King Cake Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable Version)

Sweet sugar cookie bars adorned with bright icing and sprinkles offering festive flavors and easy enjoyment.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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, optional
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, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the 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 if using, and lemon zest.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
06 - Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan using a spatula.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set. Do not overbake.
08 - Let the cookie base cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable.
10 - Spread the icing evenly over the cooled cookie base.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in sections or in a decorative pattern.
12 - Allow icing to set for approximately 30 minutes before slicing into bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These bars come together in under an hour, which means you can go from craving to sharing without stress.
  • The lemon zest and hint of almond create a flavor that feels elegant but tastes like pure comfort.
  • They look like you spent hours decorating, but honestly, the icing and sprinkles do most of the work for you.
02 -
  • Temperature matters: cold butter won't cream properly, and cold eggs won't incorporate smoothly, so pull everything out 30 minutes before you start.
  • Don't skip cooling the bars completely before icing them; I learned this the messy way when melted icing ran everywhere.
  • The sprinkles must go on while icing is still wet or they'll slide off later; this is non-negotiable if you want that festive look.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or long serrated knife to cut the bars; wipe the blade between cuts for clean edges that look professional.
  • If your icing is too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time; if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar to save it.
  • Lemon zest straight from the microplane smells incredible and distributes more evenly than zest that's been sitting around.
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