If you love a good soft, chewy sugar cookie you’ll love Sugar Cookie Bars too! The same chewy consistency in bar form and easier to make then cookies! This sugar cookie bar recipe is topped with a creamy frosting and festive sprinkles that can be changed for any special occasion or holiday.
Everyone loves traditional sugar cookies, especially around the Christmas holidays. These sugar cookie bars deliver the same satisfying flavors and texture as classic sugar cookies with far less work! They are easy to customize too!
Instead of a cream cheese frosting we’ve whipped up a buttercream frosting to top the cookie bars. Frosted sugar cookie bars are a perfect addition to a collection of cookies for the holiday season or whenever you need a sugar cookie fix.
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Recipe Ingredient Notes
Unsalted butter. You’ll need a total of 1 1/2 cups (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks in the U.S.) and 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) for a combination of the bars and the frosting. Start the recipe with softened butter or room temperature butter.
All-purpose flour. Regular all purpose flour or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend can be used. We use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend for gluten-free baking.
Baking powder. This allows the bars to rise. Always be sure your baking powder is fresh and has not expired for best results.
Milk. This is added to the frosting to get the right consistency for spreading. We used whole milk (dairy) but any milk should work (any fat % dairy or plant milk).
Sprinkles. These are optional to decorate the bars but a great way to customize them for an occasion or holiday. More under Variations.
How to make Sugar Cookie Bars
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang over the pan sides for easy removal after frosting. Coat the foil in the pan with nonstick cooking spray (see photos 5-7).
STEP 2. Make the dough
In a large bowl, using an hand electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy (photo 1). Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix until combined (photo 2). Set aside.
In a second medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder (photo 3). Add flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture; mix well until a thick dough forms (photo 4).
Press sugar cookie dough into the prepared baking pan, spreading to the edges (photos 5-6).
STEP 3. Bake and Cool
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until edges start to brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (photo 7). Cool completely before frosting.
STEP 4. Prepare the frosting
In large bowl, using an hand electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until fully combined and creamy fluffy frosting. Add in vanilla extract and milk; mix until combined (photos 8-9).
If frosting is too thick to spread, add another tablespoon of milk.
STEP 5. Frost
Spread a thick layer of frosting over the sugar cookie base (photos 10-11) and decorate as desired (photo 12-13). Cut and serve (photo 16). TIP: Remove the bars from the baking pan with the foil overhand to more easily cut them into bars (photos 14-15).
Allow cookies to sit for 15-20 minutes until frosting has set before storing.
Variations
Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars. To make these into lemon sugar cookie bars. Add 1 teaspoon lemon extract, lemon zest from 1-2 lemons to the sugar cookie bars. In the frosting, replace the milk with lemon juice.
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars. To make these bars with peppermint, add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (in addition to the vanilla extract) to the frosting and add ½ cup crushed peppermints to the top as a decoration.
Change up the sprinkles. These sugar cookie bars are perfect any time of the year. It’s easy to change up the feel of them just by changing the sprinkles. Use holiday sprinkles (think Christmas sugar cookie bars, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day) or different colors and shapes.
Use cookie cutters! For a fun variation instead of cutting into bars use cookie cutters to cut the bars into shapes.
Change the frosting color. You can add food coloring (we love gel food coloring for the vibrant colors) to the frosting recipe to add color if desired. Do this after the frosting has become creamy.
If using gel coloring start with a very tiny amount and add more if needed. This would be fun for a baby shower with pink frosting or blue frosting.
Expert Tips
Dough sticking to fingers. If the dough sticks to you when pressing into the pan, spray your hand or a spatula with non-stick.
Using a hand mixer to make the frosting. When making the frosting a hand mixer will work to beat the butter and powdered sugar, though the time it takes to get to a creamy stage will take longer than a stand mixer. Expect 3-5 minutes during this.
How to store
Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Be sure the container is airtight so the cookies do not dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes before they are frosted. You can wrap the entire pan of baked sugar cookie bar uncut or individually wrap the bars in plastic wrap and then place into a freezer bar or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and frost.
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Recipe
Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie bars
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles for decoration optional
Instructions
Cookie bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13-inch by 9-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang of foil over the sides for easy removal after frosting. Coat the foil in the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, using a hand electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix until combined. Set aside.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients; mix well until a dough has formed.
- Press dough into prepared pan, spreading to the edges.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, until edges start to brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- In large bowl, using a hand electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat butter and powdered sugar until fully combined and creamy.2 cups powdered sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Add in the vanilla extract, salt and milk; mix until combined. NOTE: If frosting is too thick to spread, add another tablespoon of milk. Spread the frosting over the cookie bars and decorate as desired. Cut and serve.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch kosher salt, 3 tablespoons milk, Sprinkles for decoration
- Allow cookies to sit for 15-20 minutes until frosting has set before storing.
Notes
- If the dough sticks to your fingers when pressing into the pan, spray your hand or a spatula with non-stick.
- When making the frosting: A hand mixer will work to beat the butter and powdered sugar, time it takes to get to a creamy stage will take longer than a stand mixer. Expect 3-5 minutes during this stage.
- Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars. To make these bars with peppermint, add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (in addition to the vanilla) to the frosting and add ½ cup crushed peppermints to the top as a decoration.
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars. To make these into lemon sugar cookie bars. Add 1 teaspoon lemon extract, lemon zest from 1-2 lemons to the sugar cookie bars. In the frosting, replace the milk with lemon juice.
- Change up the sprinkles or color the frosting! These cookie bars as so easy to customize for any holiday or special occasion.
Andrea says
A perfectly delicious sugar cookie bar. Will definitely be making these again with the grandkids.
Karen Thompson says
I made these for a gender reveal party and using the sprinkles on top to spill the news! They were a hit. Really delicious and so much easier than making cookies.
Toni Dash says
So clever Karen! Thanks for sharing your great idea! I’m sure it was an exciting event.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Such a great recipe and I love how it’s easy to customise for different occasions.
Suja says
This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! I went perfect with my dinner meal. So good!
Darlene says
So much easier than cookies but the same end flavor results. This recipe is a find and a keeper!