Description
These Spooky Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars are a fun and festive treat perfect for celebrating Halloween. Featuring a soft, buttery cookie base topped with creamy vanilla frosting and decorated with spooky sprinkles and eyeball candies, these bars are both delightful to look at and delicious to eat.
Ingredients
Scale
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 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
Frosting
- 4 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- Spooky sprinkles
- Halloween eyeball candies
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy. Then add the egg, almond extract (if using), and vanilla extract, mixing to combine well.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch just until the flour mixture barely disappears, making sure not to overmix.
- Bake the Cookie Layer: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The center may look slightly raw but will continue baking as it cools.
- Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, whip the softened butter and powdered sugar together until combined. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, then whip until light and fluffy.
- Frost and Decorate: Frost the cooled sugar cookie bars evenly with the prepared frosting. Top with spooky sprinkles and Halloween eyeball candies for decoration.
- Serve or Chill: Slice and serve immediately if you prefer softer frosting, or chill the bars to allow the frosting to set before enjoying.
Notes
- The almond extract is optional but adds a nice depth of flavor if you have it on hand.
- Be careful not to overmix the dough to keep the cookie bars tender.
- If you prefer firmer frosting, chill the bars after frosting for at least 30 minutes.
- You can substitute heavy cream with milk or half-and-half for a lighter frosting texture.
- Use parchment paper for easier removal of the bars from the pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
