These sweet and buttery Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars with pretty pink buttercream frosting are as much fun to make as they are to eat! Best of all, they’re easier to make than most cookie recipes and can be customized for any holiday or occasion.
If you love these sugar cookie bars, you’ll also enjoy my Vegan Lofthouse Cookies!
These chewy and colorful Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars put an extra fun twist on my Vegan Sugar Cookies! The buttery sugar cookie base is easy to make in one bowl and bakes to perfection in only 15 minutes. Once cool, it’s decorated with vegan pink buttercream frosting that’s delightfully fluffy and sweet!
This recipe makes enough cookie bars to serve a crowd but comes with less work than your average vegan sugar cookie recipe. Forget all about rolling out the cookie dough, cutting it into shapes, and carefully decorating each one. All you need to do is press the dough into a baking pan, bake, then spread the frosting on top!
3 reasons why you’ll love these pink sugar cookie bars
- The perfect balance of chewy and crisp: These cookie bars feature a buttery base that will remind you of my vegan sugar cookies and chocolate sugar cookies. Every bite is light, crisp, and perfectly chewy.
- So easy to make: Cookie bars are easier to make than most vegan cookie recipes because the dough is pressed into a dish, then baked! There is no rolling, cutting, or chilling needed.
- A year-round dessert: Not only does this recipe make enough to serve a crowd but the frosting and decorations are to customize for any occasion. Keep it in your back pocket when you need a dessert to bring to Christmas, Easter, showers, get-togethers with friends, or any special event.
How to make vegan sugar cookie bars
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Beat the vegan butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until you have a light and fluffy mixture. Add in the almond milk, cornstarch, and vanilla, then beat until combined. Finish by gently mixing in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Transfer the cookie dough to your prepared pan and spread it out to the edges. Bake until the dough is firm and golden brown, then set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting by beating the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and some of the milk and beat again until you have a smooth, spreadable frosting.
To finish, mix in the food coloring of your choice. I used pink, but you can use any color you love or one fit for the holidays.
Spread the frosting over the cooled sugar cookie bars, then decorate the top with sprinkles. Cut into bars and enjoy!
Decorating tips and ideas
Remember to let the sugar cookie base cool completely before you start decorating or else the icing will melt and slide off. From there, you’re free to decorate the bars using any fun variation you like:
- Colorful icing: I added pink food coloring to the buttercream but you can leave it out (for a white vanilla buttercream) or use your favorite color instead.
- Use gel food coloring: Gel food coloring is much more concentrated compared to liquid, which means you can use less while achieving the perfect hue of pink or your desired color. It also isn’t as watery, meaning the consistency of the frosting will not be affected.
- Customize the colors: Whether you’re making sugar cookie bars for Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, or another special occasion, customize the color of the sprinkles and buttercream for the event. Use white frosting and red and green sprinkles for Christmas, purple frosting and yellow sprinkles for Easter, and so on. Sweetapolita is my favorite place to order vegan sprinkles from. They’re so pretty!
- Instead of pink vanilla buttercream: Decorate the cookies with cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, or strawberry buttercream instead.
Frequently asked questions
While I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, a 1:1 gluten free flour blend, like King Arthur and Better Batter, should work if you need the cookies to be gluten free.
Nope! There is no need to chill the cookie dough in the fridge before baking the cookie bars.
The cookie dough can be made and refrigerated for 2 to 3 days before baking. You can also bake the cookie base, wrap it in plastic, and leave it in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days before decorating. It also freezes well!
The decorated cookie bars will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The individual bars can also be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 3 months.
Want more vegan bars and brownies?
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Smores Cookie Bars
- Seven Layer Bars
- The Best Vegan Brownies
Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk or soy/oat
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy Buttercream Frosting and Sprinkles
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-3 tablespoons almond milk
- food coloring vegan friendly
- sprinkles
Instructions
Make the sugar cookie bars
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan (or line with parchment paper). Set aside.
- In a large bowl either using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the softened vegan butter and sugar. Beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes, until fluffy and light.
- Now add in the almond milk, cornstarch and vanilla. Beat on high until it is all fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a few times.
- Transfer the cookie batter to the prepared pan and press it down evenly.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown and it looks done in the middle. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting and decorate
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Beat, starting on low speed and increasing to high for 2-3 minutes. Add more milk if the mixture is too dry or thick. If it's too wet, add more powdered sugar until you have a spreadable frosting.
- Slowly add in a little food coloring, if desired. I used pink.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled sugar cookie bars, then top with sprinkles. Cut into bars and serve.
Video
Notes
- Gluten free – You can substitute a quality gluten free flour to make them gluten free.
- Any kind of milk will work here, such as oat, almond, cashew, coconut or soy.
- May leave out cornstarch if needed or substitute arrowroot/tapioca starch.
THIS RECIPE CHANGED MY LIFE!! 10/5 STARS!! I always add almond extract to sugar cookies, so that was my only intentional deviation. My unintentional change was FORGETTING THE SUGAR from literally the first step in prepping the dough… ultimately I decided the frosting was sweet enough and frosted it (used as a cookie cake and just cut and ate from the pan). My best friend is vegan and I made this to celebrate her divorce. She is IN LOVE with them!! Without the sugar they were perfectly complimented by the frosting, and she said they tasted exactly like lofthouse cookies, which are her favorite but she hasnt had them in YEARS since becoming vegan! Im going to try combining this recipe with your lofthouse cookie recipe, and add the vegan sour cream but keep them in bar form (bc its much easier lmao). Long story short this recipe made my favorite vegan SO HAPPY and I am so glad to have found something to bring her so much joy right now! I literally never comment on recipes but felt the dire need to thank you for this one 🙏🙏🙏
Hi!
I just made a batch—delicious! I’m the author of “The Murder Blog Mysteries” series and mentioned you in my latest book.
I also co-own pizza restaurants, and in late March, we’re hosting a vegan dinner for 50 guests. We’ll be serving eight different vegan pizzas, along with salads, and I’m planning to feature your Sugar Cookie Bars for dessert.
I have no doubt I’ll be experimenting with a few more of your recipes before the event!
Hi Pamela! Thanks for loving my recipes – it’s SO COOL that you mentioned me in your book. I’m a huge murder mystery book fan and I need to catch up on your series! That vegan dinner your hosting sounds incredible.
I’ve made this a few times and I absolutely love it. I just want to know if I were to double the recipe and still keep it all in a single 9 x 13 pan if it would still cook okay.
I think you would need to bake them for longer if you double the recipe, and the bars will be quite thick. I’m so glad you love them!
I’m back after making it as a double recipe in 1 pan. I used it a “cake” at a birthday party and it was a huge hit. The only problem was the dough was so thick when I doubled the recipe that it almost broke my mixer. It was absolutely worth it though.
Hi Carissa. Thank you for getting back to me regarding your recipe experience as a double batch! Sounds like a fun idea for a birthday party! I’m glad that it worked well for you. I appreciate your terrific review and recipe experience! Wishing you happy cooking!
These cookies are super tasty. I like how quick they are to make. I’ve made these with and without the frosting and they’re great both ways! My kids love the sheet cookie, thanks for another knockout recipe Nora!
Hi Sarah. I’m so glad you and your kids love the sugar cookie bars! Thank you for sharing your stellar review, and for using my recipes! Wishing you happy cooking!
Came out great! The picture you have must be 2x the recipe? Bars are 1/2 as thin as pictured even with using a 8″x12″ pan. Thank you! Love your recipes!
Nope, not a double batch in the photos, but I do get real close up to the food. 🙂
Are these cookies crunchy (shortbread) or softer?
They are soft and chewy cookie bars.
Thank you for this recipe!! Can I bake this in a glass pan ?
Yes, you can. Thanks!
Would stick butter be best for this? Does it make a difference?
I love Earth Balance sticks, but I use others like Country Crock, etc. It just depends on which one you like best, but they all work well.
Excellent! Easy to make and just as delicious as they look!