These fun & magical Mermaid Cookie Bars are so pretty, bejeweled with pastel colored m&m's, buttercream frosting, fancy sparkly sugar & sprinkles galore! We even added some white chocolate chips in our cookie bars!
These tasty bars are perfect for your mermaid birthday party and fun party snacks for pool/beach parties and BBQs! They will definitely be the hit of the party!
I made these on a whim, when I had an abundance of pastel m&m's leftover after making some M&M Easter Cookies the other day. They were super yummy! Besides, who doesn't love homemade cookie bars all decorated up with sparkles and goodies on top?
Feel free to change up the color of your frosting and the theme of your sprinkles. These bars can be made to match just about any holiday or event you might be celebrating!
I got my sprinkles from Fancy Sprinkles. I used the Cotton Candy Sprinkles and the Haunted Mansion Sugar, but they have tons of glimmering sugars and sprinkles you can browse through. They do have a cool Mermaid Cove Sprinkle Medley that would be awesome on these too!
Mermaid Inspiration
I've always been fascinated with mermaids and mythology. Mermaids go back thousands of years and was first referenced in ancient Assyria, when the Assyrian goddess Atargatis turned herself into a mermaid. She was believed to be the inspiration around the world for thousands and thousands of years. She was the goddess of the moon, feminine powers and water and was worshipped 4000–3000 years ago in ancient Assyria and later on all over the Mediterranean.
As far as mermaids in my lifetime, I'm most familiar with Hans Christian Anderson
Ingredients You Need
Sugar Cookie Bars
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
Easy Buttercream Frosting
- butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- milk of choice
- Food coloring
or gel - purple, blue, pink or green are good option colors
Mermaid Extras
- Pastel m&m’s
, sprinkles
, sugars of choice that are Mermaid inspired colors like blue, purple and green mainly.
How to Make Mermaid Sugar Cookie Bars
Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the batter a little at a time, beating over low speed.
- Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Easy Buttercream Frosting
- Stir all ingredients together until smooth and fluffy. Start by adding 3 tablespoons milk and work up from there until frosting is the desired consistency.
- Spread over cooled cookie bars.
Extras
- Place m&m’s on top of cookie bars to resemble scales like on a fish and add any color-friendly sprinkles and sugars as desired. Cut into bars and served.
These festive bars are simple to make, which is why these Mermaid desserts will be a total splash of fun for your mermaid party!
More Delish Cookie Bars!
- Patriotic M&M Party Cookie Bars
- M&M Cookie Bars
- M&M Marshmallow Bars
- Easter M&M Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Christmas Cookie Bars
- Frosted Soft Sugar Cookie Bars
- Funfetti Party Cookie Bars
Mermaid Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 stick
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 cup white chocolate chips
Easy Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- Food coloring or gel - purple blue, pink or green are good option colors
Mermaid Extras
- Pastel m&m’s sprinkles, sugars of choice that are Mermaid inspired colored
Instructions
Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together 1 stick of softened butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the batter a little at a time, beating over low speed. Add chocolate chips if desired.
- Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Easy Buttercream Frosting
- Stir all ingredients together until smooth and fluffy. Start by adding 3 tablespoons milk and work up from there until frosting is the desired consistency.
- Spread over cooled cookie bars.
Mermaid Extras
- Place m&m’s on top of cookie bars, to resemble scales like on a fish and add color-friendly sprinkles and sugars as desired. Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
- Store any leftover bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
- To freeze your sugar cookie bars, place them in the refrigerator for a few hours first to allow the frosting to stiffen up, so you can stack bars together without worrying about the frosting getting smushed. Place the chilled bars in a freezer safe container or zipper freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before enjoying.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
Ooo these cookie bars look spectacular - such a lovely pastel colour combination!