St. Patrick's Day Sugar Cookie Cake Bars - Soft and chewy sugar cookie cake bars topped with fluffy buttercream frosting and decorated for St. Patrick's Day!
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St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s always fun to make green treats for everyone to enjoy over the holiday. These sugar cookie bars are soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious.
Not only are these festive bars the perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day, but they are totally versatile. Instead of using green food coloring for your frosting, you could whip up different colors for Christmas, Valentines Day and even birthday celebrations. Top them with different sprinkles to give them a festive feel no matter what holiday season we are in.
HOW TO MAKE ST. PATRICK'S DAY SUGAR COOKIE CAKE BARS
To make these St. Patrick's Day-themed cake bars, you'll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Salt
- Green gel food coloring
- St. Patrick's Day-themed sprinkles
Gather all of your ingredients, and let’s start baking these soft, chewy St. Patrick’s Day sugar cookie bars the whole family will love!
First, preheat your oven to 375℉. Then spray a jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it to the side.
MAKING THE SUGAR COOKIE BARS
- Place the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Cream the sugar and butter together until well-combined. Add one egg at a time to the butter mixture, mixing between each egg. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well.
- Flour your hands and spread the dough out on your prepared jelly roll pan. Bake the sugar cookie bars for 12-15 minutes and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
PREPARING THE FROSTING
- While the cookies are baking, place two sticks of butter in a mixing bowl.
- Beat the butter until creamy.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well. Pour in the milk and mix until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add 3-4 drops of green food coloring to your frosting and mix well.
Spread the frosting evenly onto the cooled cookie bars. Shake on some sprinkles to decorate. Then, cut your cookies into bars and enjoy!
TIPS FOR MAKING ST. PATRICK'S DAY SUGAR COOKIE BARS
- Set the butter out ahead of time. You want the butter to be softened before you use it. Set the butter on the counter for about 30-minutes to soften.
- Don’t over bake the cookies. These cookie bars are supposed to be soft. If you bake them too long, you’ll end up with dry bars. Check them at 12-minutes.
- Use a stand mixer with a paddle blade. If you use a hand mixer to make the cookie bars, you will have to work the dough longer.
WHAT'S THE EASIEST WAY TO FROST SUGAR COOKIE BARS?
I find that using an offset spatula is one of the easiest and quickest ways to spread frosting on the bars. It covers a lot of surface area in a short amount of time!
HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVER COOKIE BARS?
These cookie bars are even better the next day because they actually get softer the longer they sit. To store leftover cookie bars, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
CAN YOU FREEZE CAKE BARS?
Yes, you can! You can freeze the cake bars with or without the frosting. In the freezer, they will keep for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy these dessert bars, thaw the frozen cake bars in the fridge overnight and then dig in!
LOOKING FOR MORE ST. PATRICK'S DAY RECIPES?
- St. Patrick's Day Bailey's Cupcake Cake
- Mint Chocolate Lush Dessert
- Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Frosting
- Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Mint Oreo Pudding Shots
- Pistachio Pie Bars
- Microwave Lucky Charms Treats
- Easy Grasshopper Pie
- Grasshopper Ice Cream Drink
St. Patrick's Day Sugar Cookie Cake Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 5 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the Frosting:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3-4 drops green gel food coloring
- St. Patrick's Day-themed sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
For the Cookie Bars:
- Preheat oven to 375º Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar.
- Mix in one egg at a time.
- Add vanilla extract and mix well.
- Mix together the flour, salt and baking soda in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually, a little at a time. Mix well.
- Flour your hands to prevent the dough from sticking and spread on prepared jelly roll pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes (Do not over-bake or you’ll end up with dry bars).
For the Frosting:
- Beat butter until creamy.
- Mix in the vanilla and salt.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually, mixing well.
- Pour in the milk and mix until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add 3-4 drops of food coloring or until frosting reaches desired green coloring.
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake bars.
- Shake on some sprinkles to decorate.
Notes
- Set your butter out about 30 minutes before you use it to bring it up to room temperature.
- These cookies are supposed to be soft; don’t overbake.
- The quickest way to spread frosting on the bars is by using an offset spatula.
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