Sugar Cookie Bars
Posted Dec 08, 2023
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These sugar cookie bars are chewy and buttery with a rich vanilla flavor. They’re easy to make with simple ingredients, and taste amazing slathered with homemade vanilla buttercream frosting and topped with your favorite sprinkles!
Everyone loves a good cut-out sugar cookie recipe, however these sugar cookie bars are just as delicious and even easier to make because there is no rolling or cutting required!
They are rich in flavor, perfectly sweet and deliciously chewy. Plus, they’re quick and easy to make because there is no chilling required.
Top them with the homemade buttercream frosting (in the recipe card or linked here), your favorite sprinkles, or eat them plain!
Sugar Cookie Bars: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. pastry flour, bread flour and all-purpose gluten-free flour are all possible substitutions.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well in place of salted butter.
- Granulated sugar. use white sugar or organic cane sugar for best results.
- Almond extract. optional but recommended- can be omitted.
- Eggs. Make sure your eggs are fresh and at room temperature. To get them to room temperature fast, put them in a bowl of warm water.
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: See this post on possible substitutions (note: we use half of this recipe)
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease, set aside.
Next, combine the combine flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl, then set it aside.
Then, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
Next, add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract beat until combined.
Then, add the flour mixture and beat until the dough is smooth.
Next, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake the sugar cookie bars for 25 minutes, or until the bars are set and lightly browned on top.
Then, let the bars cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting
Once the bars have finished cooling, make the frosting (see this Vanilla Buttercream Frosting post for more details)
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, vanilla and sea salt until smooth.
Then, add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until combined.
Then, add the milk and the remaining powdered sugar), and beat until smooth.
Assemble the Sugar Cookie Bars
Once the sugar cookie bars are completely cooled, remove them from the baking pan by lifting out the parchment paper. Then, remove the parchment paper and transfer the bars to a cutting board.
Spread the frosting on the cooled bars. Here are some delicious frosting suggestions:
- Obviously, this Vanilla Buttercream or if you like frosting with shortening, try this vanilla frosting.
- Or, try this chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Cream cheese frosting is a delicious choice.
- For a fruity option, try either this strawberry buttercream or lemon frosting.
If desired, evenly distribute sprinkles over the top of the bars.
Then, chill in the refrigerator until the frosting is set (about 1 hour).
Serve
Once the frosting has hardened, cut the sugar cookie bars into squares and serve at room temperature.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze sugar cookie bars in an even layer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe FAQS
Absolutely, double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ pan. You may need to increase the baking time from 25 to 30 minutes for a double batch, but still check the bars at 25 minutes.
Yes, of course. You can use store-bought frosting to save time. Or, you can try one of these homemade frosting recipes:
Vanilla Buttercream
Vanilla frosting.
Chocolate buttercream frosting
Cream cheese frosting
Strawberry buttercream
Lemon frosting.
I always use sprinkles without artificial food dyes. I suggest the Whole Foods Sprinkles or these Watkins Sprinkles.
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
Frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- Pinch sea salt
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract beat until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and beat until the dough is smooth.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bars are set and lightly browned on top.
- Let cool completely.
Make the frosting
- Once the bars have finished cooling, make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, vanilla and sea salt until smooth.
- Then, add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Then, add the milk and the remaining powdered sugar), and beat until smooth.
Assemble
- Spread the frosting on the cooled bars.
- If desired, evenly distribute sprinkles over the top of the bars.
- Chill in the refrigerator until the frosting is set (about 1 hour).
Serve
- Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. pastry flour, bread flour and all-purpose gluten-free flour are all possible substitutions.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well in place of salted butter.
- Granulated sugar. use white sugar or organic cane sugar for best results.
- Almond extract. optional but recommended- can be omitted.
- Eggs. Make sure your eggs are fresh and at room temperature. To get them to room temperature fast, put them in a bowl of warm water.
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: See this post on possible substitutions (note: we use half of this recipe)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these as soon as I saw the video on Instagram because they looked so good (and easy)! My husband loves the cheap sugar cookie dough you can buy from the grocery store and I wanted to give him a real treat. He and I love these bars! I added Christmas colored sprinkles and will probably make them to share with family on Christmas!