Indulge in the classic delight of homemade sugar cookie bars, an easy recipe that’s perfect for any special occasion.
Whether you’re looking for a sweet addition to your holiday table or just a simple treat to enjoy with your coffee, these cookie bars with their chewy texture and creamy frosting are sure to impress.
Serve these easy sugar cookie bars at your next family gathering, holiday meal, or wrap them up for a delightful gift. Their sweet, creamy flavor and soft, chewy texture are sure to make them a hit with everyone! It is like a classic sugar cookie, in bar form. The perfect dessert for the holidays!
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These do not have to be holiday-themed. You could re-work the colors for Halloween, Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, springtime, or anytime.
These soft sugar cookies (in bar form) are the perfect sweet treat for any time!
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
For the best taste, always use the highest quality ingredients you have access to.
To make these chewy sugar cookie bars recipe, you will need:
Ingredients
To make this sugar cookie bar recipe, you will need:
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Fine sea salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Egg yolk (from 2 large eggs)
For the frosting:
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners sugar/ powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream or milk
- Vanilla extract
- Optional: Gel food coloring
- Seasonal sprinkles for garnish
The key ingredients are a great starting point, but feel free to make this your own, with some minor modifications.
For example, I prefer white frosting, but feel free to add a bit of food coloring, if you wish to include a holiday frosting color. You could also jazz this up with a tiny bit of almond extract in the sugar cookie dough. Heads up: a little goes a long way! You could also use an alternative frosting recipe such as a cream cheese frosting, like the one I use in my carrot cake cupcakes.
Cooking Process
Here is how to make these frosted sugar cookie bars.
Make the Cookie Dough:
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x8” pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, making removal easier after baking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cream Butter and Sugars: Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat until fully incorporated.
Form the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Mix until a cohesive dough forms.
Bake: Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake until the edges are golden brown and the surface is set, about 21-23 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Make the Frosting:
Beat the softened butter with confectioners sugar, cream, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Enhance the festive look by adding a few drops of food coloring if using.
Make sure you cool the sugar cookie bars to room temperature first!
Them generously spread the frosting over the cooled bars with a rubber spatula or spreader.
Then sprinkle with decorative sprinkles.
Finishing Touches:
- Chill the frosted bars in the refrigerator to firm up the frosting, making cutting cleaner and easier.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the entire block from the pan and cut into squares on a cutting board.
Finally, slice and serve the sugar cookie bars. I hope y’all enjoy this modern twist on traditional sugar cookies. Let me know if you try them! And happy holidays!
Leftovers and Storage
Store any leftover sugar cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to a week, making them a great make-ahead treat for events or a simple sweet snack.
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
For the Frosting/Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring of choice optional
- Sprinkles as garnish
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x8” pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a bit of an overhang to easily remove the bars once they’re baked and cooled.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
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In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Mix in the egg yolk until just combined.
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Carefully, add the flour mixture and mix until a crumbly cookie dough forms.
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Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan into an even layer.
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Bake for 21-23 minutes or until they are lightly golden and the edges are slightly puffed.
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Allow to cool completely before icing.
Make the Frosting
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In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter, confectioners sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract, beginning on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, beating for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Pause the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during the mixing process.
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Optionally, add a few drops of food coloring and beat again.
Assemble the Bars
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Spread the frosting over the fully cooled sugar cookie bar and decorate with sprinkles.
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If you have extra time, set the iced bars in the fridge for 30 minutes to make slicing easier and cleaner.
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Use the parchment overhang to lift out the cookie bars and slice on a cutting board into squares.
Recipe Notes
- Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
- For Christmas themed cookie bars, buy Christmas colored sprinkles!
- I initially thought this would be best in a 9×13 pan, but it fit much nicer in an 8” pan. It was way too low in the 9×13 I think.
- If for any reason the cookie dough is a bit dry once mixed and not holding together, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk and mix together until it clumps easily into larger chunks of dough.
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