Red Velvet Cookie Bars
Does it appear these devilish, ruby red velvet cookie bars are tempting us so, and then, even more with that smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting settling in quite comfortably, like they were made for each other? Oh Yeaaassss!
Servings: 18 bars
Calories:
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookie Bars:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened 2 sticks or 16 tablespoons
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla or chocolate extract
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Red Food Coloring or when using Liquid Gel Dye or Gel Paste Dye start with small amounts since it’s so concentrated to get desired color
- ⅓ cup unsweetened premium cocoa powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 - 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese softened I used 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla optional
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
- In large bowl, using mixer, cream together butter and sugar for approx. 4 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla/chocolate extract, and red food gel/color and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
- Mix until fully incorporated then spread batter evenly in pan. I used a butter knife to spread it, the dough is stiff and sticky.
- Bake for 18 - 22 minutes. I tend to under-bake cookie bars, so at 18 minutes, they are still cooking when you take them out of the oven, which give you really fudgy red velvet bars after they set up while they are cooling. I would not bake over 22 minutes if you don't want a fudgy cookie bar, but still want a decent moist bar. :)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In large bowl, using a mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar, mix in, then add the remainder with the salt and vanilla and continue mixing until combined. Add more or less powdered sugar, as desired for consistency purposes.
- Spread frosting onto the cooled red velvet cookie bars.
- Sprinkles acceptable.Cut and serve