Nothing says “springtime” like these fresh lemon sugar cookie bars! They are super easy to make and are the perfect Easter or Mother’s Day dessert!
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It’s hard to believe that April is here! I finally feel like we are starting to get some springtime weather here in Colorado. But of course, there’s always a chance of snow – even as late as June!
I was feeling springy and decided to make these easy lemon sugar cookie bars (topped with springtime sprinkles, of course!). They’re very refreshing and require minimal ingredients, so you can easily whip them together for an upcoming Easter get-together or Mother’s Day celebration!
Read on for how to make these lemon cookie bars!
Ingredients for Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
I’d be willing to bet that most of you already have the ingredients needed for these sugar cookie bars in your pantry! Here’s what you’re gonna need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- One Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon extract – if you can’t find lemon extract in the store, definitely feel free to substitute an equal amount of lemon juice! I’d also recommend adding 1 tbsp of lemon zest as well. But my favorite lemon extract is here if you’d like to purchase a bottle! It comes in handy for lemon desserts.
- Cream cheese – use the block kind for this frosting!
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Sprinkles! I really like getting my sprinkles from Sweetapolita, but these ones from Walmart are super cute too!
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
The best thing about making sugar cookie bars rather than traditional sugar cookies is – NO ROLLING! You can just mix up your ingredients and bake right away! It saves so much time.
Here’s what you’ll need to do to make these lemon cookie bars:
Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt).
Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla extract and combine.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just barely combined.
Press the mixture into a prepared 8×8 inch pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and frost!
See? Super duper easy! I’d recommend storing these bars in the refrigerator since they have cream cheese frosting on them. They’ll keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days!
I hope that you enjoy these springy little lemon sugar cookie bars! If you’re looking for other spring recipes, check these ones out!
- Strawberry Cream Pie
- M&M Oatmeal Monster Cookies – one of the most popular posts on my blog!
- Easy Lemon Cookies
- Hummingbird Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
As always, be sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram if you make my recipe or use #bucketsofyum in your photos! I love to see what you are baking.
Easy Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract
For the Vanilla Frosting
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp full-fat cream cheese
- 1¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- sprinkles for topping
Instructions
For the Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper (keep the sides hanging off so that you can lift the bars out of the pan). Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Beat until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. A few streaks of flour are ok.
- Transfer dough to the prepared pan and press into the pan using your hands or a spatula. Be sure to press all the way into the corners.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack in the pan before frosting. Frost with vanilla frosting.
For the Vanilla Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined. Add the heavy cream 1 tbsp. at a time, beating until the desired consistency is reached. Add more cream if the frosting is too thick.
- Spread frosting on cookie bars and top with sprinkles. Enjoy! You can chill the bars before cutting to set the frosting a bit better.
Notes
- Store bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- Flour – increase by 1 tbsp
- Baking powder – decrease to 1/4 tsp
- Sugar – decrease by 3/4 tbsp (or a scant tablespoon)
- Eggs – use 2 instead of 1
