• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Desserts Cookies & Bars

Vanilla Bean Cookie Bars

5
/5
59 mins
30 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 05/10/2013Updated: 08/17/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These vanilla bean cookie bars are delicate, girly, and delicious thanks to plenty of vanilla beans. Get the easy and fun recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Vanilla bean cookie bars are sweet and delicious, thanks to plenty of vanilla beans.

Front view of several cookie bars on white plate, with one bar on surface in front of plate. Text overlay reads "vanilla bean cookie bars. Rachelcooks.com".

Clearly I’m obsessed with vanilla beans. This is nothing that we do not already know. Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese, Vanilla Bean Buttercream, Vanilla Granola, Vanilla Bean Butter, Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts, vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. Should I go on?  Because there are also meringues, and pancakes…and…

Or perhaps I should seek treatment?

Vanilla bean lovers anonymous. Who’s coming with me?

Overhead of five cookie bars randomly arranged on black background.

I just love seeing those little specks of vanilla in whatever I’m eating. (PS: these are my favorite vanilla beans – they’re consistently good!) It’s pretty much a promise that whatever you’re about to put into your mouth is going to taste great.

Moreover, these vanilla bean cookie bars look so pretty and classy. That’s what makes these cookie bars perfect for a party or a Mother’s Day brunch. Girly, feminine and so full of fragrant vanilla.

Not into pink? Go more traditional and omit the food coloring for a classic white look. I think vanilla bean cookie bars are perfect in their pure white form for a bridal shower with pearly sprinkles or colored sugar to match the wedding colors.

Closeup front view of bar with bite removed, on black background.

Vanilla bean cookie bars consist of two layers: a vanilla cookie base that is baked and cooled, and a thick buttercream frosting layer that can be tinted with food coloring, if desired. Oh, I guess there are three layers! Sprinkles, colored sugar, jimmies, whatever you like to decorate with. 

Vanilla bean cookie bars are so versatile and fun–customize the colors to match the occasion. Enjoy!

FAQs

What is a bar cookie?

The difference between bar cookies (sometimes just called “bars”) and regular cookies is how they are baked. The dough can be quite similar. Regular cookies are made of dough that is formed into balls or dropped by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and baked. In contrast, bar cookie dough is pressed into a baking pan, baked, and cut into individual squares or diamonds. If you’re in a hurry, bake bar cookies since they are baked all at once in one pan.
You’ll notice that I call these vanilla bean cookie bars, not bar cookies. The two terms are interchangeable and I like cookie bars for this recipe because they are basically a giant frosted vanilla cookie.

Should you refrigerate cookie bars?

It depends somewhat on the recipe. If the cookie bars have a cream cheese element, like these Frosted Oreo Cookie Bars, definitely refrigerate them. If not, you could store the bars in a resealable container.
Most bars can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

How do you know when cookie bars are done?

Knowing when cookie bars are done can be a little trickier than normal cookies.
You don’t want to overbake a cookie bar because they harden as they cool. Check to see if they are set in the middle (firm, not gooey) and golden brown around the edges.

More Delicious Bar Recipes

Here’s a few of my favorites. You simply have to try the blondies if you like the vanilla bean cookie bars. 

  • Blondies
  • Snickerdoodle Bars Recipe
  • Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies
  • Red Velvet Gooey Butter Bars
  • Chocolate Chip Blondies
  • Best Rice Krispies Treats (I have a couple of secret tricks to make them even better)
  • Oh Henry Bars (with a peanut free option, too)
  • M&M Peanut Butter Bars
  • Peanut Butter Toffee Bars by Crazy for Crust sound really great, too!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Single cookie bar square in front of plate containing several bars.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Vanilla Bean Cookie Bars

5 from 5 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 14 mins
Additional Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 59 mins
24 bars
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Vanilla bean cookie bars are sweet and delicious, thanks to plenty of vanilla beans.

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • the seeds scraped from one vanilla bean
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting Layer

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • the seeds scraped from one vanilla bean
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • gel food coloring (optional)
  • sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13 pan by spraying it lightly with baking spray, lining with parchment paper and spraying again.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together butter, salt, sugar and vanilla beans. Add egg yolks and mix well. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms.
  • Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until firm. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Meanwhile, combine all of the frosting ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until fluffy.
  • Spread the frosting over the cooled cookie base and immediately sprinkle with sprinkles.
  • Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before slicing into bars and serving.

Notes

  • Leave the frosting white, or tint it with a different color. Use whatever sprinkles or jimmies you like.
  • Don’t have vanilla beans? Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract in the bottom layer, and increase vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons in the frosting layer.
  • Bars can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 23mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 382IU, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It

Remember to head to Monday’s post for a Hibiscus Pear Brunch Cocktail! 

Free email series

5 Time & Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Closeup of cookie bar square, with 3 others in background.
    Orange Creamsicle Cookie Bars
  • Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues
  • Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Vanilla Bean Whipped Butter
  • Stack of three frosted oreo cookie bars.
    Frosted Oreo Cookie Bars
Overhead view of muffin on plate with muffins in tin in the background.
Previous Post
Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Muffins
Quinoa salad on small square white plate garnished with half slice of orange.
Next Post
Quinoa Salad with Grapes and Celery Recipe

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. M says

    May 11, 2018 at 3:00 am

    Could I just keep using vanilla extract instead of the bean? It’s too expensive for me. Thanks! They look so good!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 11, 2018 at 8:22 am

      Absolutely – it is ridiculously expensive! The vanilla flavor won’t be quite as strong but they’ll still be super tasty.

      Reply
  2. Stefani says

    January 15, 2016 at 2:37 am

    unique recipes,
    I have tried at home and my children very loved it & can’t stop eating.
    Thanks for your recipes

    Reply
  3. lisa g. says

    April 8, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    Yummy, I love vanilla! Can I use vanilla bean paste in place of the bean? Its what I have on hand. Thank you! Now its time to devour the rest of your blog!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      April 8, 2015 at 9:32 pm

      Yes — that would definitely work! I’m a firm believer in vanilla bean paste in everything. ;)

      Reply
  4. Kristy says

    June 26, 2014 at 4:16 am

    Made these last weekend! So yummy! Thank you for the recipe share :)

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      June 26, 2014 at 8:06 am

      So glad you liked them! Thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  5. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

    May 17, 2013 at 8:18 am

    Two yrs ago around valentine’s day I made some sugar cookie/snickerdoodle cookie bars with pink frosting! These remind me of that and I love the way they look SUPER moist, soft, and buttery!

    Reply
  6. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says

    May 14, 2013 at 10:25 am

    I am a sucker for all things vanilla. And PINK!

    Reply
  7. Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says

    May 13, 2013 at 3:58 pm

    These are so gorgeous! They sound so yummy too and I love the pink frosting!

    Reply
  8. Rayna says

    May 13, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    These are too cute! I can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
  9. Dina says

    May 13, 2013 at 10:42 am

    they look yummy!

    Reply
  10. Kathryn says

    May 13, 2013 at 4:11 am

    These are so pretty! I’m another one who can’t resist those little flecks of vanilla; these sound so delicious!

    Reply
  11. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says

    May 12, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    I love these Rachel! We are huge vanilla fans at our house and I just ordered 25 more beans. I think I am making these later this week!

    Reply
  12. claire @ the realistic nutritionist says

    May 12, 2013 at 7:17 pm

    I really would eat the entire pan of this. No shame.

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled