This St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar recipe offers a delightful and easy-to-make treat perfect for celebrating the holiday. It’s a versatile dessert that brings festive cheer to any gathering, making it a must-have for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Key Ingredients for St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Green food coloring (gel or liquid)
- For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (or heavy cream)
- Green sprinkles (optional, for decoration)
- Shamrock-shaped sprinkles (optional, for decoration)
How to Make St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar:
Get ready to bake up some holiday magic with these incredibly easy St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars! This recipe is designed for simplicity and maximum flavor, ensuring a moist, tender cookie base topped with a luscious green frosting. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and festive, ready in about 20 minutes of prep and 20-25 minutes of baking.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Add Color: Divide the dough into two portions. Add a few drops of green food coloring to one portion and mix until evenly colored. Leave the other portion plain, or add a touch of yellow food coloring to make a lighter green if desired. You can also opt for just one green color.
- Layer the Dough: Drop spoonfuls of both colored doughs onto the prepared baking pan. Gently spread and marble the doughs together to create a marbled effect, or press them together to create distinct green layers. Don’t worry about making it perfect; a rustic look is charming! Sprinkle a little extra granulated sugar over the top for a subtle crunch.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Completely: Let the cookie bars cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: While the bars are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Adjust Consistency: Add milk or heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired spreading consistency.
- Frost and Decorate: Once the cookie bars are completely cool, spread the green frosting evenly over the top. Decorate with green and shamrock-shaped sprinkles, if desired.
- Slice and Serve: Cut the St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar into squares and enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar:
You will absolutely adore these St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars for their irresistible charm and delightful taste. The star of the show is the wonderfully soft and chewy sugar cookie base, perfectly complemented by a rich, creamy green frosting that screams St. Patrick’s Day fun. Making these at home is not only a fraction of the cost of store-bought holiday treats, but also allows you to infuse them with your own personal touch, ensuring a truly special dessert for your loved ones.
Unlike traditional cut-out sugar cookies that can be fussy and time-consuming, these bars offer all the festive flavor with a fraction of the effort, making them a weeknight-friendly baking dream. The vibrant green hue and festive sprinkles are guaranteed to bring smiles to faces, making them ideal for school parties, office potlucks, or simply a sweet treat to brighten your day. So ditch the stress and bake up a batch of this crowd-pleasing St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar – your taste buds will thank you!
Storing and Reheating Tips:
To keep your St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars tasting their best, proper storage is key. Store any unfrosted cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Once frosted, they are best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where they will remain fresh for up to 5 days. If refrigerating, allow the bars to come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving for the optimal texture.
For longer storage, you can freeze frosted or unfrosted cookie bars. Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat or thaw, simply remove from the freezer and let them come to room temperature. If frozen and frosted, it’s best to thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before allowing them to reach room temperature.
Final Thoughts:
These St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar are a delightful and foolproof way to bring festive cheer to your table. Whip up a batch this year and share the sweet, simple joy with everyone you know. Happy baking and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Divide the dough into two portions. Add a few drops of green food coloring to one portion and mix until evenly colored. Leave the other portion plain, or add a touch of yellow food coloring to make a lighter green if desired. You can also opt for just one green color.green food coloring (gel or liquid)
- Drop spoonfuls of both colored doughs onto the prepared baking pan. Gently spread and marble the doughs together to create a marbled effect, or press them together to create distinct green layers. Don’t worry about making it perfect; a rustic look is charming! Sprinkle a little extra granulated sugar over the top for a subtle crunch.extra granulated sugar for sprinkling
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cookie bars cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- While the bars are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.8 ounces cream cheese, softened, ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.3 cups powdered sugar, sifted, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add milk or heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired spreading consistency.1-2 tablespoons milk (or heavy cream)
- Once the cookie bars are completely cool, spread the green frosting evenly over the top. Decorate with green and shamrock-shaped sprinkles, if desired.green sprinkles, shamrock-shaped sprinkles
- Cut the St. Patrick’s Day Sugar Cookie Bar into squares and enjoy!