The Best Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe! Thick and chewy, these frosted sugar cookie bars are easy to make and the most delicious dessert!
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When you need some delicious sweet sugar cookies, but don't want to deal with rolling out dough and cutting out each cookie, you need to try Sugar Cookie Bars!
They are a sweet and buttery cookie base that you can top with your favorite frosting and sprinkles.
Incredibly easy to customize for a birthday, baby/wedding shower, or any holiday celebration!
why we love sugar cookie bars
- Easier Than Cut Out Cookies: These bars are so much easier to do compared to sugar cookie cutouts- they're a must try!
- Best Texture: These cookie bars are perfectly chewy and buttery with a hint of vanilla!
- Perfect Party Treats: When you need something for a party or gathering, this will be a favorite!
Sugar Cookie Bar Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these cookie bars:
For the decorations you'll need:
- vanilla frosting
- sprinkles
How to Make Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated. Add the flour and baking powder and continue mixing until incorporated.
- Add the batter to a greased baking dish. Press down to flatten. Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
- Remove the cookie bars from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.
- Spread the frosting on top and decorate with sprinkles. Slice the bars & enjoy!
Sugar Cookie Bars Storage
Storing: You can store these cookie bars for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature or for a week in the refrigerator.
Freezing: You can freeze this cookie recipe for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw completely before enjoying. If you're freezing with the frosting, it might get a little get a funny. It's best to freeze the bars unfrosted and frost them before enjoying.
Variations for Sugar Cookie Bars with Frosting
Butter: Butter is essential to this recipe. We haven't tried it with dairy free butter but it may work! You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Sugar: We don't recommend substituting white sugar.
All Purpose Flour: We don't recommend substituting the flour, but you can check out this article on Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour or Substitutions for All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder: Baking powder is essential for this recipe. Do NOT substitute with baking soda!
Eggs: We don't recommend substituting eggs. Try it at your own risk!
Vanilla Extract: Helps to add flavor. You could substitute with almond extract if you prefer that flavor!
Frosting: We used store bought frosting for this recipe. Any vanilla frosting will work! You can use Buttercream Frosting, cream cheese frosting or even enjoy them plain!
Food Coloring: We don't recommend it, but you could add food coloring to the batter if you wanted a colored cookie bar!
Tips for Sugar Cookie Bars
- Add sprinkles into the batter. You can add ½ cup of sprinkles into the batter if you'd like these to be funfetti cookie bars!
- Use different colored sprinkles for holidays- these would be great for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Valentine's Day, or any holiday! You can also dye the cookie bars different colors by adding a few drops of food coloring.
- Flavor the bars!: Add lemon zest and 1 teaspoon lemon extract to make these lemon sugar cookie bars. If you love lemon desserts, try our Easy Lemon Bars!
Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe FAQ
Bar cookies are cookies made from a thick dough that is cut into bars instead of cut out cookies or drop cookies.
You can make them a week prior if stored in the fridge.
Yes, but we recommend not frosting them until you are ready to enjoy them.
Other cookie recipes:
- Spritz Cookie Recipe
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened - 1 stick
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For Decorating
- 1 cup vanilla frosting
- ¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking pan and set aside OR use a parchment sling.
- In a bowl or mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour and baking powder and continue mixing until incorporated.
- Add the batter to the greased baking dish. Press down to flatten. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
- Remove the cookie bars the oven and let them cool completely before frosting. (At least 25 minutes)
- Once the cookies are cooled, spread the frosting on top. Decorate with the sprinkles. Slice the bars & enjoy!
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