King Cake Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable)

Festive sugar cookie bars with vibrant icing and sprinkles for joyful celebrations and gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Sugar Cookie Base

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
06 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Icing

11 - 2 cups powdered sugar
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

14 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overmixing.
06 - Spread dough evenly into the prepared baking pan using a spatula, ensuring uniform thickness.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and center is set. Do not overbake.
08 - Remove from oven and allow cookie base to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable.
10 - Spread icing evenly over the cooled cookie base using a spatula.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugar in sections or decorative pattern while icing is still wet.
12 - Allow icing to set for approximately 30 minutes before slicing into 24 bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a party in bar form, which means you get the festive vibe without the complicated shaping.
  • You can make them days ahead, so there's zero stress when guests arrive.
  • The soft, buttery base with that tangy lemon zest keeps people coming back for thirds.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these, even if the center looks slightly underdone when you pull them out. They firm up as they cool, and overbaked sugar cookie bars taste like cardboard.
  • Room temperature ingredients are actually crucial here, because cold butter won't cream properly and cold eggs won't emulsify into the batter smoothly.
03 -
  • Sanding sugar sticks best to wet icing, so sprinkle immediately after spreading and don't wait around wondering if it looks good enough.
  • If your icing turns out too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time rather than dumping it in and ending up with soup.
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