Colorful Funfetti Cookie Bars Recipe

There's definitely a time and a place for classic cookies. Fresh chocolate chip cookies? Absolutely. Timeless sugar cookies? No doubt. Chewy peanut butter cookies? Amazing. But when you're looking for a treat that's just a little more exciting, and a treat that's entirely colorful and fun, it may be time to switch it up a bit. This is where Funfetti cookie bars come in.

These bright treats are the perfect addition to any occasion, whether you're whipping them up as an afternoon snack for the kids or putting out a platter for a holiday celebration. You can even switch up the frosting color and sprinkles to match any color palette.

With a sugar cookie dough base, a beautiful hue for the frosting, and plenty of rainbow sprinkles, these bars are ready to party! And even better? They only require 10 minutes of prep time, and once they're baked, you'll be munching on a sweet treat in no time. 

When you're ready to try this recipe out on your own, you'll want to start off by gathering all of the ingredients. For this colorful Funfetti cookie bars recipe, you'll need two sticks of unsalted butter, softened, one cup of white sugar, three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar, two eggs, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, three and a quarter cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, half of a teaspoon of baking powder, half of a teaspoon of salt, and three-quarters of a cup of rainbow sprinkles.

For the frosting to top your cookie bars, you'll need an additional one stick of softened butter, two tablespoons of milk, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and six cups of powdered sugar.

The first step to making these colorful Funfetti cookie bars is to prep the dough. But before you start prepping the dough, be sure to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit so it can come up to the right temperature.

In a large bowl, cream the butter with a hand mixer to break it up, and then add in the sugars. Mix the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together until well combined and fluffy, and then mix in the eggs and the vanilla extract.

To finish off the cookie dough, you'll want to add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Next, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture with the mixer running. Mix until a soft dough forms, and then add in the sprinkles. Once everything is well combined and the dough is colorful and bright, you'll be ready to move on to the next step.

Once the cookie dough is ready, it's time to prep a pan. Grab a 9x13-inch baking pan and grease it with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Once the pan is prepped, press the dough into the pan to fully cover the bottom. Put the pan in the oven, and bake the dough for 16 to 18 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. When the dough is fully baked, remove it from the oven and set it aside to fully cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, you'll start off by adding one stick of softened butter into a mixing bowl. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer for this step. Whip the butter to break it up until fluffy, and then add in one cup of powdered sugar along with two tablespoons of milk while the mixer is running. Add in the vanilla extract and continue to gradually add in another four to five cups of powdered sugar while the mixer is running. Once all ingredients are well-incorporated and your frosting has formed, increase the speed of the mixer to whip the frosting to make it light and fluffy. Add in turquoise food coloring or another color, and mix until well incorporated.

To finish off these Funfetti cookie bars, spread the prepared frosting over the baked dough. Sprinkle the frosting with rainbow sprinkles, and cut the bars into squares for serving.