Poptart Cookie Bars (Print View)

Soft sugar cookie bars with strawberry jam filling, vanilla glaze, and colorful sprinkles capturing nostalgic pop-tart flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Cookie Base

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
05 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
06 - ½ tsp baking powder
07 - ½ tsp salt

→ Filling

08 - ¾ cup strawberry jam or preferred flavor

→ Glaze & Topping

09 - 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
10 - 2-3 tbsp milk
11 - ¼ tsp vanilla extract
12 - Sprinkles for decoration

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer or by hand.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then incorporate vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
06 - Press two-thirds of dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan using clean hands or spatula.
07 - Spread strawberry jam evenly over dough base, leaving small border around edges.
08 - Crumble remaining dough over jam layer in small pieces, pressing gently to adhere.
09 - Bake 23-27 minutes until edges are golden brown and center appears set.
10 - Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack before glazing, about 1 hour.
11 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable, adjusting consistency with additional milk if needed.
12 - Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled bars and immediately sprinkle with decorative sprinkles before glaze sets.
13 - Let glaze set for 15 minutes, then lift bars from pan using parchment overhang and cut into 16 equal pieces.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The soft sugar cookie base is like a warm hug, perfectly balancing the sweet-tart jam layer
  • These bars disappear faster than you can say breakfast for dessert
  • The homemade glaze with sprinkles makes everything feel like a celebration
02 -
  • Warm dough will spread too much in the oven, so chill it for 15 minutes if your kitchen is hot
  • Overmixing the dough creates tough bars, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
03 -
  • Chill the dough for 15 minutes before pressing it into the pan if it feels too sticky
  • Use an offset spatula to spread the jam evenly without disturbing the dough layer

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