Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting and Sprinkles Recipe
These Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Bars are soft, thick, and chewy treats made with almond flour. Perfectly sweetened and topped with creamy cream cheese frosting and colorful sprinkles, they make a delightful snack or dessert for anyone avoiding gluten. The bars combine the rich flavor of almond and vanilla extracts with the light fluffiness achieved by creaming butter and sugar, baked to golden perfection and cooled to maintain their chewy texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 36 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars:
- 1 ¾ cups (182 g) fine blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons (23 g) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons (13 g) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles (jimmies recommended)
For the Frosting:
- 4 ounces (113 g) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar (plus more if needed)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper that overhangs the sides for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cornstarch, coconut flour, baking powder, and sea salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the room temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: On low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. The dough will be thick and soft.
- Fold in Sprinkles: Gently stir in the sprinkles, being careful not to overmix to maintain the dough’s texture.
- Spread Dough in Pan: Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the Bars: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-21 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and the center is puffed and beginning to brown slightly.
- Cool Completely: Remove from oven and let the bars cool fully in the pan on a wire rack. Cooling is essential for the bars to firm up and maintain chewiness.
- Make the Frosting: In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and almond extract, beating until the frosting is light and spreadable. Add extra powdered sugar if a thicker frosting is desired.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bars and sprinkle additional sprinkles on top for a festive finish.
Notes
- Ensure to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy to aerate the batter for thick and chewy bars.
- Two tablespoons of sprinkles add just enough color without affecting the texture; avoid adding more.
- Use gluten-free labeled sprinkles to keep the recipe fully gluten-free.
- Do not overbake the bars to prevent dryness and hard edges.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting for best texture; almond flour baked goods need time to set after baking.
Keywords: gluten-free sugar cookie bars, almond flour cookie bars, sugar cookie bars, soft sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting bars, gluten free dessert, chewy cookie bars
