These mini egg bars have a soft sugar cookie base packed with mini eggs, and are topped with a fluffy, creamy cream cheese frosting. The frosting is speckled and blue just like a robin egg! Or a blue mini egg. There’s nothing better than a soft sugar cookie with fluffy cream cheese frosting! They’re perfect to make for Easter and spring.
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Mini eggs: The mini egg bars are packed with mini eggs! They melt in the oven and become soft and gooey.
- Sugar cookie base: The base is soft, buttery, and tastes exactly like a thick sugar cookie.
- Cream cheese frosting: The cream cheese frosting is light, fluffy, and has a bit of a tang to it balancing the sweetness.
- Easy: You don’t need to chill the cookie dough and it comes together in one bowl. And since they’re bars they’re much easier to make than cookies.
Jump to:
The texture
These bars are soft cookie bars packed with bits of crunchy coated mini eggs. Cornstarch helps the cookie bars stay soft without being underdone.
If you don't have cornstarch on hand, you can substitute with arrowroot starch or rice flour. If none of these are available, then add the same amount of flour. They won't be as soft but will still taste great!
How to cut mini eggs
Mini eggs have a candy coating so they're tricky and dangerous to cut. Instead - crush your mini eggs. Use the flat side of a large knife to crush them, kind of like crushing garlic.
Place the knife, flat side down onto your mini eggs. Place your other hand on top of the flat side of the knife and use your body weight to push down. It should break up into pieces. I crush a few mini eggs at a time.
Alternatively, use a rolling pin to crush them. You can place the mini eggs into a resealable bag so they don't roll around and make a mess.
The key to a perfect cream cheese frosting
Cream cheese frosting can be a touch tricky because it has a tendency to get gloopy. These tips will help prevent this from happening:
- Leave the butter at room temperature for 2 hours to soften and the cream cheese 15 minutes. The butter should be soft but not melted. The cream cheese should only be slightly softened.
- Use heavy cream instead of milk. This will help make the frosting light and creamy without making it watery.
- If the frosting splits: add more powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time - blending well and scraping down the sides.
- If the frosting becomes gloopy: refrigerate for 10-15 minutes and beat well, adding powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time if needed to help it come together.
Flavour variations
You can add your favourite flavour of mini eggs to the cookie dough. I've seen peanut butter mini eggs everywhere.
Add a quarter cup of sprinkles for even more colour and fun.
If you don't like cream cheese frosting, substitute the cream cheese in the recipe for butter.
Storage
The frosted bars will keep well refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
They do need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.
The mini egg bars taste best served at room temperature. That's because the butter in the cookie base and frosting will soften at room temperature. Leave the bars out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Key ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Mini eggs: Cadbury mini eggs taste the best in my opinion but you could use other brands as well. Search for candy coated mini chocolate eggs. Other flavours like peanut butter will work great!
Butter: A good quality real butter will give you the best results. It's softened when you can press on it and it gives a little bit of resistance.
Almond extract: This gives these mini egg bars that traditional sugar cookie flavour. You can omit it if you prefer.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Cream cheese: Use full fat, brick style cream cheese frosting. Soften it slightly so that it isn't completely soft and melted. 10-15 minutes at room temperature should be enough.
Heavy whipping cream: Anything around 35% milk fat will work great.
FAQ
Grainy frosting means the emulsion split. Add more powdered sugar, a quarter cup at a time, blending until it becomes creamy again.
Depending on the type of colouring, start off with a bit from the tip of a toothpick. Add more until you get the colour you like.
Err on the side of underbaking to prevent a hard cookie. And make sure the flour is measured properly, use a scale for the most accurate results.
Yes you can. Substitute the cream cheese for the same amount of butter (8 tablespoons) and add it in with the rest of the butter. Alternatively, use your favourite buttercream recipe or even use store bought frosting.
Check out these other recipes:
Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Mini Egg Bars
Equipment
- eight inch square baking pan nine inch square will also work
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Base
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour 240 g
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch arrowroot starch or rice flour will also work
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup mini eggs crushed with the flat side of a knife or rolling pin (don’t cut them!)
- ½ cup mini eggs whole
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened slightly
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- blue gel food colouring or natural food colouring powder
- ¼ cup mini eggs crushed with the flat side of a knife or rolling pin (don’t cut them!)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder natural or dutch processed
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Base
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Line an 8” or 9” square pan with parchment paper, leaving handles on the edges to lift out the bars after baking.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the salt, egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl frequently for everything to incorporate evenly.½ cup butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold just until almost all of the flour is incorporated.2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Halfway through, add the crushed and whole mini eggs. Mix until it becomes a cohesive cookie dough. Stop mixing as soon as no more dry bits of flour remain.½ cup mini eggs, ½ cup mini eggs
- Transfer cookie dough into lined baking pan and spread out. Use clean fingers dipped in water to help push it in all the corners and a spoon or spatula to smooth it out.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the middle is set. If you press into the middle, it should be soft but cooked (not underdone like a fudgy brownie).
- Let the bars cool for 15 minutes in the baking pan. Transfer to a cooling rack by lifting by the parchment handles. You can let it cool completely in the baking pan if you prefer.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and salt until creamy. Add powdered sugar, a ¼ cup at a time, beating well.¾ cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Add cream cheese, about a tablespoon piece at a time, beating well. Scrape down the bowl a few times and beat until very creamy and light.4 oz cream cheese
- Add vanilla and beat. Add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time to lighten the frosting, beating until the frosting fluffs up. Optionally, add a speck of blue food colouring to tint the frosting a baby blue colour.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, blue gel food colouring
- Spread frosting on top of fully cooled mini egg bars. Use an offset spatula to make a smooth top.
- Whisk together water and cocoa powder until smooth. Use a pastry brush (or clean toothbrush) to speckle the tops. Dip the brush in the cocoa powder mixture, flick the bristles back and release them to spray specks onto the frosting.1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon water
- Decorate the tops with more crushed mini eggs. Slice into 9 (3 by 3) or 16 (4 by 4) squares. Wipe the knife clean between each cut to get clean edges. Keep refrigerated and store at room temperature.¼ cup mini eggs
Nicole
These bars are the perfect mix of textures…dense and thick cookie topped with fluffy whipped topping. A delicious treat!
Mary
Thank you so much, so happy you enjoyed it 😀