Red Velvet Cookie Bars

These red velvet cookie bars have a light crunchy outside with a soft and chewy inside making them the perfect balance! They make a great treat to eat on their own or add an extra layer of depth with this cream cheese icing. 

Red Velvet Cookie Bars

Cookie Bars are one of my favorite things ever. Red velvet cookie bars are both delicious and gorgeously festive for the holidays, including Valentine’s Day! The soft, chewy, perfectly sweet bars are topped with an irresistible cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

• All-purpose Flour 
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder  
• Baking Powder 
• Light Brown Sugar 
• Unsalted Butter 
• Sea Salt (or regular satl)
• Eggs 
• Artificial Vanilla Extract 
• Red Food Coloring 

Red Velvet Cookie Bars Recipe

Whisk all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, on low speed, cream together light brown sugar and butter. Drop in the eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring. Add in the dry ingredients (flour mixture) and add additional red food coloring to achieve the shade desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Mix together cream cheese, butter, and a pinch of salt into a medium bowl or a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Then add powdered sugar and run again until velvety smooth. if you want your frosting more on the cream cheese side, add less powdered sugar. If you would like a sweeter frosting, add an extra cup of icing sugar. 

Ice cookie bars with cream cheese frosting and any sprinkles or white chocolate chips, if desired. When you cut them up, they look so pretty and perfect! Everyone will think you spent hours making them. If only they knew!

If you need a Christmas or Valentine’s Day treat and don’t have time to bake a bunch of cookies, these red velvet cookie bars topped with homemade cream cheese frosting are the perfect alternative!

Do I have to ice the cookie bars before removing them from the pan?  

Nope! You can remove the cooled cookie bars from the pan first before frosting, if desired.

More Desserts by The Blogette to Try Next:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars
• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Red Velvet Cookie Bars

These have a light crunchy outside with a soft and chewy inside making them the perfect balance!

Servings: 18 squares

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish
• Parchment Paper
• Measuring Spoons in Various Sizes
• Measuring Cups in Various Sizes
• Whisk
• Medium bowl
• Stand mixer
• spatula
• Fork

Ingredients

  

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For the Red Velvet Cookie Bars

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (or regular salt)
• 3½ cups light brown sugar (packed)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (or 1 cup)
• 3 eggs, large
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons gel food coloring (or 1 ½ tablespoons liquid)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
• pinch sea salt (or regular salt)
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

For the Red Velvet Cookie Bars

• Preheat oven to 325°
• Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
• Whisk all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together light brown sugar and butter, with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes on the second lowest setting.
• Drop in the eggs, artificial vanilla extract, and red food colouring and mix just until blended.
• While the machine is running add in flour mixture ½ cup at a time until about half is remaining. Then add red food coloring, and run the machine to mix slightly, then add the rest of the flour mixture.
• Add prepared dough into baking dish, and level with an offset spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 
• Remove the dough when oven is preheated and lightly pierce throughout with a fork. 
• Bake for 45-50 minutes and allow cookie bars to come to room temperature before addin the frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Adding cream cheese, butter, and a pinch of salt into a medium bowl or a stand mixer and beat until smoot
• Then add icing sugar and run again until velvety smooth. Note: if you want your frosting more on the cream cheese side, add 4 cups of icing sugar. If you would rather a sweeter frosting, add the extra cup of icing sugar. 
• Ice cookie bars with cream cheese frosting and any sprinkles if desired.

Notes

What is the easiest way to cut blondies?  

Make sure your blondies are cooled at room temperature and then cooled further in the fridge before cutting. Use a warm knife and whip it clean after every cut. Alternatively, you can use a plastic knife or bake the blondies in a muffin tin for easier removal.