Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars

Name: Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 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; 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

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!

a stack of 3 sugar cookie bars decorated with pink frosting on top of each other.

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!

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.

rows of sugar cookie bars decorated with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

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!

a vegan sugar cookie bar turned on its side next to rows of more bars with pink frosting on top.

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

How do you make gluten free sugar cookie bars?

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.

Do you need to chill the cookie dough?

Nope! There is no need to chill the cookie dough in the fridge before baking the cookie bars.

How far in advance can you make the sugar cookie base?

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!

How long do they last? Can you freeze sugar cookie bars?

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?

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