Description
Soft and buttery Halloween sugar cookie bars topped with fluffy orange vanilla buttercream, spooky sprinkles, and candy eyeballs. These festive cookie bars bake in one 8×8-inch pan and take just 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Orange Vanilla Buttercream:
4 tablespoons butter, softened, salted or unsalted
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Orange gel food coloring, as needed
Halloween sprinkles, as needed
Halloween candy eyeballs, as needed
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy.
3. Mix in the room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Mix only until the dry ingredients combine with the dough.
5. Spread the cookie dough evenly in the prepared 8×8-inch pan.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes. The center may look slightly underbaked, but the bars will continue to set as they cool.
7. Let the sugar cookie bars cool completely before adding the frosting.
8. Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until smooth.
9. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Whip until the buttercream becomes light and fluffy.
10. Mix in orange gel food coloring until the frosting reaches your desired shade.
11. Spread the orange vanilla buttercream evenly over the cooled cookie bars.
12. Decorate with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyeballs.
13. Cut into 16 bars and serve immediately for softer frosting, or chill briefly for firmer frosting.
Notes
Either salted or unsalted butter works well in this recipe.
Use a room-temperature egg so it mixes smoothly into the cookie dough.
Almond extract is optional, but it adds extra flavor.
Cornstarch helps give the sugar cookie bars a soft and tender texture.
Using both brown sugar and granulated sugar helps keep the bars soft.
Avoid overmixing the cookie dough after adding the dry ingredients.
Do not overbake the bars. The center may look slightly underdone after 15 minutes, but it will continue setting while the bars cool.
Let the bars cool completely before adding the buttercream.
Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Let them sit briefly at room temperature before serving for a softer texture and frosting.
To freeze frosted bars, first freeze them uncovered on a flat surface until firm. Then transfer them to an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between the layers to protect the frosting and decorations.
Nutrition values are automatically calculated and are approximate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Halloween Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 38 mg