I love decorated sugar cookies, but rolling, cutting and icing dozens of them is a full-day project. Sugar cookie bars give you the same soft, buttery vanilla cookie and fluffy frosting, baked in one pan and sliced into neat squares. They are thick, tender and topped with a generous layer of buttercream and sprinkles.
In this post I explain how to keep the bars soft rather than crunchy, how to tell when they are done, the easy buttercream, how to decorate them for any holiday, plus a troubleshooting table, storage tips and answers to common questions. The printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post.
Why These Sugar Cookie Bars Work
A great cookie bar should taste like the softest sugar cookie you have ever had, with a slightly chewy edge and a tender, almost cakey center. The trick is a dough rich enough to stay moist and thick enough to bake evenly in a 9×13 pan.
- Plenty of butter. One full cup gives a rich flavor and a tender crumb.
- Two eggs and a little sour cream. The extra moisture keeps the bars soft for days instead of drying out.
- Baking powder for lift. Just enough to make the bars thick and soft without tasting like cake.
- Vanilla and a hint of almond. That combination is the classic bakery sugar cookie flavor.
- Underbake slightly. Pulling the pan when the center is just set keeps the texture soft and chewy.
Because the dough is pressed into a pan, there is no chilling, no rolling pin and no cutters. You can have the bars baked, cooled and frosted in a couple of hours, which makes them ideal for class parties, office potlucks and holiday dessert tables.
Ingredients You Will Need
These bars use everyday baking ingredients, plus your favorite sprinkles.
- Unsalted butter: Softened for the dough and the frosting.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bars and gives the edges a light crispness.
- Eggs: Two large eggs at room temperature.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture and a soft texture. Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt works too.
- Vanilla and almond extract: Almond is optional, but just a little gives that bakery flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Spooned and leveled, or weighed.
- Baking powder and salt: For lift and balance.
- Powdered sugar: For a smooth, fluffy buttercream.
- Heavy cream or milk: Loosens the frosting to a spreadable consistency.
- Gel food coloring and sprinkles: Optional, for a festive finish.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
The dough comes together in about ten minutes. The longest step is letting the bars cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line it with a parchment sling.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.
- Make the dough. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. The dough will be thick and soft.
- Spread into the pan. Press the dough into an even layer with lightly greased hands or an offset spatula.
- Bake. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
- Frost and decorate. Beat the frosting, spread it over the cooled bars, add sprinkles and cut into 24 squares.
Do not wait for the center to brown. Sugar cookie bars should stay pale on top with just a hint of golden color around the edges. If they brown all over, they will be dry and crumbly instead of soft.
The Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream
This frosting is a simple American buttercream: softened butter beaten until creamy, then powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat it for a full 3 minutes after the last addition. That extra time makes it light, fluffy and easy to spread in pretty swoops.
The pinch of salt is important because it keeps the frosting from tasting overly sweet. If the frosting seems too stiff, add cream a teaspoon at a time. If it is too soft, add a few tablespoons more powdered sugar. Tint it with gel coloring, which gives bright shades without thinning the frosting the way liquid coloring does.
Decorating Ideas for Every Holiday
One of the best things about frosted sugar cookie bars is how easy they are to dress up for any occasion. Change the frosting color and the sprinkles, and you have a new dessert.
- Christmas: Tint the frosting pale green or leave it white and add red, green and white nonpareils or tiny sugar snowflakes.
- Thanksgiving: Use soft orange frosting with fall leaf sprinkles and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
- Halloween: Tint the frosting orange and add black and purple jimmies or candy eyes.
- Valentine’s Day: Pale pink frosting with heart sprinkles and a drizzle of melted white chocolate.
- Birthdays: White frosting with rainbow sprinkles, plus a few sprinkles folded into the dough for a confetti look.
Add the sprinkles right after frosting, while the buttercream is still soft, so they stick. If you are making the bars ahead, add the sprinkles on the day you serve to keep the colors from bleeding.
Tips for the Best Sugar Cookie Bars
- Use room-temperature butter, eggs and sour cream for a smooth, even dough.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much makes the bars dense and dry.
- Spread the dough evenly so the edges and center bake at the same rate.
- Make sure the bars are completely cool before frosting, or the buttercream will melt.
- For clean slices, chill the frosted slab for 20 minutes and wipe your knife between cuts.
If you love classic holiday cookies, you will also enjoy my cut-out Christmas sugar cookies with royal icing and pretty frosted pink sugar cookies. For another easy crowd-pleasing pan dessert, try my chewy brown sugar pecan pie bars. Explore more ideas in my dessert recipe collection.
Sugar Cookie Bars vs. Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Cut-out sugar cookies use a firmer dough with less leavening, so they keep sharp edges when you stamp out stars and trees. That dough needs chilling, rolling and careful baking, and decorating with royal icing takes time and a steady hand. The result is beautiful, but it is a project.
Sugar cookie bars use a softer, richer dough that would spread too much for cut-outs, which is exactly why they taste so tender. Instead of a thin crisp cookie, you get a thick, soft square with a generous layer of buttercream. A single pan serves 24 people, and the whole thing takes about a third of the hands-on time.
I make both every December. The cut-outs are for slow weekend decorating with the family, and the bars are for busy weeknights when I need a festive dessert for a school party or a cookie swap by tomorrow morning.
Easy Variations
- Cream cheese frosting: Replace half the butter in the frosting with softened cream cheese for a tangy topping.
- Confetti bars: Fold 1/3 cup of rainbow jimmies into the dough before spreading it in the pan.
- Lemon sugar cookie bars: Add the zest of 2 lemons to the dough and use lemon juice in the frosting.
- Chocolate frosting: Beat 1/2 cup of cocoa powder into the buttercream with an extra splash of cream.
- Thinner bars: Bake in a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan for 15 to 18 minutes for thinner, chewier bars.
- Brown butter: Brown the frosting butter and chill it until soft-solid for a nutty buttercream.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely cause | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Bars are dry and crumbly | Overbaked or too much flour | Pull them when the center is just set and spoon and level the flour. |
| Center is gummy | Underbaked or dough spread unevenly | Bake until a toothpick shows only moist crumbs and spread the dough evenly. |
| Frosting melted and slid | Bars still warm | Cool the bars completely, at least 1 hour, before frosting. |
| Frosting too sweet | No salt or not beaten enough | Add a pinch of salt and beat for 3 full minutes. |
| Sprinkle colors bled | Added too far in advance | Add sprinkles the day you serve. |
| Messy slices | Soft frosting | Chill 20 minutes and wipe the knife between cuts. |
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
You can bake the bars a day ahead, cool them completely, cover the pan and keep them at room temperature. Frost them the next day. The buttercream can also be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated; bring it to room temperature and beat it briefly before using.
Frosted bars keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let refrigerated bars sit out for 15 minutes before serving so they soften. To freeze, chill the frosted slab until firm, cut it into squares and freeze in a single layer, then wrap and store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
For bake sales, I place each square in a cupcake liner and pack them into a shallow box. They travel well and look cheerful on any dessert table.
The dough contains raw egg and raw flour, so enjoy the bars once they are baked. The FDA explains why raw dough is not safe to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make sugar cookie bars without sour cream?
Yes. Use the same amount of plain Greek yogurt, or 2 tablespoons of milk for a slightly less soft bar.
How do I know when sugar cookie bars are done?
The edges should be lightly golden and a toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Can I use a different pan size?
Yes. A 10×15-inch pan makes thinner bars that bake in 15 to 18 minutes.
Should sugar cookie bars be refrigerated?
Not necessarily. They keep at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days in a warm kitchen.
Can I freeze frosted sugar cookie bars?
Yes. Freeze them in a single layer until firm, then wrap and store for up to 3 months.
Ready to bake? Here is the full printable frosted sugar cookie bars recipe with exact measurements and estimated nutrition.
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line it with a parchment sling.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined.
- Press the dough evenly into the pan with lightly greased hands or an offset spatula.
- Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.
- Beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt and beat for 3 minutes until fluffy. Tint with gel coloring if desired.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and top with sprinkles. Lift out with the parchment and cut into 24 squares.
Notes
I hope these soft sugar cookie bars bring easy, colorful joy to your next celebration. If you make them, please leave a comment and a star rating below and tell me how you decorated yours. Happy baking, friends. Chef Amber
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