Sugar Cookie Bars With Cream Cheese & Classic Buttercream Frosting.

I tried a few different cookie bars on Pinterest before putting this post together. They were all a bit dry and not quite sweet enough. These bars needed to be perfect. Then I remembered my sugar cookie recipe made with cream cheese, adapted from The Bake Sale Cookbook, and knew I’d recreate them as bars.

Evelyn had to be cut off she was sneaking so many! Though it’s hard to say no to that face!

I’d call them a complete success!!!!

The secret to these bars: cream cheese!

Cream cheese absolutely makes these bars. If you haven’t had cram cheese sugar cookies before, you’re missing out on the best things in life.

These babies are just the right amount of sweet, and topped with the same classic buttercream I use on almost all of my cakes, they’re not a dessert you can simply walk away from. 😉

These bars could easily be used as a birthday cake alternative for those who don’t love cake.

Example #1 of someone who doesn’t like cake: my son.

Ironic that someone who’s made cakes as a side gig her whole life ends up with a child that does’t like them. He’d prefer cookies, donuts, or ice cream over cake or cupcakes any day of the week!

If this is too big of a bar or you’re having a smaller gathering, this recipe can easily be halved.

This buttercream recipe I’ve been using ever since I made my first wedding cake, over fourteen years ago now!

• 1 cup butter
• 3 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp heavy cream

• Mix room temperature butter until a whipped consistency. Slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar and mix to combine.
• Add in salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. Slowly mix in remainder of powdered sugar.
• Notice I leave a big margin for the amount of powdered sugar to use. This is because everyone tends to have a frosting consistency they prefer. I like mine a bit thicker, so I tend to add more. Some keep the crumb coat frosting thinner, and make the frosting used for decorating a little thicker. If you’re unsure, use around the 4 cup range.

I’ll be making a unicorn version of these bars for Evelyn’s birthday party coming up in a few weeks. Love how versatile they are!

Let me know if you make them. And please, rate five stars if you enjoy! Thanks friends!

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