Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars |Cooking With Amanda

Funfetti sugar cookie bars are one of those desserts that make their appearance over and over again in my kitchen. They're pretty darn tasty, but they also feed a crowd, which makes them a perfect dessert for parties and potlucks. And if you haven't noticed, Funfetti is pretty awesome, especially in the form of Funfetti cupcakes!

You can jazz Funfetti sugar cookie bars up by cutting them into shapes like triangles, circles and sticks, or traditional squares. And they are totally adaptable; just add in a little spice or citrus zest and top them with a flavored buttercream and you can create a sweet and seasonal dessert that everyone will be raving about.

Sugar cookie bars will always hold a special place in my heart because they were one of the first recipes on My Baking Addiction that actually had a little traffic. I remember being super proud of the photos – although they totally make me wince a little now.

I'm pretty sure that I may have jumped up and down when they were picked up and featured by a website. The fact that people other than my dad and mom read the post was pretty awesome. Back then, there was no Pinterest and I don't even think I had a personal Facebook page, so blog traffic was a little more difficult to attain.

Last week, Elle and I were browsing the "Dollar Spot" at Target - which if you haven't noticed really means that prices are in whole dollar form and most definitely not just one dollar - deception I tell ya. Tubs of sprinkles immediately caught her attention. Well, sprinkles and sparklers, but those were definitely a no-go. The tub o' sprinkles had a shakability factor that kept her content while I grabbed the essentials - butter, sugar and cheese!

We came home – sprinkles still shaking away in her chubby little fist - and I decided that we'd make a batch of Funfetti sugar cookie bars. I already had a few sticks of butter softening on the counter, so we were good to go.

Elle is all about being in the kitchen now, which is pretty much the most adorable thing ever. Since she's still just an itty-bitty thing, we're doing a lot of our baking prep on the kitchen floor – which she totally loves!

Sugar Cookie Bars are just the right kind of recipe to start your little ones on. With simple ingredients, you'll be able to measure and mix them together. Then you can press the dough into the baking dish together - just imagine little dimpled hands pressing it down flat.

Elle's face lit up watching our stand mixer make quick work of my favorite buttercream recipe. Once the bars were cooled, we slathered each one with frosting, and her face lit up even more taking our first bite.

You've just GOT to make them with your littles!

Are you obsessed with all things Funfetti like I am? Be sure to check out these Funfetti cookie dough truffles and these Funfetti cookies!

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Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Bars:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 lemons, zested
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup sprinkles

For the Buttercream:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, for the buttercream
1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions

For the Bars:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10x15-inch pan with foil and lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest until the zest is incorporated and the sugar is fragrant. Add lemon sugar to the butter and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Add in sprinkles and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Evenly press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place pan onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once bars have cooled, prepare the buttercream frosting.

For the Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 4-5 minutes.
Turn mixer to low and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated.
Once the sugar is fully incorporated, turn mixer back to medium speed and beat for an additional 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk and mix until combined.
Pipe or spread the buttercream onto Funfetti sugar cookie bars. If desired, immediately top with additional sprinkles.

Notes

Refrigerate leftover bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow bars to come to room temperature before serving.
I cut my bars into squares and then diagonally to create triangular shapes. I then piped the buttercream onto the bars using a zig-zag pattern. I did not use a piping tip; I simply cut the end off of a piping bag to create a circular opening.