Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar cookie bars are topped with buttercream frosting and sprinkles. This easy recipe is a fun and sweet dessert perfect for birthdays!
Things are bright and cheery in my kitchen today with these frosted sugar cookie bars. The sprinkles simply put a smile on my face! I’ve been meaning to perfect a sugar cookie bars recipe for some time now. Baking cookies in one sheet, cutting and serving make things a lot easier! Plus, a pan of cookie bars just calls for frosting.
Why this recipe works: The batter includes cream cheese for extra soft and rich cookie bars. The recipe also calls for almond extract, which provides a uniquely irresistible flavor.
How to make sugar cookie bars
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Make the batter: Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Set aside. Beat together wet ingredients (sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and almond extract) using an electric mixer. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Bake the bars until for 20 minutes until golden and the edges are set.
- Make the buttercream frosting: Beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar until combined, then add vanilla and milk. Spread frosting over bars, cut and serve.
Pro tip: It is important to beat the butter and cream cheese together until they are a smooth consistency and no clumps. Room temperature ingredients are key.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe requires 20 minutes of baking, but if your recipe is for 8×8 or 9×9 sugar cookie bars, baking time may be less.
Once the sugar cookie bars have completely cooled, don’t cut and remove the entire block from the baking pan. Securely wrap the sugar cookie bar in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature and frosting.
Yes, the frosting is optional. If you’d like a festive touch, add sprinkles to the batter (about 1/2 cup) or sprinkle a few on top before baking (similar to funfetti sugar cookie bars).
More sugar cookie recipes
If you love sugar cookies, these recipes are a must try. To start, easy cut out sugar cookies is a must for anyone who likes to decorate cookies. If you like chewy cookies, try my classic sugar cookie recipe. One of the most popular recipe on my blog is for sugar cookie truffles. It’s a great use for leftover sugar cookies! For a citrusy twist, try these lemon sugar cookie bars next.
This sugar cookie bars recipe is perfect for birthday parties, girls’ night or simply a weekend treat! What are you making these sugar cookie bars for?
Get the Recipe: Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 2½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks or 170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (4 oz. or 113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract*
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Food coloring, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, if needed
- Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue to mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix to combine, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix just until combined (avoid overmixing). Use a rubber spatula to give the dough a final stir to catch any unmixed ingredients.
- Transfer dough to prepared baking pan and use a spatula to spread the dough evenly (the dough will be thick). Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting (about an hour).
Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter (with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer) until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar until completely incorporated.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla and beat until fluffy, about a minute. Add milk if frosting appears too thick to spread. See more buttercream frosting tips.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting on top of the cooled bars and add the sprinkles. Cut bars into 4 rows down and 6 rows across to create 24 bars. Enjoy!
Notes
Inspired by Brown Eyed Baker.
10 Comments on “Sugar Cookie Bars”
Thanks Haley, and I think these would also be adorable as an Easter treat. BTW, my boyfriend still says that your Nutella brownies are THE BEST brownies he has ever eaten!
These are indeed fun and sweet — and super pretty and tasty, I’m sure.
I am definitely going to make these with my kids. They are so cute and I know they will love eating them too. Thanks for the great recipe.
These look so cute! I love a good sugar cookie but a cookie bar with frosting? holy yes I will take this any day! 🙂 It’s such a unique way to do birthdays too~! Definitely will be on my list as birthday cake replacement! 😀
These are stunning sugar cookie bars! I love the sprinkles 🙂
They are so adorable and they looks very tasty.
These are delish and easy to make. I was looking for something easy to make for a school band fundraiser for my son and stumbled across this recipe. they look great and were simple to make. I decided I better do a quick taste test before sending them off tho the school, and I’m glad I did. The texture is really nice, soft and chewy. Definitely saving this recipe!
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly and cookie bar turned out perfectly. For the frosting, I substituted 4 ounces of butter with 4 ounces of cream cheese which cut down on the sweetness. My husband LOVES these cookie bars! 👍
We ONLY make these for special occasions because they are so yummy and they disappear so quickly!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!