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frosted cookie bars

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

August 11, 2022 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Ultra soft Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars with a melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream. These sweet cookie bars are the perfect base recipe for whatever sugar cookie bar you can dream up.

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

First things first: do we like “confetti” or “funfetti” to describe these cookie bars? Because I truly cannot decide what to name these bars! I’ve previously used both terms to describe my sprinkle-laden treats, but for everyone else’s sake, let’s go with FUNFETTI. I think this term is more widely used.

Anyway, these cookie bars are everything you want in a simple sugar cookie bar. They’re seriously soft-baked (thanks to the powdered sugar in the dough), they’re topped with the easiest vanilla buttercream, and, of course, the sprinkles add a whole level of excitement and versatility! Turn them into holiday-themed bars, birthday bars, or, leave out the sprinkles all together for a more sophisticated cookie bar. ALSO. Flavor options. This recipe is an amazing base recipe that can be flavored with lemon, orange, peppermint, or whatever else you’re feeling. Mix up the buttercream topping and you can have pink strawberry bars! Go wild, friends. And most importantly, enjoy!

Why You’ll Love These Cookie Bars

  • Seriously soft in texture
  • Frosting to cookie ratio is *chef’s kiss*
  • The perfect base recipe for flavor add-ins
  • Can be cut into 18 or 24 bars
  • Simple recipe made with pantry staples

What You’ll Need

  • Plant-based butter adds moisture and a buttery flavor to the cookie dough and frosting. Feel free to use your favorite plant-based butter or regular salted butter.
  • Powdered sugar is used instead of granulated sugar in the cookie dough, making the dough very soft (like a Lofthouse cookie!). You’ll also need it for the buttercream frosting.
  • Eggs bind the ingredients together – I haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes.
  • Vanilla bean paste lends a lovely flavor to the bars and frosting. Regular vanilla extract will work just fine, but you’ll miss out on those little specks of vanilla bean! If you’re looking to edit the flavor, this is where you can use orange extract, lemon extract, peppermint extract, etc. I recommend replacing up to 1 tsp of the vanilla bean paste with another flavor.
  • Salt enhances flavor and cuts sweetness – very necessary for these sweet bars!
  • Corn starch also keeps these cookie bars soft in texture. And helps them last longer (they stay soft for a few days on the counter).
  • All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of the cookie dough. Feel free to use a bleached or unbleached variety.
  • Jimmies sprinkles (the long ones!) are the best sprinkles to use for the cookie dough as they give those little bursts of color that we’re after. For the top of the bars, you can use whatever sprinkles you like.
  • Plant-based milk helps thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Feel free to use any plant-based milk, regular milk, or even water.

More Sugar Cookie Recipes

Soft & Chewy Confetti Cookies

Soft Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Frosting

Chai Spice Brown Sugar Cookies

Coconut Sugar Cookies (made with coconut sugar)

Yield: 18 or 24 Bars

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars

Ultra soft Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars with a melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream and plenty of festive sprinkles - for whatever you're celebrating!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Bars

  • 2/3 cup (150g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (32g) corn starch
  • 2 3/4 cup (358g) all-purpose flour
  • 6 Tbsp (65g) jimmies sprinkles (+ 1 Tbsp to sprinkle on top)

Vanilla Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (113g) plant-based butter, softened (or regular butter)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 1-2 tsp plant-based milk (or regular milk)
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the Bars

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature (if needed) by adding them to a glass of warm water for roughly 10 minutes. Meanwhile...
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13” baking pan - coat with non-stick spray and line the bottoms + 2 long sides with a large piece of parchment paper. Fold the excess paper over the edges and trim with scissors.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until combined - it will seem dry at first but will turn into a creamy mixture.
  4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla bean paste. Beat in the salt and corn starch until just combined. Use a large spoon to stir in the flour. And finally, gently stir in the sprinkles.
  5. Spoon the dough into your prepared baking pan. Gently press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan, getting it as level as possible - you can use the back of a spoon, spatula, your fingers, etc.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 13-16 minutes. Allow the cookie bars to cool in the pan set on top of a cooling rack.

Frost the Bars

  1. Once cooled, remove the bars from the pan, set them aside, and make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and vanilla bean paste. Beat in the powdered sugar.
  2. Add milk 1 tsp at a time and beat, adding just enough until the frosting texture reaches a firm but spreadable and creamy consistency.
  3. Spoon all of the frosting onto the big cookie bar. Use an icing spatula to swirl the frosting across the surface of the cookie. Immediately top with extra sprinkles.
  4. Slice into even pieces (18 or 24 bars) and enjoy!
  5. Store leftover cookie bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Bars, Cookies, Dairy-free Tagged With: confetti cookie bars, dairy free cookie bars, frosted cookie bars, funfetti bars, funfetti cookie bars, funfetti cookies, funfetti sugar cookie bars, recipes with sprinkles, recipes with vanilla bean, sprinkle cookie bars, sprinkle cookies, vanilla bean cookie bars, vanilla bean sugar cookie bars

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars with Frosting (DF)

December 3, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

What’s better than a fresh-baked, soft ginger cookie around this time of year? Frosted ginger cookie bars! They have all the great flavors of a traditional soft ginger molasses cookie, but they’re easier and quicker to bake! Plus they’re topped with a dreamy vanilla buttercream frosting made with vegan butter. And you don’t miss out on any chewiness, because these bars have it all – soft and chewy!

The recipe for these cookie bars involves a simple dough. No refrigeration is required as the dough gets immediately pressed into a baking dish – like I said, easy. Once the bars have totally cooled, you’ll whip up my favorite vegan buttercream with just a handful of ingredients – an easy, no-fail, can’t-tell-it’s-vegan frosting. If you love molasses, spicy ginger, and the sweetness of a sugary frosting, then these bars are for you! Top them with your favorite sprinkles for an extra festive feel!

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my favorite low GI, unrefined sugar. It makes for a great replacement for granulated sugar and tastes nothing like coconut. It tastes less sweet than regular sugar, which balances out the sweetness of the frosting on these bars.

Solid coconut oil beats together with the coconut sugar like in a traditional cookie dough. Feel free to use softened vegan butter instead. I don’t recommend melted (or liquid) coconut oil as I don’t know how the bars would turn out.

Egg yolk adds an extra bit of chewiness to these bars!

Vegan butter acts as the perfect dairy-free alternative to regular butter in this frosting. It’s delicious and creates the perfect frosting texture! Plus, nobody can tell the frosting is vegan!

Vegetable shortening stabilizes the vegan butter, giving it the perfect texture to swirl your frosting on top of the cookie bars!

Yield: 16 Bars

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars with Frosting

Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars with Frosting

Soft cookie bars flavored with spicy ginger and sweet molasses - all topped with a simple, dairy-free buttercream frosting. A festive and delicious holiday treat!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Bars

  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil, solid
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 cups + 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Frosting

  • 1/3 cup vegan butter stick, softened
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter)
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3-5 tsp plant-based milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray + parchment paper. I like to cut one long strip of paper, folding the excess over two of the edges and trimming. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the coconut sugar and solid coconut oil. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and molasses; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add dry ingredients to wet and use a large wooden spoon or spatula to combine. The dough may seem dry, but it will come together with enough mixing (and may even seem greasy).
  4. Press the dough into your prepared baking dish, using your fingers or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, being careful not to over bake the bars - you want them nice and chewy!
  5. Allow bars to cool in the dish for at least an hour. Gently remove the whole cookie bar by running a butter knife along the edges without parchment paper, and then using the excess parchment paper to lift the bar up and out of the dish. Allow cookie bar to cool completely on a cooling rack.
  6. Once the bar is cool, you can make the frosting. Beat together the vegan butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and then the powdered sugar. Add plant-based milk 1 tsp at a time until the frosting reaches a spread-able, but still-thick-enough-to-create-swirls, consistency.
  7. Scrape all of the frosting onto the cookie bar and use an offset spatula to evenly spread over the surface, making swirls as you go along. Top with sprinkles or other topping of your choice.
  8. Slice into 16 bars, wiping your knife clean between each slice. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Wooden Spoon Set
    Wooden Spoon Set
  • 8-Inch Square Glass Baking Dish
    8-Inch Square Glass Baking Dish
  • Icing Spatula Set
    Icing Spatula Set

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 1g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Bars, Dairy-free Tagged With: cookie bars, frosted cookie bars, ginger molasses, ginger molasses cookies, holiday cookie bars, holiday cookies

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Meet Rachael

Hi! I’m Rachael, a home baker who creates dairy-free, indulgent treats. As a sweets lover and former candy addict, I believe we shouldn’t have to give up everything we love in pursuit of wellness. That’s why I create delicious and approachable desserts that you can enjoy, in moderation, no matter your goals! Because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a giant slice of frosted cake, sans guilt! Read More…

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