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Red Velvet Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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These red velvet cookie bars are soft, chewy, and rich with classic red velvet flavor. Baked in a 9×13-inch pan and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting, they are an easy way to make a batch of red velvet sugar-cookie-style bars for sharing.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 15 cookie bars

Ingredients

Scale

Red Velvet Cookie Bars

  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk, in addition to the full egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring, liquid or gel (use less if desired)
  • ½ teaspoon distilled or white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
  • 8 ounces full-fat, brick-style cream cheese
  • 2½–3½ cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1–2 tablespoons whipping cream or table cream, if needed

Instructions

Red Velvet Cookie Bars

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang around the edges.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamed.
  4. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, red food coloring, and vinegar until no lumps of butter remain.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. If the dry ingredients are lumpy, sift them into the bowl. Mix on low speed until no dry streaks or lumps remain.
  6. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and spread or press it into an even layer. If pressing by hand, place a piece of wax paper between your hands and the dough to prevent sticking.
  7. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 25–30 minutes, or until the top looks set and the edges begin pulling away from the sides of the pan.
  8. Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until no lumps of butter remain.
  2. Sift in 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and salt, then beat together, starting on low speed.
  3. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time until the desired sweetness and thickness are reached. If needed, beat in 1–2 tablespoons of cream.
  4. If the pan was lined with parchment, use the overhang to lift the cooled bars onto a cutting board. If the pan was greased, leave the bars in the pan.
  5. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars using a flat-edged knife. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
  6. Slice into bars with a thin, sharp knife.

Notes

  • Eggs: You need 2 eggs for this recipe: 1 whole large egg and the yolk of a second egg. Bring them to room temperature before making the bars.
  • Cream cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese.
  • Storage: Store frosted cookie bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezing: Unfrosted cookie bars can be wrapped tightly and frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Nutrition: The nutrition estimate is for 1 frosted bar, assuming all the frosting is used and the pan is cut into 15 equal bars.
  • Author: Emma
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert, Cookies, Bars
  • Method: Baking

Find it online: https://recipebyemma.com/red-velvet-cookie-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/