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Add some American pride to your summer bbq or potluck with these easy Patriotic Sugar Cookie Bars! They're thick, soft and chewy Fourth of July cookies decorated with red, white and blue sprinkles and candy. They have all of the great taste you love from a homemade sugar cookie, but they're much easier and faster to make since you don't need to chill or roll out the dough. These are the perfect easy cookie bars to make for a crowd!
When I'm trying to think of a dessert to bring to a summer party of BBQ I usually always turn to cookie bars. They're easier than cookies (no rolling or chilling) and they're great for a crowd. You can even transport them in the pan you baked them in, and cut them and serve them at the party.
Just like with sugar cookies, be careful not to over bake these sugar cookie bars. They will be pale in color, just barely set and will continue to set up in the pan as they cool.
Once they are cool you can smooth the frosting on top and add red and blue M&M's, sprinkles, and white chocolate chips.
The beauty of sugar cookie bars is that they're just as delicious as sugar cookies, without all the work! No chilling, no rolling, or cutting. The frosting is homemade and we all know that store-bought frosting doesn't hold a candle to an easy homemade frosting. Add some red white and blue sprinkles and candy on top and you've got yourself the easiest Fourth of July summer treat!
Looking for more Red, white and blue dessert ideas? Try these:
Almond sheet cake with berries
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Patriotic Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, (1 ½ sticks), room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
- 8 Tablespoons butter, (1 stick), room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles, m&m's and white chocolate chips, , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13'' baking pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix just until combined.
- Press the sugar cookie mixture gently into an even layer into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes--DON'T over-bake! You'll be tempted, but the bars should just be barely set in the center and the edges wont be browned at all.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Add the butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and cream together with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Add as much milk as needed to reach a good soft frosting consistency.
- Smooth frosting over the bars and sprinkle with toppings.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*I originally shared this recipe June 2016. Updated June 2018.
Just made this recipe and it was so good! I got a little nervous with the bake time and accidentally over cooked it a little bit at 14 minutes. I wish I had taken it out sooner! It was so so good though. Just a little dry from baking too long!
Literally the best thing I’ve ever had! It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a cookie or bar. Amazing!
I am so glad I found this recipe! This is an awesome easy dessert to take to our gathering today. Lauren’s recipes are always my first go-to, and I love getting the emails, which is how I came across this one. This turned out perfectly. I cut it into bars ahead of time because after reading comments, I wanted to be sure they were baked through. I baked it for 10 minutes in a 9×13 Calphalon pan, and it was done just right. The icing is light, and it is just so cute with the sprinkles and candies on the top. I wouldn’t change s things!
Easy to make abs taste great. Afraid mine are a bit undercooked after 15 minutes. Felt firm to the touch when I checked so I pulled them out, didn’t want to over bake. Already frosted and decorated them before I cut in. Is the cookie supposed to be very soft or more like a sugar cookie?
They’re meant to be soft, more like a barely-set bar than a crisp sugar cookie. The recipe calls for just 10-13 minutes, so baking closer to 15 will firm them up more than intended. They should look pale with unbrowned edges and will continue to set as they cool in the pan.