King Cake Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable Version)

Sweet sugar cookie bars with colorful icing and sprinkles, ideal for festive gatherings and celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# Steps to Follow:

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 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 until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined without overmixing.
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 - Cool cookie base 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 with a spatula.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugar in sections or decorative pattern while icing is wet.
12 - Allow icing to set for approximately 30 minutes before slicing into bars.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They're foolproof enough to make on a weeknight but impressive enough to bring to any gathering.
  • The combination of lemon zest and that subtle almond note tastes sophisticated while staying approachable.
  • You can prep them ahead, which means less stress when guests arrive and more time to actually enjoy the party.
02 -
  • The lemon zest is not optional—it's what prevents these from tasting like every other sugar cookie bar and gives them that sophisticated King Cake flavor.
  • Room temperature ingredients matter more than you think; cold eggs won't mix smoothly and cold butter won't cream properly, resulting in a dense, grainy texture.
03 -
  • A hot knife dipped in water between cuts creates clean, beautiful slices that look like you know what you're doing.
  • If you can't find sanding sugar, regular sprinkles work fine, but sanding sugar sticks to the icing better and has a superior sparkle factor that makes people notice the effort you put in.
Go Back