Love sugar cookies but short on time? Try these gluten free and vegan sugar cookie bars!
Sugar cookies…love them or hate them? Or are you somewhere in between?
If you’re new to allergy friendly baking, you may wonder about trying to make cut out cookies. Will they keep their shape, or spread out too far? Can they hold up to being frosted?
And sometimes you just really want sugar cookies, but the thought of all the steps to make them is too much to handle. The mixing and chilling and rolling and cutting and frosting…it can take quite a while!
Of course if you have a free afternoon and love to bake, then sugar cookie cutouts are a fun option. You can find my favorite allergy friendly recipe HERE.
But if you love sugar cookies but don’t have the time for the whole process, or are nervous about the end result, you can make sugar cookie bars in no time at all.
These gluten free and vegan sugar cookie bars are thick, soft, and quite sweet with the addition of dairy free frosting. You can do a chocolate frosting if you like, or dye the frosting any color you wish to match a holiday theme. Sprinkles could be a fun addition on top as well!
When you mix this dough, you’ll notice that it’s thick and not very smooth. It should look like this:
If you see a lot of dry flour, or the dough isn’t even sticking together, you will need to add a little more yogurt or even a splash of non-dairy milk. If you use a different gluten free flour blend than what is suggested, you may find that the amount of liquid required will vary.
Once you press the dough into the pan, it will look like this:
Notes on substitutions, and some tips to make these gluten free and vegan sugar cookie bars:
- Lining the pan with parchment paper is key to being able to get these sugar cookie bars out neatly.
- An 8×8 pan is perfect for these bars, but you could also try a pie pan and cut these into wedges if you want.
- If you are not gluten free or vegan, you can make these with regular flour and regular butter. If you can’t find a yogurt that works for your dietary needs, you can use unsweetened applesauce.
- I don’t think this recipe will work well with oil – the texture will be different.
Gluten Free and Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars.
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 2/3 cup vegan buttery spread
- 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
- 1/4 cup vanilla non-dairy yogurt I used So Delicious vanilla coconut milk yogurt
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend I used King Arthur Multi Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1/3 cup vegan buttery spread
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
Optional:
- fresh strawberries sprinkles, chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper so that there is an overhang on two sides.
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Place the vegan buttery spread and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until fluffy.
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Add the non-dairy yogurt and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
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Stop the mixer and add the gluten free flour blend, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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If the dough looks too dry, add a little more yogurt. The batter should be thick and lumpy, but not dry.
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Place the dough in the parchment lined pan and use a piece of waxed paper to smooth and press the batter evenly into the pan.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes.
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Once the cookie bars are cool, make the frosting. Beat the vegan buttery spread until fluffy, then sift in about a 1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar. Mix until combined, then alternate adding more sifted powdered sugar and a little non-dairy milk.
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The frosting should be thick and spreadable. Frost the cooled bars, then cut into 12 pieces.
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Top with halved strawberries, sprinkles, or chocolate chips if desired.
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Store leftover bars in the refrigerator.
Kelly Roenicke
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