Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars

Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting are perfect for serving at parties and are easier to make than sugar cookies.

Sugar cookie bars are perfect for when you don’t have time to make sugar cookies! All of the cookies are made in one pan and they are so delicious.

Tonia’s Notes

There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who are really in it for the buttercream frosting and the ones who just want the cookie or cake that the frosting is on. Okay, there is a third group of people who like the perfect combination of the two, but it seems like most people have a favorite.

I’m sure many of you already know that I am a huge frosting fan. It dates back to my childhood when I would spend my own money on frosted cookies from the McGlynn Bakeries inside Target stores in our area. So, when I decided to make brown butter sugar cookie bars, I knew they had to be topped with a thick layer of fluffy buttercream frosting.

How To Make Brown Butter

As with my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, these sugar cookie bars get great flavor from the addition of browned butter. My sister told me that she wasn’t sure that it was worth the extra step of browning the butter, so she made a pan of bars with regular butter, and she found out that they are way better with the browned butter.

Brown butter is made by melting butter in a pan over medium heat until the milk solids are browned. Put the sticks of butter in a pan over medium heat. Continue heating, stirring often, until the butter browns on the bottom of the pan. At first, it feels like it’s never going to brown, and then suddenly, it’s done, and you have to remove it from the heat, so this is one of those things that you don’t want to walk away from.

Immediately pour the brown butter into a heat-proof bowl so that it doesn’t continue to brown. If you want, you can skim the foam off the top. Allow the browned butter to cool to room temperature. To help speed up the cooling, put the bowl in the fridge or in a shallow bath of cold water.

How To Make Sugar Cookie Bars

Next, mix the baking soda and water together and set aside. In a stand mixer with a large bowl, cream together the cooled brown butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the baking soda and water mixture and the salt. Then, add the flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Spread the cookie dough in a greased jelly roll pan with sides and bake at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the Fluffy Buttercream Frosting, beat together butter and shortening until smooth. Mix in the first half of the powdered sugar (4 cups), one cup at a time. Then, add the marshmallow cream and vanilla.

Next, mix in the second half of the powdered sugar (4 cups), one cup at a time. Finally, add the milk and beat until fluffy. Stir in food coloring, if desired. I used Wilton Icing Gel because you can use it in a smaller amount than with liquid food coloring.

Once the sugar cookie bars have cooled, spread them on the buttercream frosting.

Add sprinkles and then cut the bars into squares.

I love it…there is almost an equal amount of frosting and sugar cookie bar! This recipe for brown butter sugar cookie bars with fluffy buttercream frosting makes a large batch of bars that is perfect for serving to a crowd at a party or barbecue.

More Cookie Bars

• Monster Cookie Bars include M&Ms and chocolate chips.
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a family favorite!
• These Snickerdoodle Blondies are made with brown butter.
• S’mores Cookie Bars are like a s’more without the bonfire!