**Post and photos updated July 2019**
I'm fashionably late to the unicorn party but I've finally made it. If the stores and my cousin are anything to go by, the unicorn trend is still going strong.
Say hello to Unicorn Cookie Bars. Soft, gooey and chewy cookie bars packed full of sprinkles, M&Ms and chocolate chips topped with a funfetti buttercream dyed pastel colours to really amp up the unicorn/rainbow feel of these cookie bars.
These bars are a spin on these Rainbow M&M Blondies topped with a beautiful, creamy and sweet vanilla buttercream.
*Note: These have been made successfully with gluten free flour.*
I went for a simple vanilla buttercream using only four ingredients. Butter, milk, icing sugar and vanilla extract. The key to a really smooth and creamy buttercream is using room temperature butter. Any harder and you will end up with lumps in your buttercream and any softer the buttercream will be too runny.
I also like to beat my butter until smooth before adding any of the other ingredients to ensure no lumps.
For these bars, you need to then divide the buttercream into three bowls and add a different colour to each. I went with red and blue and then combined the red and blue together to create a purple. What colours you use are up to you but I recommend using gel colours not liquid. Liquid can cause the buttercream to split.
When I frosted these cookie bars I blobbed each colour around the top of the bars and then lightly swirled with a knife.
The cookie dough is soft and chewy, gooey and packed full of M&Ms, chocolate chips and sprinkles. I add the sprinkles last and only fold them through the batter a few times so the sprinkles colours don't 'bleed' through the dough.
I hope you enjoy these Unicorn Cookie Bars and I truly hope you give this recipe a go and remember to rate and report back your results in the comments below. I love reading your comments! Also #lightscamerabake on Instagram for a chance to be featured and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for fun baking videos!
Unicorn Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Butter, Softened (110g)
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar (90g)
- 3 Tbsp. Icing Sugar (25g)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 and ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour (155g)
- 2 Tbsp. Cornflour (15g)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Cup Sprinkles (40g)
- ½ Cup M&Ms (120g)
- ¼ Cup Chocolate Chips (45g)
Buttercream;
- ½ Cup Butter, Softened (110g)
- 1 and ½ Cups Icing Sugar (185g)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 Tbsp. Milk, more or less as needed
- Red Gel Food Colouring
- Blue Gel Food Colouring
- ¼ Cup Sprinkles (40g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line an 8"x8" baking pan with baking paper.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar and icing sugar together.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour, cornflour, baking soda, sprinkles, M&Ms and chocolate chips and beat together.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for around 20 minutes. The top and sides should be golden and the middle will be slightly wobbly for the goo factor.
- Allow the slcie to cool completely before icing with the buttercream.
- For the buttercream;
- Beat the butter until smooth.
- Add in the icing sugar and vanilla essence and beat.
- Add in one tablespoon of milk and beat.
- Add more milk if the buttercream won't come together or is too stiff.
- You want a spreadable but not runny consistency.
- Separate the buttercream into two bowls.
- To one bowl add a touch of red food colouring and to the other add the blue.
- Start with a touch and mix the colouring through and add more until you have the colour you desire.
- Place a dollop of each colour randomly around the slice and then lightly spread in an even layer. The colours may overlap in places turning patches purple.
- Cover with sprinkles and then slice and serve.
Nutrition
Karly
In love with all the unicorn things!! Cannot wait to try these out!!
Emma
I love how bright and colourful everything unicorn is. I hope you enjoy them!