I make sugar cookie bars every year over the holidays. My grandma always made cookies, my mother loved making Christmas cookies too, and so I carried on the tradition for years.
Until I started baking these easy bar cookies. I don't think I have made individual sugar cookies since and I kid you not.
Not to mention that I just love this sugar cookie bars recipe.
I could eat sugar cookie bars at any time of day or night, covered in frosting, sugar or plain! It matters not to me. They're the best bar cookies!
For years I used my own homemade, individual sugar cookie recipe, took my time and decorated each cookie one at a time. Once my son was old enough he assisted me and eventually took over decorating duties of this easy recipe.
Easy Sugar Cookie Bars = Best Bar Cookies
I'm not even kidding. Super moist, thick and oh so soft, these cookie bars will not disappoint, no matter what time of year you make them!
Now that I'm older and if not smarter at least more efficient, I make these amazing sugar cookie bars! I can decorate them in one shot and cut them any size I want or need.
For me that's a WIN WIN. Total time saver. No more chilling the dough either. These bars can be made with so much less effort than I am used to!
I've been making sugar cookies for so long that I think I almost am grateful for the break! ? Funny but I don't miss making the individual cookies like I thought I would.
I actually wondered how my sweet trays would look. Would my family ask me to move out? Ok a little dramatic but I started thinking about it.
I simply never mentioned it and no one ever noticed. Now I just stick with making these amazing bars.
These homemade sugar cookie bars are not only festive but they are soft and melt in your mouth delicious!
Imagine, a giant, soft sugar cookie bottom full of sprinkles, covered in whatever creamy frosting or toppings you want to include.
This sugar cookie bars recipe is the perfect treat for any occasion. That is exactly what you have here.
I have made this dessert for holidays like Valentines Day, Christmas and Halloween. That being said I have also made this decadent dessert just because I wanted to or craved it.
The best part is that you can decorate each in any way you want.
I usually include sprinkles to the dough unless I am out, which I have to say happens rarely. Sometimes I leave them with just the sprinkles mixed throughout with maybe a little bit of sugar sprinkled all over the top.
Obviously, you don't need to be a decorating professional to make these sugar cookie bars look fantastic. Let me tell you. It seems that no matter who decorates or how these bars always look incredible.
Including my five-year-old son. Maybe even younger.
Easy Sugar Cookie Bars Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- sea salt
- unsalted butter, room temperature
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar, packed
- large eggs
- almond extract or vanilla extract
- Christmas colored sugar granular sprinkles (red and green)
Frosting Recipe
- powdered sugar
- cream cheese, softened
- butter, softened
Topping
- Oreo cookies
- Christmas M&Ms (if making not Christmas cookie bars adjust colors for the season you're baking for!)
Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
The combination of ingredients in these bars make them extra soft and really as easy as 1, 2, 3. (Make dough, press into pan and bake, top with frosting. Recipes don't get easier. That is for sure.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease or foil/parchment and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl, and whisk until combined
- Add butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Mix eggs in butter mixture one at a time. Add almond or vanilla extract and mix until incorporated
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture half at a time and stir until just mixed in
- Fold in red and green sprinkles, gently (swap out colors if you're not making Christmas cookie bars)
- Spread sugar cookie dough or batter into prepared pan
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown on top but still shiny and slightly under done
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool
- While bars are cooling, add room temperature cream cheese and butter to a bowl or stand mixer and beat until well combined. Add in powdered sugar about one half a cup at a time and mix well
- Spread frosting over top of cooled sugar cookie bars
- Top with Oreo cookies and M&Ms
This sugar cookie bars recipe is absolutely the best way to enjoy sugar cookies without spending hours chilling and rolling out dough, cutting out individual cookies and decorating.
These sugar cookie bars are thicker than your normal sugar cookie bar. They cook up nice and thick with a terrific chew. They taste just like frosted sugar cookies but in bar form.
Not to mention a lot cheaper for the exact same satisfying sugar rush!
If you would like my old faithful soft sugar cookie recipe just send me an email and I will get it to you. If enough of you request the recipe I will simply include it on this post.
It is an amazing sugar cookie recipe I just find the bars so much easier.
If recipes like this appeal to you, give these strawberry sugar cookies a try. They have a flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
Storage
Serve or store in a covered container for up to four days, including the day you made them
Tips
- Use food coloring to dye the frosting whatever color you like.
- I use jimmie style sprinkles because they tend not to bleed but your favorite sprivkle will work.
- No matter what, do not overbake these sugar cookie bars. Leave them somewhat underdone so they'll turn out soft, buttery, tender and totally chewy
- Add your favorite extract flavors to mix up the flavor of the bars.
- Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper to make removing the bars from the pan so much easier
- Make sure your baking powder isn't expired as sometimes this can be the cause of a baked good not turning out properly
- Remove butter and cream cheese from fridge at least 30 minutes before needed so softened and ready to use or won't blend properly
- Use real butter, not margarine
- Sugar cookie bars must be totally cool before any attempts should be made to frost or decorate
- These easy bar cookies are thick! If you're wanting thinner bars you'll need to use a larger pan while remembering to adjust the baking time accordingly
Want more sugary goodness in your life? Try these amazing recipes!
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- parchment paper or tin foil
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cups light brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract almond extract
- ½ cup colored sprinkles, red and green
- cooking spray
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 ½ cups icing or powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter softened
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered or icing sugar
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons whole milk
Decorations
- 1 dozen Oreo cookies
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease or foil and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Parchment works great too. Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl, and whisk until combined.
- Add butter and sugars to large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix eggs in butter mixture.
- One egg at a time.
- Add extract and mix until incorporated. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, half at a time and stir until just mixed in.
- Fold in red and green sprinkles, gently.
- Blend until incorporated.
- Spread batter into prepared pan, as evenly as possible.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until starting to turned golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.
- While bars are cooling, add cream cheese and butter to a bowl or stand mixer.
- Beat until well combined.
- Add in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time and mix well.
- Spread frosting over top of cooled bars.
- Top with Oreo cookies and M&Ms.
- Enjoy every bite! Serve or store in a covered container for up to 4 days.
Alternate Frosting
- While the bars cool, make the frosting by placing the butter into a large bowl with an electric hand mixture and whipping until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and milk, stir it in until combined.
- Then place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Spread on cooled bars.
Notes
- These sugar cookie bars are thicker than your normal sugar cookie bar. They cook up nice and thick with a terrific chew. They taste just like frosted sugar cookies but in bar form.
- You can add coloring to the frosting whatever color you like.
- I use jimmie style sprinkles because they tend not to bleed.
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