Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars

Halloween sugar cookie bars cut into squares with orange frosting, candy eyes, and black and orange sprinkles.

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5 from 4 votes

These spooky Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars are a fun and delicious treat to make for this holiday!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: bars

Author: Chahinez Tabet Aoul

Ingredients

Cookie base

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract optional
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 & 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt

Frosting

4 tbsp butter salted or unsalted, softened
1 & 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp heavy cream
orange gel food coloring
spooky sprinkles
Halloween eyeball candies

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cookie layer

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and beat until combined.
1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp almond extract
Mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt just until the flour mixture disappears and a soft dough forms.
1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 & 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt
Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan and bake for 16 to 18 minutes. The edges should be pale golden and the center set but still soft. Do not overbake! Allow to cool completely in the pan before frosting.

Frosting

In a large bowl, whip the softened butter and powdered sugar together until smooth.
4 tbsp butter, 1 & 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, whipping on high speed for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy. (Add an extra tablespoon of cream only if needed for spreadability).
2 tbsp heavy cream
Mix in the orange gel food coloring until uniform.
orange gel food coloring
Spread evenly over the cooled cookie base, top with sprinkles and candy eyeballs, then slice into 16 bars.
spooky sprinkles, Halloween eyeball candies

Notes

Don't overbake: Pull the pan at 15 minutes even though the center still looks raw. The bars keep baking in the hot pan as they cool, and a few extra minutes in the oven is what makes them dry.

Cool completely before frosting: Even slightly warm bars will melt the buttercream and slide the sprinkles right off.

Use gel food coloring: Gel gives a bold orange with a few drops and won't thin the frosting like liquid coloring.

For clean squares: Chill the frosted bars briefly, lift them out with the parchment, and wipe the knife between cuts.

Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. To freeze, flash freeze on a baking sheet, then store with parchment between layers.

Nutrition