Ever since I started making cinnamon rolls with a maple frosting instead of just a plain cream cheese frosting, I’ve wanted to find more recipes to use with maple flavorings. I finally came up with a recipe that utilizes maple to make the perfect fall treat.
This is a slight twist from the sugar cookie bar I made recnetly, but with the added maple flavoring it adds a complimenatary saltiness that’s out of this world!
I have to tell you my complete fail when I was recipe testing. My first idea was to put candy corns in the batter. I wanted to cut into the bar and be able to see orange and yellow candy corns inside the bar. I made a batch, mixed in candy corns and baked it.
What. A. Mess!
It was disgusting. You see, I know you know this, but apparantly I forgot what a candy corn is made from. There is not one usable substance in those sweet fall gems. Not one. Some of you love candy corns (bless you!) and others hate candy corns. It doesn’t really matter what side of the aisle you are on when it comes to candy corns, just know this: do not put them in the batter. They melt and congeal, and turn the entire baked bar into a sticky, ugly, inedible mess.
Skip the candy corns and just throw in some sprinkles instead. This is totally optional, you don’t need anything inside the bars, but it does make them festive. But you do have to put some on top.
Just sayin’.
And, the frosting. Friends, this is the simplest maple buttercream frosting that is creamy, has a hint of maple, and a slight saltiness.
Don’t get me started on the cute candy pumpkins.
However you decide to dress them, just make them. These are so easy — your child can practially make them — and oh, so good. Trust me on this. The maple flavor puts them in the exclusive fall category.
You’ll also love our Halloween cookie bars with a thick layer of buttercream, and our Christmas version too!
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 2 sticks butter melted
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon maple extract
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sprinkles plus extra for decorating the top
Maple Buttercream Frosting
- 4 Tablespoons butter 1/2 stick, softened
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups powder sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- ¼ cup milk or cream
Instructions
Maple Bars
- Preheat oven to 350
- Melt 2 sticks of butter. While butter is cooling, prepare a 9x 13 baking dish by lining it with foil, leaving extra to hang over the sides of the dish.
- Coat foil with cooking spray
- Pour cooled, but not cold, melted butter into mixing bowl.
- Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add flour and salt.
- Add sprinkles. Mix until combined.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish.
- Bake until the edges are set, but the middle is soft, approximately 25 minutes.
- Let cool. Pull bar out of pan by pulling on foil, and flip onto large plate or cookie sheet.
- Frost cookie and top with additional sprinkles! Cut into squares and serve.
Buttercream Frosting
- In large mixing bowl, mix together vegetable shortening and butter. Mix until creamy.
- Alternate adding one cup powder sugar, and a little of the milk until both are fully incorporated with the shortening/butter mixture.
- Add maple extract.
- Mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, one Tablespoon at a time. If frosting is too thing, add more powder sugar, ½ cup at a time. Stir until desired consistency is reached.
- Frost the maple bars.
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Comments & Reviews
Laura Burton says
Hello! I love your site and this recipe! I included it in a round-up for kid-friendly fall recipes! 🙂 You can see it here: http://momenvy.co/2017/08/kid-friendly-fall-recipes.html