Patriotic Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable version)
Soft buttery sugar cookie bars with red, white, and blue buttercream and sprinkles—ideal for Fourth of July.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sugar Cookie Base
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Frosting
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
10 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - Red gel food coloring
13 - Blue gel food coloring
→ Decoration
14 - Red, white, and blue sprinkles
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in pure vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - Evenly spread the dough into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and center is set. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually mix in powdered sugar, then beat in vanilla extract and heavy cream until frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
10 - Divide frosting evenly among three bowls. Leave one portion plain, color one red with gel coloring and the other blue.
11 - Spoon colorful frostings onto cooled cookie bars. Swirl gently with an offset spatula for a marbled effect or frost in stripes.
12 - Immediately top with red, white, and blue sprinkles.
13 - Cut into 24 bars and serve.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- You get all the joy of soft, chewy cookies without the hassle of rolling or cutting out shapes—just spread, bake, and slice.
- The colorful frosting and sprinkles guarantee an eye-catching dessert that everyone wants to try first.
02 -
- If those bars stay in the oven even a moment too long, they lose their soft, irresistible chew—trust the timer.
- Using gel food coloring was a game changer the first year I tried it—no more watery, pale frosting disasters.
03 -
- Mix just until combined—overmixing leads to tough cookie bars every time.
- A good offset spatula is your best friend for marbling the frosting with minimal mess.