stay softer and more tender than traditional cutout cookies, so no one has to deal with crumbling edges on a paper plate
- The frosting creates a perfect canvas for sprinkles that actually stick instead of rolling off onto the grass
02 -
- Overbaking makes these bars dry and tough, so trust your instinct and pull them when they look slightly underdone in the center
- Warm cookie bars will melt your frosting right off, so wait until they reach room temperature
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable here because cold butter creates lumpy dough that bakes unevenly
- Press the sprinkles into the frosting gently with your hand so they actually stay on instead of ending up all over the table