The Swig Cookie Bar recipe on my site is one of my most popular recipes. I love them, too, and with my love of lemon desserts, combining the two was bound to happen.
I am thrilled with the delicious result of giving a lemon twist to this easy, crowd-pleasing cookie bar recipe.
All I did was add lemon juice in place of the water in the original recipe, a little lemon zest, and then top them with a nice lemon buttercream frosting. YUM! YUM! YUM!
The bars have just a hint of lemon and the icing is a perfect combo of tart and sweet.
More Awesome Bar Recipes
- Oatmeal Chocolate Fudge Bars
- Caramel Stuffed Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
- Golden Grahams S’more Bars Recipe
- Chocolate Scotcheroo Rice Krispie Treats
- Hello Dolly Bars
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
One of my favorite things about the Swig Cookie Bars is the unique texture they offer. They sort of melt in your mouth, yet have just the right amount of chewiness. They’re fabulous. The trick to keeping that delicious texture is not overbaking them.
They will look almost underdone when it is time to take them out but do it anyway. Overbaking will leave them dry, and while they will still have a delicious flavor, you will need a BIG glass of milk to help wash them down.
how to make lemon swig cookie bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly butter or spray with cooking spray a 9×13 pan and set aside.
- Using a mixer, thoroughly cream butter, oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until combined.
- Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Add flour and sprinkle in salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix for approx. 1 minute or until completely combined.
- Spread/press cookie mixture evenly into greased 9×13 pan.
- Evenly sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of sugar over the uncooked bars before placing them in the oven.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until edges are just barely turning a light brown. Do not overbake or bars will be dry.
- Let cool completely and frost with Lemon Buttercream Frosting before cutting.
- Frosting Instructions:
- Mix butter, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice with a hand mixer or whisk. Mix until well combined.
- Add in the milk or cream until nice and smooth.
- Frost bars when they are completely cooled.
- I prefer to keep bars in the fridge because I like them cold, but you can leave them at room temperature if desired.
Also, if you want the fancy-looking lines in your finished, frosted cookies, it is an EASY step. After evenly spreading the frosting, just drag a butter knife in diagonal lines about an inch or two apart. Then, start on the other side at the opposite corner and do it again. This results in nice diagonal boxes that once you cut the straight lines down, make for a nice, “semi-fancy” looking cookie bar.
It is hard to photograph white food, so I tossed some zest in granulated sugar and sprinkled it on top of the bars to help the pictures pop better. Just wanted to disclose that I don’t actually eat them that way. Just wanted the pictures to be pretty. But, hey, if you like zest, go for it.
Tips for making Lemon Swig Cookie Bars
- Do not overbake or the bars will turn out dry.
- For the best flavor in the bars and frosting, use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- When spreading and pressing the cookie mixture evenly into the greased 9×13 pan, I like to use a sandwich baggie on my hand. Spray baggie with cooking spray if necessary.
- I use 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice when making the frosting. If you want the icing to be more tart, add another 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice.
- When making the frosting, I drizzle the milk or cream into the frosting mixture until it looks nice and creamy, yet still a little thick.
Delicious Lemon Desserts
- ½ cup softened butter
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable oil
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- pinch of baking soda, approx. 1/16 of a tsp
- 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar (sprinkle on top of dough before baking)
- FROSTING RECIPE:
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1½-1¾ cups powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp milk or cream
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly butter or spray with cooking spray a 9x13 pan and set aside.
- Using a mixer, thoroughly cream butter, oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until combined.
- Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Add flour and sprinkle in salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix for approx. 1 minute or until completely combined.
- Spread/press cookie mixture evenly into greased 9x13 pan.
- Evenly sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of sugar over the uncooked bars before placing them in the oven.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until edges are just barely turning a light brown. Do not overbake or bars will be dry.
- Let cool completely and frost with Lemon Buttercream Frosting before cutting.
- Frosting Instructions:
- Mix butter, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon juice with a hand mixer or whisk. Mix until well combined.
- Add in the milk or cream until nice and smooth, yet a little thick.
- Frost bars when they are completely cooled.
- I prefer to keep bars in the fridge because I like them cold, but you can leave them at room temperature if desired.
Reader Favorites You Don't Want to Miss!
My family said this recipe is a keeper! I put lemon zest in the frosting, and it turned the frosting a pretty yellow along with a delicious lemon flavor.
Yum! I love that it turned the frosting a pretty yellow. Now I’m craving these!
#aigustgiveaway