King Cake Sugar Cookie Bars (Print)

Colorful sugar cookie bars with festive icing and sprinkles, perfect for celebrating in style.

# Components:

→ Sugar Cookie Base

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
06 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Icing

11 - 2 cups powdered sugar
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

14 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar or sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - Spread dough evenly into prepared baking pan using a spatula.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until edges are lightly golden and center is set. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Allow cookie base to cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable.
10 - Spread icing evenly over cooled cookie base.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in sections or decorative pattern.
12 - Allow icing to set for approximately 30 minutes before slicing into bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You can make them ahead and they taste even better the next day when the icing sets into that perfect snap.
  • No special equipment or techniques needed—just the kind of simple confidence that makes you want to bake them again immediately.
  • They're cut into manageable bars instead of a whole cake, so sharing actually feels gracious instead of awkward.
02 -
  • Overbaking even by 3 minutes will dry out these bars completely—they should look just barely set in the center, as if they might still be slightly underdone.
  • The sanding sugar must go on while the icing is still wet, or it will slide right off and you'll be left with plain bars instead of the festive crown jewels they deserve to be.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together faster and create a smoother batter than cold ones, so pull everything out about 30 minutes before you start baking.
  • The moment you see the edges turning golden is your signal to check for doneness—set a timer for 22 minutes and start checking then rather than waiting until 25 and risking overdried bars.
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