Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars

This Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars recipe is everything you love about snickerdoodles in a bar form and frosted with a light and fluffy cinnamon vanilla buttercream.

Ever since I discovered that Trader Joe’s sold a cinnamon sugar grinder, I’ve been figuring out ways to use it! I like to use a little on top of oatmeal, on English muffins, and in my pork rub, but I’ve been dying to use it for snickerdoodles! So the other day when I was asked to make treats for an activity I grabbed it and used in on these soft & thick frosted snickerdoodle bars.

Snickerdoodle bars? Yes. Snickerdoodle bars. Everything you love about snickerdoodles only in bar form…. and frosted with a light and fluffy cinnamon vanilla buttercream. Dreamy. Even my husband who sighs every time I make something with cinnamon loved these! That’s a big deal folks.

The thing I love most about these bars is how easy and mess-free they are. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good rolled cookie (especially my mom’s ginger cookies and these perfect peanut butter cookies), but I was in a rush to get things done and didn’t have time for multiple batches of cookies. These were the perfect solution. All you need to do is whip up the cookie dough (a basic sugar cookie dough with extra egg yolk and cornstarch to keep the moist and soft plus some cream of tartar and cinnamon for flavor), press it into a foil-lined square baking pan and toss it in the oven until it’s nice and golden brown. Once they’ve cooled, slather on the frosting. As you can see from the pictures there’s definitely a generous layer of frosting on them. You can always halve the recipe which will give you a layer about 1/4″ thick.

For a finishing touch I used my grinder to add a little sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top of these Snickerdoodle Bars. I thought it made sense… snickerdoodles are covered in it after all! I know similar grinders are now available at most grocery stores, but if you’re unable to find one coarse sugar and a pinch of cinnamon will do the job too! Enjoy & happy baking!

Snickerdoodle Bars Recipe

This Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars recipe is everything you love about snickerdoodles in a bar form and frosted with a light and fluffy cinnamon vanilla buttercream.

4.75 from 4 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 16 Bars

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Andrea

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Ingredients

Snickerdoodle Bars

• ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter - room temperature
• ▢ 3/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1 tsp cornstarch
• ▢ 1 tsp cream of tartar
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Frosting

• ▢ 3/4 cup salted butter - room temperature
• ▢ 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoon heavy cream
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 pinch salt

Topping

• ▢ ground cinnamon - for dusting, optional
• ▢ coarse sugar - for dusting, optional

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line an 8x8" or 9x9" baking pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. With the mixing speed on low, add the egg and egg yolk.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, cream of tartar, and cinnamon. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain. Be careful not to overmix.
• Using a rubber spatula or the palm of your hand, press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 22–26 minutes or until very lightly browned on top (be careful not to overbake). Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the pan for 30–45 minutes before frosting.
• While the bars are cooling, prepare the frosting by placing the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and creamy, about 2–3 minutes. With mixing speed on low, add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Beat on high for 2–3 minutes until it becomes fluffy.
• Using the foil as handles, remove the cooled bars from the pan. Frost the bars with a thick layer of frosting and garnish with additional cinnamon and coarse sugar.

NOTES

Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction, Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars.

-I used my Trader Joe’s grinder to sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. You can use ground cinnamon, coarse or granulated sugar, or skip the topping altogether.

-The bars have a thick layer of frosting on top. If you prefer less, simply halve the frosting recipe.

To STORE leftover Iced Snickerdoodle Bars, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to extend their freshness, transfer them to the refrigerator for up to 5–6 days—just let them come to room temperature before serving so the frosting softens.

For FREEZING, wrap individual bars in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container. They’ll stay good for about 2 months. To enjoy again, thaw at room temperature or microwave each bar in 5–10 second bursts until soft.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Bar | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe source: adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction, Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars