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Sugar Cookie Bars are a simplified version of the classic sugar cookies, made so much easier because there’s no chilling, cutting, or rolling required. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare both the from scratch batter and frosting for these soft and chewy bars that bake into a delicious dessert with a thick, buttery base and flavorful, pretty pink frosting.
Best Sugar Cookie Bars
These homemade Sugar Cookie Bars are so much easier and faster to make than the standard cut-out sugar cookies, but taste just as sweet and melt-in-your mouth tender without all of the extra work. In a matter of minutes, you can make a cookie dough that is simply pressed into the bottom of a pan, baked, frosted, and topped with colorful sprinkles.
I love how the fluffy frosting on top is just as thick as the cookie below; they are perfectly pretty for any party and can be customized with other colors to match your celebration. To make my sugar cookie bars ultra soft and chewy, I add an extra egg yolk for maximum moisture and tenderness, so you can sink your teeth into the best square slice of a sugar cookie meant for sharing.
If you’re looking for a classic cut-out sugar cookie recipe, check out my 4th of July Sugar Cookies and my Christmas Sugar Cookies.
Why We Love This Sugar Cookie Bars
- Quick and easy to prepare in 10 minutes.
- Uses simple kitchen-staple ingredients.
- No need to chill the batter—just press the dough into the pan and bake right away.
- Soft and chewy sugar cookie base topped with creamy fluffy frosting and festive sprinkles.
- Perfect for party platters, potlucks, dessert trays, or sweet snacks.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Liquid red food coloring
- Rainbow sprinkles
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
Substitutions and Additions
- Customize Your Cookie Bars: You change the color of your frosting and sprinkles and/or use different shapes of sprinkles to match the theme or holiday you’re celebrating. Use red and green sprinkles for Christmas, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, red, white, and blue for the 4th, or pretty pastel colors for Easter or a baby shower.
- Omit The Extract: Omit the vanilla extract and use citrus zest instead (orange, lemon, lime). Or you can swap the vanilla extract for almond extract.
Recommended Tools
- 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring tools
- Hand mixer
- Offset spatula
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar Cookie Bars are a quick and easy way to bake your favorite frosted cookie without rolling the dough or cutting it into shapes. This simple recipe is filled with the same sweet, buttery flavor of the classic cookie, but made without all the fuss.
- Make Wet Mixture: Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Add the whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue to beat for another minute until combined.
- Make Dry Mixture: Stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
- Create The Cookie Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes until combined. It will be a thick dough.
- Prepare The Pan: Press your sugar cookie bar dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Pro Tip: You may need to lightly wet your fingertips with cool water to help push the dough into an even layer. The water helps keep the dough from sticking to your fingers as you press it into the pan. - Bake: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
Pro Tip: You will want to slightly under bake these cookie bars to get that chewy center. - Make The Frosting: Beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, add the powdered sugar, and beat to combine. Add the heavy cream and beat until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar, beat again, then add the remaining heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt, and food coloring. Beat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Pro Tip: The frosting should be light and fluffy and all the food coloring should be completely incorporated. - Frost: Once your sugar cookie bars have cooled completely in the pan, lift the cookie bar out and frost them. Spread the frosting into an even layer using an offset spatula and garnish rainbow sprinkles before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Tips
- I used a liquid red food coloring for my frosting but a gel food coloring would work just as well. However, you will want to start with just a drop or two first to see if you get your desired shade of pink before adding more.
- Remember that gel food coloring is more concentrated than the liquid so you will not need as much in your frosting.
- You can change your color of frosting, and choice of sprinkles, to match any theme you may have as these make a great dessert for any party.
- Make sure your butter is room temperature when making the frosting for the easiest and smoothest spread.
- Cream or half-and-half is preferred for creamiest, fluffiest frosting. Keeping that in mind, milk would be an OK substitute if you do not have either on hand.
Storage Tips:
- To Store: You can store these sugar cookie bars in a covered container, in a single layer, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and cooled cookie bars, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw your cookie bars in the refrigerator while you make a fresh batch of frosting. You can then frost, slice and serve your sugar cookie bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
These bars can be made up to 1 day ahead of time. You will want to keep the cooked and cooled bars separate from the frosting until you are ready to slice and serve them. You may need to whip your frosting for a minute or so if it is too stiff to spread. You should also make sure to tightly wrap your cooled bars with plastic wrap and cover your bowl of frosting. They should be stored in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can use canned frosting in place of homemade frosting. I like buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting, but feel free to use your favorite.
The key to these sugar cookie bars is the super thick frosting. If you choose to use store-bought frosting, you can easily make the canned frosting thicker simply by mixing in one tablespoon of confectioners sugar at a time until you get your desired thickness.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Oreo Stuffed Cookies
- Creamsicle Cookies
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
- Blueberry Cookies
Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room-temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room-temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room-temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room-temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ – ½ tsp liquid red food coloring
- Garnish – rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350* F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper with enough to overhang the sides. This allows you to easily remove the sugar cookie bars from the pan once baked.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar, on medium speed with a hand mixer, for 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
- To the butter mixture add the whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Continue to beat the mixture for another minute or until all the ingredients are combined.
- In a small bowl add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes or until your dough is thoroughly combined. It will be a thick dough.
- Press your sugar cookie bar dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. You may need to lightly wet your fingertips with cool water to help push the dough into an even layer. The water helps keep the dough from sticking to your fingers as you press it into the pan.
- Bake the sugar cookie bars for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. You will want to slightly under bake these cookie bars to get that chewy center.
- Allow your sugar cookie bars to cool completely in the pan, on the counter, before lifting the cookie bar out and frosting them.
- While the sugar cookie bars are cooling you can make the frosting by adding the unsalted butter to a medium bowl and beating it on medium speed for 1-2 minutes with a handheld mixer.
- To the butter add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat to combine then add 1 tablespoon heavy cream and continue beating, on medium speed, until smooth.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar, beat again to combine then add the remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt and liquid red food coloring. Beat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy and all the food coloring has been completely incorporated.
- Top the cooled sugar cookie bar with the frosting and spread it into an even layer using an offset spatula. You can garnish your sugar cookie bars with rainbow sprinkles before slicing and serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: You can store these sugar cookie bars in a covered container, in a single layer, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and cooled cookie bars, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw your cookie bars in the refrigerator while you make a fresh batch of frosting. You can then frost, slice and serve your sugar cookie bars.
- I used a liquid red food coloring for my frosting but a gel food coloring would work just as well. However, you will want to start with just a drop or two first to see if you get your desired shade of pink before adding more.
- Remember that gel food coloring is more concentrated than the liquid so you will not need as much in your frosting.
- You can change your color of frosting, and choice of sprinkles, to match any theme you may have as these make a great dessert for any party.
- Make sure your butter is room temperature when making the frosting for the easiest and smoothest spread.
- Cream or half-and-half is preferred for creamiest, fluffiest frosting. Keeping that in mind, milk would be an OK substitute if you do not have either on hand.
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Hi I was just wondering what is ‘ whipped white frosting’? I live in Australia so we use different terms. Is it whipped cream? Or whipped cream cheese? I would love to make these:)
It was actually purchased in a can. It is frosting, just lighter and fluffier! Here is a link on how to make it on your own https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/whipped-cream-frosting-39013
Thanks Jennifer 🥰These LOOK GREAT 👍🏼👏🏼♥️ Shortbread is Awesome 👍🏼♥️❗️G-d♥️Bless😊
Great recipe – goes together easily. Mine may have over-baked as I prefer a cooked-through crumbly cookie, but admittedly went too far. Before the bars were frosted, hubs asked “Oh, is this for strawberry shortcake?” Reluctant to disappoint, I cut the pan in half, put half in the freezer and put macerated strawberries and whipped cream (with the remaining HWC). It was pretty darn tasty. So the cookie tasting will wait for another date. Thanks for sharing 🙂