These soft and chewy vegan sugar cookie bars have all the fun and flavour of a traditional sugar cookie, without the rolling and cutting, or the dairy and eggs. They’re sweet, buttery, and topped with pretty pink frosting, or any colour of your choice!

Overhead view of sugar cookie bars topped with pink frosting and sprinkles

I’m so excited about these vegan sugar cookie bars! Maybe it’s the pink frosting, or maybe it’s the chewy sugar cookie base. But I think the nostalgia factor is a big part of their appeal. As adults, we treat ourselves to high-end cookies like white chocolate macadamia nut and salted chocolate chip tahini cookies. Yet, who doesn’t have a soft spot for the classic sugar cookies we enjoyed as kids?

  • Vegan sugar cookies in bar form. All the flavour of a traditional sugar cookie, minus the hassle of rolling and cutting out shapes!
  • Perfect for celebrations. These easy-to-make, plant-based sugar cookie bars are always a hit at holiday parties, picnics, and potlucks.
  • Make them your own. Customize these cookie bars with your favourite frosting and toppings. Sprinkles are the standard, but you can create a sugar cookie fruit pizza by layering on fresh fruit, or get out your piping bag and tips and get creative! 
  • Quick and easy. Best of all, these no chill vegan sugar cookie bars only require a few simple ingredients, and zero chilling time.
Overhead view of vegan sugar cookie bar ingredients

Notes on Ingredients

Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions, and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.

  • Vegan butter – Let this come to room temperature so it’s easy to incorporate into the other ingredients.
  • White granulated sugar – You could also use light brown sugar.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract – Any vanilla extract you have on hand is fine, but the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla is my favourite!
  • Vegan milk – I recommend an unflavoured variety.
  • All-purpose flour – A cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour substitute can be used if you prefer.
  • Baking powder and baking soda – You’ll need both, plus salt, to give these sugar cookie bars plenty of lift. Make sure to check the expiration dates on your leavening.

Vegan Frosting

  • Powdered sugar – Make sure you sift this first so you don’t end up with lumpy frosting!
  • Vegan butter – This butter will also need to be softened.
  • Vegan milk – This can be almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or any dairy-free milk you’d like.
  • Vanilla and sea salt – Omit the added salt if you’re using salted butter.
  • Pink or red food colouring – Or whatever colour you like! See below.

The Best Way to Colour Frosting

I recommend using a gel or paste food colouring for the sugar cookie frosting. Both of these options are nice because they don’t add liquid to the frosting, which has the potential to change its texture. It’s important to note that gels and pastes have intense colour, so I usually dip a toothpick into them, then swirl that into the frosting. Stir to incorporate, then add more colouring if needed.

Stack of sugar cookie bars on their sides

I recommend baking your cookie bars in an 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper (clip the sides to hold the paper in place). Here are the steps to make these super easy, very delicious dairy-free sugar cookie bars with frosting:

Overhead view of creamed butter and sugar in mixing bowl
Combine the wet ingredients.
Overhead view of dry sugar cookie bar ingredients in mixing bowl
Sift the dry ingredients.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. While the oven preheats to 350ºF, cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. Then, beat in the vanilla extract and vegan milk.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk to combine.
Overhead view of wet sugar cookie ingredients in glass mixing bowl
Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
Overhead view of sugar cookie dough in glass mixing bowl
Mix to form the dough.
  • Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix for about 2 minutes to incorporate, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Overhead view of sugar cookie dough in square baking pan
Press the dough into the pan.
Sugar cookie bars in pan before frosting
Bake!
  • Bake. Transfer the dough to a lined 8×8-inch pan and bake for 22 to 23 minutes. Let the bars cool completely before adding the frosting.
Frosting in mixing bowl before adding colouring
Beat the frosting until smooth.
Pink frosting in mixing bowl
Add food colouring.
  • Make the frosting. Beat the butter and vanilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until they’re fluffy. Fold in the powdered sugar with a rubber spatula, then beat for a minute. Beat in ¼ tablespoon of vegan milk at a time until the frosting reaches your desired volume and consistency. Add the food colouring, then beat for about 5 minutes, or until the frosting is fluffy, pink, smooth, and creamy.
Overhead view of frosted sugar cookie bars
Spread frosting over the cookie bars.
Overhead view of sugar cookie bars before cutting
Decorate!
  • Frost the bars. Make sure your sugar cookie bars are cooled completely before you frost them. Spread the frosting evenly over the bars, top with sprinkles, and enjoy.

More Ways to Decorate

I use a fluffy vegan buttercream for these sugar cookie bars, but you can certainly use icing or even cake frosting instead. If you’re using a frosting recipe meant for cakes, I recommend making half the amount or simply freezing the extra frosting for another day. Try my vegan chocolate frosting or vegan cream cheese frosting. You can also make vegan Christmas sugar cookie bars with white frosting and red and green sprinkles!

Overhead view of vegan sugar cookie bars with bowl of sprinkles
  • Don’t over-bake. The bars will be slightly under-baked when you pull them out of the oven, which is fine because they’ll continue baking from the residual heat of the pan. This is how you get that signature chewy sugar cookie base!
  • Cutting clean bars. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. From here, you can cut them into squares using a large chef’s knife. If the frosting seems too soft to cut cleanly, you can pop the bars in the refrigerator for a bit until it sets.
  • Make it a sugar cookie cake. Want to make a vegan sugar cookie cake? You can bake this recipe in a round cookie cake pan; it will take less time to bake, so I recommend checking for doneness at the 15-minute mark.
  • Add-in ideas. Add vegan chocolate chips to the cookie dough, or you can add chopped macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, or flavouring extracts like lemon or orange extract.
Sugar cookie bars on parchment paper

How to Store

  • Refrigerate. Store the vegan frosted sugar cookie bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can either wrap them in the baking pan or transfer them to an airtight container. If you need to stack the bars, place parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together.
  • Freeze. You can freeze these vegan sugar cookie bars for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually or place them in a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers.
Vegan sugar cookie bar with bite taken out

Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan sugar cookie bar recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

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Overhead view of sugar cookie bars topped with pink frosting and sprinkles

Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars

Servings: 12 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
These vegan sugar cookie bars have all the fun and flavor of a traditional sugar cookie, without the rolling and cutting, or the dairy and eggs!
5 (from 12 ratings)
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Ingredients

For the bars:

  • ½ cup vegan butter, 112g, room temperature
  • ½ cup white granulated sugar, 100g
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tablespoons vegan milk
  • 1 ½ cups flour of choice regular all-purpose flour, 180g
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the frosting:

  • 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegan milk, add more if needed
  • pinch sea salt, if using unsalted butter
  • Few drops of pink or red food colouring

Instructions 

For the bars:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line an 8×8 pan. Cream together the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes on medium low speed.
  • Add in the vanilla extract and vegan milk and blend for another 30 seconds until incorporated.
  • In a small separate bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt until thoroughly combined.
  • Add in your flour mixture into the wet mix. Mix for about 2 mins to incorporate. Scrape down the bowl.
  • Add to your lined 8×8 pan. Bake for 22-23 minutes. It’ll be slightly underbaked which is fine because it keeps cooking while it cools.
  • Let it cool completely. Top it with buttercream frosting tinted with a little bit of pink or red food colouring. Top with sprinkles and enjoy!

For the frosting:

  • Beat the butter and vanilla for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add in the sifted powdered sugar. Fold it in with a spatula so it doesn’t fly everywhere, then beat for about 1 minute. Add in a ¼ tablespoon of vegan milk at a time until it reaches your preferred volume and consistency.
  • Add the food colouring, then beat for about 5 minutes, using the spatula to mix everything together every other minute, until the frosting is fluffy, pink, smooth and creamy.

Notes

How to store: Store these bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can either wrap them in the baking pan or transfer them to an airtight container; if you need to stack the bars, place parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together.
How to freeze: Freeze these vegan sugar cookie bars for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually or place them in a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers.
Calories: 328kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 233mg, Potassium: 24mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 40g, Vitamin A: 719IU, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Jessica Hylton