King Cake Sugar Cookie Bars (Printable Version)

Sweet bars with vibrant icing and sprinkles inspired by traditional King Cake flavors.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the 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.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
06 - Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set. Do not overbake.
08 - Let the cookie base cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable.
10 - Spread the icing evenly over the cooled cookie base.
11 - Immediately sprinkle purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in sections or in a decorative pattern.
12 - Allow icing to set for approximately 30 minutes before slicing into bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that soft, buttery cookie base that stays tender even after baking, with just enough lemon and almond to taste sophisticated.
  • They're basically edible party decorations—the colors are so vibrant they become the centerpiece nobody expects at a dessert table.
  • Once baked and cooled, you can decorate them whenever you want, which means less day-of stress and more time actually enjoying your guests.
02 -
  • Do not skip the cooling step—icing on warm bars will slide right off, and you'll be frustrated instead of celebrating.
  • If you want to hide a plastic baby or whole almond in one bar like traditional King Cake, do it before the icing sets, and warn your guests so nobody has a dental surprise.
03 -
  • If your icing is too thick when you spread it, microwave it for 10 seconds and whisk again—thick icing is better than thin, because you can always thin it, but you can't thicken it without more sugar.
  • Use a bench scraper to lift the parchment paper overhang and cleanly remove the whole block from the pan before cutting, which gives you straight edges without crumbs.
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