Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
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Maraschino cherry sugar cookie bars are a fantastic dessert cookie bar. They are super sweet with a fruit crunchy cherry surprises with each bite. The icing topping is a bonus of cream cheese and powdered sugar. Sprinkling on some fun, colorful sprinkles that match the delicious red cherries.
What is even greater about this recipe is that you can make it even more simplistic by omitting the maraschino cherries. This would give you a blank slate of sugar cookie bars which you can add nearly anything. Additions like chocolate chips or mint chocolate candies or even peppermint bark pieces.
The holidays aren’t complete without these little sweet cookie bars. But if you are looking for something more for the holidays or for any occasion, check out some other sweets I have posted. My Texas Sheet Cake Brownies are the best and my Pumpkin Blondies are great for the Thanksgiving dessert table.
Cost to make this recipe.
I calculated this bar dessert at about $7.83 or $0.33 per serving bar slice. As a homesteader, there are very few ingredients that I can make, grow, or raise to reduce the cost. I
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Recipe adapted
This recipe was adapted from Creations by Kara food blog. All images and texts are original to Vintage Mountain Homestead. Please refer to our disclaimer page for more information about our recipe sharing.
Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 16 oz maraschino cherries cut and rinsed…[$2.24]
- 2 sticks butter divided and softened…[$2.00]
- 1 cup white granulated sugar …[$0.29]
- 2 large eggs …[$0.46]
- ½ tsp almond extract …[$0.26]
- 2½ cups all purpose flour …[$0.58]
- ½ tsp baking powder …[$0.02]
- ½ tsp salt …[$0.03]
Frosting
- 2 oz cream cheese room temperature…[$0.50]
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract …[$0.18]
- 3 cup powdered sugar …[$1.02]
- 2 tbsp red sprinkles optional…[$0.25]
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Drain and chop cherries into quarters or ⅛. Place cherries in colander and rinse well. Set aside for later.
- Cream 1½ sticks butter and sugar together. Add in eggs, extract, flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend all into a moist cookie dough then fold in cherries.
- Press dough into greased 9×13 baking sheet. Bake at 350 °F for 20 minutes. Set baking sheet on cooling rack and let bars cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat cream cheese, ½ stick butter, extract, and powdered sugar until frosting is made and is spreadable. Spread frosting on bars while slightly warm or cool. Shake on red sprinkles and enjoy.
Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 16 oz maraschino cherries, cut and rinsed…[$2.24]
- 2 sticks butter, divided and softened…[$2.00]
- 1 cup white granulated sugar, …[$0.29]
- 2 large eggs, …[$0.46]
- ½ tsp almond extract, …[$0.26]
- 2½ cups all purpose flour, …[$0.58]
- ½ tsp baking powder, …[$0.02]
- ½ tsp salt, …[$0.03]
Frosting
- 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature…[$0.50]
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract, …[$0.18]
- 3 cup powdered sugar, …[$1.02]
- 2 tbsp red sprinkles, optional…[$0.25]
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Drain and chop cherries into quarters or ⅛. Place cherries in colander and rinse well. Set aside for later.
- Cream 1½ sticks butter and sugar together. Add in eggs, extract, flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend all into a moist cookie dough then fold in cherries.
- Press dough into greased 9×13 baking sheet. Bake at 350 °F for 20 minutes. Set baking sheet on cooling rack and let bars cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat cream cheese, ½ stick butter, extract, and powdered sugar until frosting is made and is spreadable. Spread frosting on bars while slightly warm or cool. Shake on red sprinkles and enjoy.