I love cookies of all kinds but I have a soft spot for snickerdoodles cookies.
However, it’s faster to make bars than it is to make cookies.
As I always say with bars, they are wham-bam-slap-it-in-a-pan whereas cookies require individual loving and more one-on-one attention.
And the frosting on top makes me extra happy.
I do like sugar cookies but I like snickerdoodle cookies more so I tweaked the ingredients and reduced the yield to an 8 x 8 pan because I didn’t “need” a 13 x 18 pan of bars.
I knew this post was going to be revealed on the day before Valentine’s Day, so I made pink vanilla cream cheese frosting, sprinkled the bars with red sanding sugar, and added red, white, and pink candy bits.
I hope Cupid approves.
These bars are like snickerdoodle cookies, but in bar form.
The cinnamon and sugar and the vanilla undertones tickled my snickerdoodle fancy.
The texture is soft and chewy, like a deep dish cookie.
The frosting is vanilla-infused, and has a little bit of a tang from the cream cheese, balancing the sweetness.
And everything tastes better when it’s pink and has candy bits and sprinkles on top.
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Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars with Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 ½ + cups powdered sugar
- splash of milk or water, if needed
- pink food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Bars – Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan by lining it with foil and then spraying it with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. The batter will be very thick and sticky, like cookie dough. Use your hands if necessary to spread it evenly. Bake at 375F for 19 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean. While the bars are baking, prepare the frosting.
- Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting – In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until combined and it begins to fluff. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar (one-half cup at a time after 3 cups) and mix until desired frosting consistency is reached. I like very thick frosting and used 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar with a splash of half and half. Carefully add the food coloring, one drop at a time, until desired color is reached. After the bars have cooled, frost them. Optionally, garnish with sprinkles, candy bits, sanding sugar, or any optional garnish of your choice. Consider storing the bars in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese and butter in the frosting; the bars freeze well and will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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If you prefer Snickerdoodle cookies in cookie form, try these White Chocolate Snickerdoodles that are dead ringers for the Mrs. Field’s Snickerdoodles I used to eat in the food court at the mall in high school.
And if you haven’t already completed your Valentine’s Day baking (or springtime, baby-shower, bridal shower, Easter, or girlie birthday party baking needs), there’s:
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies with PB Cups & PB M&M’s
Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies (No-Bake, Vegan, GF)
Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
And here’s a Valentine’s Day Roundup post with Food, Kitchen items, and shoes
Happy Valentine’s Day!
A-DORBS.
Just made your Snickerdoodle White Chocolate Chip cookies yesterday. The family raved! I think there is maybe 2 left :) No plans for Valetine’s Day here either. I’d much rather be at home all cozy with dinner and movie on the TV!
Glad they were a hit! Thanks for the feedback!
snickerdoodles are my favorite and these look extra delicious. :) I hope you have a wonderful valentine’s day!
We don’t do anything big for Valentines day – but I’d be happy to gobble up a few of these!!
And thanks for pinning them…you’re so sweet!
So fun! What a great SRC recipe!! The bars are just perfect for Valentines day…I’m loving it! Those Toms are seriously so adorable, I want to get them! No vday baking yet- hopefully today
I love your SRC reveal recipes, too!
Those are so pretty – I mean really gorgeous Averie! When are you opening up a bakery???
If only. But it would take care of some of the goodies that are busting out of the cupboards :) Good thing our friends and Scott’s coworkers aren’t complaining. Lol
I love that the frosting layer is nearly as thick as the cookie. :D
I have no V-Day plans and couldn’t care less. I’m not anti-VDay, but not pro either. It’s kind of like President’s Day to me. In college, my roommates and I used to go to Rocky Rococo’s for their heart-shaped pizza every year. That was the only reason I really liked it.
Rocky Rococo’s…BLAST from the past. Havent thought about that place in about 20 years!
I love thick frosting…the thicker, the better. At least as thick as the dessert itself :)
I have no idea how you come up with all of these amazing treats
I wish you lived closer and you could be my taste tester and I could send stuff home with you for your kiddos!
Thanks for the linky love!
I am a snickerdoodle addict, is that a thing?
I pinned your 2 ingredient ice cream last night and everyone’s been loving it…seriously, it looks so good!
Look at that dense buttery moisture in those bars! These look like just the right kind of cookie bar.
Those look dense and delicious!!
Frosting is simply the best part of any dessert. I swear nothing is ever too rich or sweet for me so those bars appear to have an appropriately thick layer for my taste! No Valentine’s Day plans–we are both working and I don’t want to be out in a crowded restaurant. A quiet evening at home is where it’s at for me!
nothing is ever too rich or sweet for me either! I like my frosting about as thick as the dessert itself!
Those look amazing!
My mouth is watering as I eat my boring cereal with blueberries for breakfast (would much rather a cookie bar). It is great to have bar recipes for when time doesn’t allow for drop cookies. Thanks for sharing!
Yes cookies are great but bars are so much faster!
DROOOOOOOOOL! I love, love, love the THICK layer of frosting. That is gorgeous. I want to sink my teeth into it. Yum. :)
I like the frosting to be almost as thick as the bar itself. Case in point, these nutella brownies with cream cheese frosting. The frosting is almost thicker than the brownies :)
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/05/fudgy-nutella-brownies-with-cream-cheese-frosting.html
What a good idea – I love how chewy and delicious that cookie looks and the pink frosting is just too cute!
Pink is where it’s at for me :)
“I’d rather have $50 bucks to spend on shoes than roses, truth be told.” – couldn’t agree more, flowers are so overpriced on Valentine’s Day that it’s such a waste. I’d much rather have something I could get some good use out of. Although that being said, I wouldn’t turn down a box of chocolates!
Nor would I turn them down…but your chocolates trump all!