Listen, I love cookies. And more specifically, I love sugar cookies. Frosting, sprinkles, and a soft sugar cookie base are basically what heaven looks like to me. While I do enjoy decorating traditional sugar cookies, sometimes I don’t feel like rolling out dough, cutting shapes, or piping frosting with a million different tips. That’s where these Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars come in.
They have all the flavor and fun of a classic frosted sugar cookie, just baked in bar form. Easy, festive, and perfect for sharing , these are one of my favorite treats to make for Valentine’s Day.
These cookie bars are essentially a sugar cookie in bar form. For larger slices, I usually cut them into 12 bars, but they can easily be cut into 16–20 smaller pieces to feed a crowd. The dough is mixed with Valentine’s Day sprinkles for a pop of color, then topped with a soft vanilla frosting that’s decorated in the prettiest pink and red swirl. Keep reading for all my best tips to make sure these turn out soft, chewy, and bakery-worthy every time.
Recipe Tips
Sprinkles
Sprinkles deserve their own section because not all sprinkles are created equal. For this Valentine’s Day version, I mixed Valentine’s Day sprinkles directly into the dough. I used these cute hearts because they’re colorful, whimsical, and most importantly, they hold their shape and color when baked. Classic jimmies also work great here.
Avoid mixing nonpareils into the dough. They’re too small and tend to bleed their color, which can turn the dough muddy. That said, nonpareils are totally fine for decorating the top if you want a little crunch.
Baking Pan
I highly recommend using a metal baking pan for these cookie bars. Metal pans bake more evenly than glass and help ensure the bars cook through without overbaking the edges. Bonus points if your pan comes with a lid — it makes transporting these so easy.
Frosting
These cookie bars are absolutely delicious on their own, so if you’re short on time or ingredients, you can skip the frosting altogether. That said… I’m a frosting person. Always. The frosting adds sweetness, balance, and makes these bars extra festive — especially for Valentine’s Day.
How to Keep Them Soft & Chewy
Just like my cookie recipes, these bars are meant to be soft and chewy. Do not skip the cornstarch — it’s key for creating that tender texture. Also, keep a close eye on bake time. I bake mine for 22 minutes exactly. The edges will be lightly golden and the center may look slightly underbaked, which is exactly what you want. Let the bars cool completely in the pan; they’ll finish setting as they cool and stay perfectly soft.
These cookie bars will rise slightly in the oven and settle as they cool. You can frost them directly in the pan, or for cleaner edges, chill the bars in the refrigerator and trim them using a sharp serrated knife before frosting.
Valentine’s Day Frosting & Decoration
For the Valentine’s Day look, I divided the frosting into three bowls: one left white, one dyed pink, and one dyed red. I spread a smooth layer of white frosting over the cooled cookie bars first, then added dollops of the pink and red frosting on top. Using a small offset spatula, I gently swirled the colors together to create a soft pink-and-red marbled effect. I finished everything off with Valentine’s Day sprinkles for the perfect festive touch.
If you prefer something simpler, you can absolutely frost these with plain white frosting and top them with sprinkles — they’re just as delicious and still totally cute. The swirl is optional, but it’s a fun way to make them feel extra special for Valentine’s Day.
If you’re a sugar cookie fan, you’re going to love these Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars. And if you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a review, I’d love to hear what you think 💗🍪
Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the cookie bars:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tsp corn starch
- ¼ cup sprinkles
For the frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2-3 tbsp heavy cream room temperature
- ¼ cup sprinkles
- red & pink food dye
Instructions
For the cookie bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and grease and line a metal 9×13 pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter and granulated sugar. Mix until combined. Add in vanilla and egg and egg yolk, and mix until incorporated.
- While the mixer is on low add in the flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and corn starch. Mix until just combined. Add in sprinkles and mix again on low until incorporated.
- Scoop batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula or lightly wet your hands to evenly press the dough into the pan. Bake or 22-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk and beat until smooth. Add in additional heavy cream/milk to get the consistency you prefer.
- Once smooth, if you're coloring the frosting, divide into three bowls and dye one bowl pink, one bowl red and mix until incorporated. Leave the final bowl white.
For decorating:
- Once the cookie bars have cooled completely, spread a thin layer of white frosting on top. Add small scoops of the different colored frostings on top, then take a small spatula or back of the spoon and swirl the buttercream. Top with sprinkles, slice & serve!