Life is too short to not have fun. What is more fun than a playful and colorful cookie? How about these Gluten and Dairy Free Cookie Monster Bars?
Cookie Monster had it right. C is for cookie and that's good enough for me. These fun and festive cookie bars combine both familiar ingredients and a little surprise. Soft, chewy, and completely irresistable!
Seeing Blue
When nothing goes right, go left. Anytime is a good time for cookies, especially these Gluten and Dairy Free Cookie Monster Bars. These cheery treats are sure to delight both children and adults alike.
It's not easy being blue, unless it's the beautiful bluish green of these sugar cookie bars. They get a burst of natural color from butterfly pea powder. This natural pigment is derived from the butterfly pea flower. When it's mixed with an acid such as lemon juice it's transformed into a gorgeous purple color.
While the color of these sugar cookie bars is amazing, the flavor and texture is equally as special. Almond extract lightly perfumes every bite.
These Gluten and Dairy Free Cookie Monster Bars are really is like a high five for the stomach. The easy Dairy Free butter cream gets both its color and flavor from the addition of cotton candy extract. I love using Amoretti for all of my extracts. They're naturally flavored, highly concentrated, and free of artificial ingredients.
In addition to a full line of extracts they carry everything you will need to elevate your baking. From nut flours perfect for Gluten Free recipes, to food colors and seed butters.
How to Make Gluten Free Cookie Monster Bars
These bars are not only delicious, they're easy! They're also a perfect make ahead dessert.
Time needed: 3 hours.
Make someone's day with these pretty sweet treats!
- Dough Time
Make sure your Dairy Free butter is at room temperature. Add your butter and sugar to a bowl and mix on high for 3 minutes. It should be light and fluffy.
Add in the almond extra and eggs and mix. Add in your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. - Cool Down
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to refrigerate for at least two hours. You can make the dough the night before.
- Bake it Up
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray and 8x8 baking dish with nonstick baking spray. Press the dough into the pan. Allow the dough to bake for 11-13 minutes.
Remove the Gluten and Dairy Free Cookie Monster Bars from the oven. It should be sightly underdone looking, and also the top will be slightly raised. Take another 8x8 pan and press it down onto the top. Allow the cookie bars to cool completely. - Frost It!
Make sure your Dairy Free butter is at room temperature. Add all of your ingredients for the frosting to a bowl and mix until smooth. Spread on top of the cookie bars and add sprinkles!
Top Tips for Gluten and Dairy Free Cookie Monster Bars
Allow the cookie dough to fully chill before baking it. This will reharden the Dairy Free butter so when it bakes it doesn't immediately melt and create flat cookie bars.
Are you looking for more fun cookie recipes? make sure you check out my recipe for Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies with White Chocolate. Now let's get baking!
Gluten and Dairy Free Cookie Monster Bars
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 2 8x8 baking dish
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 1 cup Dairy Free butter, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cream of tarter
- 2 ½ cups Gluten Free 1.1 flour
- 2 tbsp butterfly pea powder
Cotton Candy Buttercream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup Dairy Free butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsp cotton candy extract
- Sprinkles for topping
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Add your Dairy Free room temperature butter and sugar to a bowl. Mix on high for 3 minutes.
- Add in the egg and extract and mix in to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Allow to refrigerate for at least two hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. It should be slightly underbaked looking and have risen slightly.
- Take another 8x8 baking dish and press down on the top. Allow the sugar cookie bars to cool completely.
Cotton Candy Buttercream
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Spread on top of the sugar cookie bars.
- Top with sprinkles.
- Enjoy!
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