In this recipe, we take the classic frosted sugar cookie and make it much easier by baking them into bars! These are soft, sweet, and fun to make for any occasion.
¾cupunsalted butterEarth Balance Buttery Sticks are great for dairy free
¾cupgranulated sugar
¼cuppowdered sugar
2large eggs
½teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspoon almond extract
2 ¼cupsall-purpose flourI used Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free
1teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonsalt
For the frosting:
½cupunsalted butterEarth Balance buttery sticks to make it dairy free
4ozcream cheeseViolife is great for dairy free
2cups powdered sugar
½teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
For The Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer. It will take 2-3 minutes to mix, and you want to keep going until it looks fluffy. It might look curdled or separated at first. Keep beating. It will blend well and have a light, fluffy texture.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla, and continue mixing it for about a minute.
Gently stir in the rest of the cookie ingredients with a wooden spoon until just combined. You don't want to overmix here or your cookies will be tough.
Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Add in your cookie dough and spread it out evenly in the pan.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes and then check them. They should be barely set in the middle and pale in color. You don't want any brown edges here. If you don't think they're cooked, continue to bake them but check them every minute to be sure you don't overbake or they'll be dry.
Let the cookies cool completely before you frost them.
For The Frosting
Beat the butter and cream cheese together until well combined.
Slowly beat in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time and beat it for several minutes. The frosting should be nice and fluffy. Splash in your vanilla and beat it for another minute or two.
Spread your frosting evenly over the cookies and enjoy!