4th Of July Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

Celebrate with these soft, chewy red, white, and blue 4th of July Sugar Cookie Bars for a colorful patriotic dessert. We added a sweet, creamy frosting to these bars and topped them with the prettiest July 4th sprinkles. These cookies are so perfect for a July dessert.

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Perfect Summer Dessert

Looking to add some sweetness to your 4th of July bash? I've got just the thing for you: an easy-peasy sugar cookie bar recipe.

Let me tell you, mixing up a batch of cookie dough has never been easier, and the result is oh-so-sweet with soft and chewy cookie bars generously slathered with velvety vanilla buttercream frosting and topped with colorful patriotic sprinkles that scream summer celebration.

But here's the best part: these cookies aren't just for the 4th of July. I've whipped them up for all sorts of occasions, swapping out the sprinkles to match the theme.

I'll be honest, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, and these sugar cookies are always a favorite. Plus, who can resist anything with sprinkles? Not me, that's for sure!"

Jump to:

• Perfect Summer Dessert
• Effortlessly Delicious: Sprinkle Sugar Cookie Bars for Every Occasion
• Cookie Ingredients
• How to Make Fourth Of July Cookie Bars
• Make the frosting and decorating
• How to cut diamond shapes
• Storing and freezing these cookies:
• Cookie Variation
• More Recipes To Try
• Recipe

Effortlessly Delicious: Sprinkle Sugar Cookie Bars for Every Occasion

• This is the easiest sprinkle cookie recipe to make, mix the dough and pat it in the pan. You don't even chill the dough.
• No rolling the dough or cutting out with cookie cutters. Just bake, frost, and cut.
• If you want, color the frosting or use different sprinkles. There are tons of variations you can do here.
• These cookies are perfect for Memorial Day, too or any special occasion. 
• You can make these cookies ahead of time to serve later, which is perfect for busy times, because after all you have fireworks to watch and picnics to attend.

For more Fourth of July cookies, bake a batch of these awesome Patriotic Red, White, and Blue Thumbprint Cookies. These Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles are a favorite, and each cookie has a colorful surprise inside.

And if you want Fourth of July desserts, I have those too. Make these colorful Ice Cream Sundaes, and these kid-favorite Red, White and Blue Jello Cups.

Cookie Ingredients

As you can see, the ingredients for these sugar cookies are just basic pantry staples plus some awesome 4th of July sprinkles.

How to Make Fourth Of July Cookie Bars

Step 1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F., and prepare a 13" x 9" baking pan using either cookie spay. You can leave the cookies in the pan or line the pan with parchment paper if you want to remove the whole cookie.

Step 2. Add the room-temperature butter and both sugars to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or an electric mixer will work too.

Step 3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla until combined.

Step 4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixing bowl and start mixing on low speed to incorporate the flour. Then, mix on medium speed just until all the dry ingredients are combined.

Step 5. Scrape the bowl and mix again just to combine everything into a soft dough.

Step 6. Drop spoonfuls of the dough into the baking pan, then press it into an even layer with your fingers. If the dough is sticking, lightly butter your fingers.

Step 7. Bake the cookie for 14-16 minutes until golden brown. The dough might be a bit puffy when it's done. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely before frosting.

Step 8. If you want to remove the cookie to a cutting board, pull the cookie out of the pan with the parchment paper.

Make the frosting and decorating

Step 9. Make the frosting by adding the softened butter and powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat until nice and fluffy.

Step 10. Add the milk and vanilla and beat on medium speed until nice, creamy, and of spreading consistency. If necessary, add a small amount of milk.

Frosting Tip: This is the time to add food coloring if you want a colorful frosting.

Step 11. Drop spoonfuls of frosting over the top of the cookie then spread the icing to the edges and top with the sprinkles. Add the sprinkles on top immediately so they will stick to the icing.

Step 12. Cut the cookies into squares, logs, or diamond shapes.

Baked, frosted, and decorated, these are easy chewy cookie bars for your patriotic celebration.

Storing and freezing these cookies:

• To store the cookies, place them in an airtight container for up to three days.
• If you need to stack the cookies, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers so they don't stick together.
• You can freeze the giant uncut cookie. Just take it from the pan, wrap it in plastic and aluminum foil, and pop it into your freezer.
• When you are ready to serve the frozen cookie bars, unwrap the cookie and let it thaw at room temperature, then frost and decorate.
• Want to freeze the frosted cookie bars? Place them in an airtight container with parchment between the layers and freeze for up to three months. Let the cookies thaw at room temperature before eating. The sprinkles' colors may bleed when defrosting.

Cookie Variation

• You can change the flavor of these Easy Sugar Cookie Bars by swapping out the vanilla and adding almond extract, maple flavor, or even lemon or orange extract. For the almond flavoring, add ½ teaspoon, for all others, add 1 teaspoon.
• With a little bit of food coloring, you can change the color of the icing for any occasion or just because you want a different frosting color.
• There are so many options for sprinkles these days that can go with all the holidays, wedding colors, birthday colors, or even your team colors. Indeed the sprinkle combinations are endless!

More Recipes To Try

Recipe

First Published: Aug 2, 2022. Last Updated: April 12, 2024, for better readability.

  

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