Sugar Cookie Bars

We love making this sugar cookie recipe for the holidays, such as Halloween and Valentine’s Day. There is something about this soft and chewy cookie that makes the holidays extra special. But these Sugar Cookie Bars are easier to make and we still get the flavors, texture of a sugar cookie.

If you are a Sugar Cookie lover like my family is, make these bars or this Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe. Sugar cookies make the perfect sweet treat.

Why This Recipe Works

We love making these sugar cookie bars for many reasons. They are made with easy ingredients. Are simple to make and I can change the frosting and sprinkles to what holiday I am celebrating.

They are also extremely delicious so it makes it easy to make them.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Bars

• Unsalted butter, softened — always soften to true room temperature before creaming. Butter that is too cold does not cream properly and gives you a dense bar. Butter that is too soft or melted makes the bars greasy and flat. The right temperature is when you can press a finger in and leave an indent without the butter sliding
• Granulated sugar — sweetens the bars and helps create the soft chewy texture through the creaming process. Do not reduce — the sugar is essential for both flavor and structure
• Large eggs — bind the dough and add richness and structure throughout
• Vanilla extract — always use pure vanilla extract for the warmest most authentic sugar cookie flavor. Almond extract gives a slightly different but equally delicious result
• All-purpose flour — the structure of the bars. Always measure by spooning into the cup and leveling off — never scoop directly from the bag. See the flour measuring section below for why this matters
• Baking powder — the leavening agent that gives the bars their slight lift and soft tender texture. Always check the expiration date — old baking powder gives you flat dense bars
• Salt — balances the sweetness and enhances every other flavor. Never skip even in sweet recipes

For the Frosting

• Unsalted butter, softened — always softened to room temperature for the smoothest creamiest frosting. Cold butter leaves lumps that never fully incorporate
• Powdered sugar — always sift before using to prevent lumps in the finished frosting. Sifted powdered sugar gives you the smoothest most spreadable result
• Whole milk — thins the frosting to the perfect spreadable consistency. Add one tablespoon at a time until you reach your preferred thickness — a thicker frosting holds its shape better for piping
• Vanilla extract — adds warmth to the frosting that balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar
• Food coloring, optional — gel food coloring gives the most vibrant color with the least amount added. Liquid food coloring works but requires more drops to achieve the same intensity and can thin the frosting slightly
• Sprinkles, optional — always use jimmies style sprinkles in the dough if adding any — round nonpareils bleed color into the batter during baking and turn the dough grey. Jimmies hold their color and shape throughout baking

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

How to Measure Flour for Sugar Cookie Bars

Too much flour is the number one reason sugar cookie bars come out dry and dense instead of soft and chewy — and the most common way to add too much flour is by scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour bag.

When you scoop the cup into the bag the flour compacts and you can pack in 20–30% more than the recipe calls for. Here is the correct method every time:

Step 1 — Fluff the flour in the bag or container with a spoon before measuring.

Step 2 — Spoon the flour into the measuring cup using a separate spoon — do not scoop.

Step 3 — Level off the top with the straight edge of a knife.

This gives you the exact amount the recipe requires. If you have a kitchen scale weighing the flour is even more accurate — 1¼ cups all-purpose flour weighs approximately 156 grams.

How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars

Step 1 – Prepare the Oven and Pan – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9X13 baking pan with cooking spray. 

Step 2 – Mix together Wet Ingredients – In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and light and fluffy.  Then add in the eggs and the vanilla extract.  Mix for 1-2 minutes until they are incorporated. 

Step 3 – Add in Dry Ingredients – Then hand stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.  

Step 4 – Spread into Pan – Then spread the dough into the prepared baking pan and press the dough down slightly.  Bake for 10-13 minutes.  Be careful not to over bake. Baking the bars until they are golden brown.

Step 5 – Combine Frosting Ingredients – Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until combined and smooth. 

Step 6 – Add In Milk and Vanilla – Add in the milk and vanilla extract and mix for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Then dye the frosting with food color (optional). 

Step 7 – Spread onto Cookie Bar – Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cookie bar and top with the sprinkles (optional). Then the bars are ready to slice, serve and enjoy! 

Recipe Tips

• Stand Mixer –  It is much easier to mix the sugar cookie dough using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. While you can use an electric mixer, I prefer to use my stand mixer for this recipe.
• Softened Butter – Allow the butter to sit at room temperature and soften before using. It will be easier to mix and result in a smoother consistency.
• Sheet Pan –  You can make thinner bars by using a sheet pan instead of a baking dish. Just keep in mind to adjust the cooking time for these thinner bars. They will not take as long to cook.
• Allow to cool – The bars should be completely cool before adding the frosting. Do not rush this step or the bars will not look as pretty.
• Use a metal pan. A metal 9×13 baking pan conducts heat more evenly than glass or ceramic and gives you cleaner sharper edges. Glass and ceramic run hotter and slower — if using glass reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and add 3–5 minutes to the bake time
• Use an offset spatula. The single best tool for spreading both the dough and the frosting evenly across the entire pan surface — much easier than a regular knife or the back of a spoon
• Cool completely before frosting. Even slightly warm bars will melt the frosting and it will slide off the surface rather than staying put. Allow at least 30 minutes of cooling at room temperature before adding frosting
• Do not overmix the dough. Once the flour goes in stir only until the dry streaks disappear — overmixing develops the gluten and gives you tough dense bars instead of tender ones

How to Decorate Sugar Cookie Bars

Decorating these sugar cookie bars is so fun to do. The options are endless and can be customized to what you are celebrating or what you have on hand.

• Change the Frosting – We like a buttercream frosting, but you can easily use a premade frosting or don’t frost it at all. Some of my kids are not big frosting fans.
• Change the Color – We made pink frosting for this recipe, but you can easily do a white frosting and put colorful sprinkles on it. Do a red frosting with white sprinkles. So many different ways to decorate.
• Add Sprinkles – We love adding sprinkles to these bars. But you can easily omit them or change them to different types of sprinkles. Feel free to decorate how you prefer.
• Pipe Frosting – To get real creative, you can even pipe a message on the cookie bars.
• Cookie Cake – Bake this in a round pizza pan instead of a baking dish. It will turn out like a cookie cake. You can use a piping bag to decorate the cake with frosting.