Birthday Sugar Cookie Bars
Birthday Sugar Cookie Bars have a soft tender crumb and are topped with a silky cake batter cream cheese frosting. Exploding with the sweetest cake batter flavor and bursts of colorful sprinkles, they’re THE birthday treat of all birthday treats!
Jump to Recipe
Must-Make Birthday Sugar Cookie Bars
It’s 2024, we don’t have to eat cake for our birthdays! We can have any treat we want, and I really think you should want these Birthday Sugar Cookie Bars for your celebration (birthday or otherwise). These are absolutely bursting with yummy cake flavor (thanks to my new cake batter flavoring) that can be found in the soft sugar cookie base and the cream cheese frosting. You can customize the sugar cookie bars to your desired event by choosing different sprinkle color schemes or dying the frosting.
Ingredients in Sugar Cookie Bars
- Salted butter, softened – I use salted butter because that is what I keep in my house. Unsalted butter can also work, just make sure to add additional salt to the dough.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg + egg yolk
- Cake batter flavoring – I used my very own cake batter flavoring (it’s super strength and free from artificial colors and unnecessary additives).
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder – This is necessary for giving the cookie bars the best amount of rise.
- Sprinkles – To make it fun! Use any color combo you’d like.
Frosting
- Cream cheese, room temperature
- Salted butter, room temperature – Again, I prefer salted butter here.
- Powdered sugar
- Cake batter flavoring
- Milk, if needed – You’ll use milk to thin your frosting to your desired consistency.
How to Make Birthday Cake Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and cake batter flavoring and mix until combined.
- Next, add in the flour, baking powder and sprinkles. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Press into the bottom of the lined pan.
- Bake at 350°F (180°F) for 20-25 minutes. Or until the bars have puffed up, no longer look wet and glossy on the tops, and are just beginning to turn golden on the edges.
- While the cookie bars are cooling, make the frosting.
- Make the frosting by whipping the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until combined.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, add the cake batter flavoring and milk, if needed.
- Spread evenly on the cooled cookie bars and top with extra sprinkles, if desired.
How do you know Sugar Cookie Bars are done?
If your sugar cookie bars have reached an internal temperature of 160F, they are cooked enough to be safe. Other indicators are that the bars have puffed up, are no longer wet or glossy on the tops and are barely turning golden brown on the edges.
How to store Birthday Sugar Cookie Bars
Once your cookie bars have cooled and been frosted, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Fave Cookie Bars
Birthday Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp cake batter flavoring
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp cake batter flavoring
- 3 tsp milk, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and cake batter flavoring and mix until combined.
- Next, add in the flour, baking powder and sprinkles. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Press into the bottom of the lined pan.
- Bake at 350°F (180°F) for 20-25 minutes. Or until the bars have puffed up, no longer look wet and glossy on the tops, and are just beginning to turn golden on the edges.
- While the cookie bars are cooling, make the frosting.
- Make the frosting by whipping the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until combined.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, add the cake batter flavoring and milk, if needed.
- Spread evenly on the cooled cookie bars and top with extra sprinkles, if desired.
This looks amazing! I have almond flavoring on hand, have you ever done these with something like that? Thanks!
I haven’t, but subbing in almond flavoring would be delish!
I’d like to know if there’s a substitution for the cream cheese in the icing? Dying to try these but my husband is lactose free
Hi! You can try my regular buttercream frosting (with a dairy free butter) and add in the cake batter flavoring in place of the vanilla! Let me know how it turns out!
What’s the brand of the baking pan you’re using? It doesn’t look like 9×13…?
Hi! This is the 9×13 I use: https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Performance-Aluminum-Quarter-Durable/dp/B0000VMF9S?crid=2B0GQA83GONBC&keywords=9×13%2Bpan&qid=1686830040&s=home-garden&sprefix=9×13%2Bp%2Cgarden%2C237&sr=1-11&linkCode=sl1&tag=cookingwit0f4-20&linkId=a086b531edbf0b6ac4f5d5d44bae36b7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1
I like to line the pan with parchment paper (letting the paper overhang just a bit) and then once the cookie bars have cooled, I remove the entire cookie at once by picking up the parchment paper and then cutting them on the counter.
What rainbow sprinkles do you use? I have tried some and they either melted or tasted like wax?
I like to get my sprinkles from the bakery at my local grocery store (nothing fancy)!
Hi – I saw you said that you can make ahead of time and freeze. Do you freeze them frosted? And cut into squares? Thanks – love your recipes !!!
Yes! You can freeze these with or without the frosting for up to 3 months! If freezing with frosting, place all cooled and cut cookie bars onto a cookie sheet. Place the entire cookie sheet into the freezer and ‘flash freeze’ until they start to harden slightly and the frosting is set. Move the cookie bars to a ziptop bag or airtight container, with parchment between layers of cookies.
Do these freeze well? Or can I make them ahead for a party?
Yes, these freeze so well! Once baked, allow them to cool completely and then cut into squares. Freeze and use within 3 months.
Can you double this recipe and use a larger pan? If so what size do you use?
Yes, you can! I would use a half sheet pan.
Would love to try these! But is there a substitution for eggs. My little one has an egg allergy.
Hi! I have a post about egg substitutes for baking that you can check out here. https://cookiesfordays.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/
If freezing, do you freeze these after frosted?
You can freeze these with or without the frosting for up to 3 months! If freezing with frosting, place all cooled and cut cookie bars onto a cookie sheet. Place the entire cookie sheet into the freezer and ‘flash freeze’ until they start to harden slightly and the frosting is set. Move the cookies to a ziptop bag or airtight container, with parchment between layers of cookies.