Thick and chewy Sugar Cookie Bars recipe topped with vanilla buttercream frosting. So pretty and so easy to make!
The BEST Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars!
This Sugar Cookie Bars recipe is seriously the best. They’re soft and thick and chewy with a sugar cookie base and a dreamy cloud of buttercream frosting.
Here’s why you’ll love this bar cookies recipe!
- Quick and easy – no dough chilling or ball rolling
- Thick, soft, and chewy
- The perfect buttercream frosting
- Recipe can be easily doubled for a larger pan
- So many ways to decorate
- A vehicle for all the pretty sprinkles!
Perfect for every occasion and so much FUN!
Just switch up the color of the frosting and use your favorite seasonal sprinkles, and you’ll have a fun and festive treat for any occasion.
Ever see a pack of sprinkles that are so pretty but you don’t know what to sprinkle them on? These Sugar Cookie Bars are perfect for sprinkles!
Quick and Easy Sugar Cookie Bars
Bar cookies are so much quicker and easier to make than cookies. No chilling dough or rolling out cookies and frosting them one by one. Just 5 minutes to mix up by hand and 20 minutes to bake.
Because we’re using melted butter, the cookie dough is super easy to mix up by hand – no mixer required!
Perfect for potlucks, barbeques, and school time treats. They’re easy to transport and store.
Ingredients in Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar – white granulated
- Butter – Melted butter makes these bars extra chewy and super easy to mix together by hand.
- Eggs – One egg plus one egg yolk for extra chewiness.
- Vanilla – the star flavor in these bars.
- Salt – brings out the flavor. Sweets without salt taste flat.
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Confectioners’ sugar – sift it first so your frosting doesn’t have lumps.
- Cream – (or milk) I prefer cream for thinning the frosting.
- Food coloring and sprinkles – to make them pretty!
How to make Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Mix up the cookie dough batter by hand in a bowl.
- Press into a baking pan and bake until the edges are golden.
- Combine the frosting ingredients and beat until fluffy and smooth.
- Frost the cooled bars, decorate with sprinkles, and slice.
Make the cookie dough
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and melted, cooled butter and whisk until the butter is absorbed into the sugar. Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
Press dough into baking pan and bake
- Press the dough into an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper or foil.
- Wetting your hands with water or spraying them with a little nonstick cooking spray helps to spread the dough easier.
- Bake until just set on top and the edges are turning golden, about 20 minutes. Don’t overbake! They will look undercooked but will firm up after cooling.
NOTE: All ovens bake differently
Some ovens run hotter and some run cooler. Some have spots that are hotter than other areas. A cheap oven thermometer will ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature.
How do you know when the Sugar Cookie Bars are done?
These Sugar Cookie Bars are done when the edges are lightly golden brown and the top is set. They will seem a little undercooked, but will firm up as they cool. Overbaked bars are dry and crumbly.
Make the frosting
With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides halfway through, about 2 minutes. Add more cream if needed to thin the frosting.
Frost and decorate the bar cookies
Make sure the bar cookies are completely cooled to room temperature before frosting or the buttercream will melt.
Spread the frosting on the cooled bars, smoothing it out with a spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if using. Cut into 9 or 16 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
How to cut bar cookies neatly and evenly
Here are a few tips to get perfectly sliced bar cookies:
- Let the frosting rest until it sets.
- Use a long, clean knife to slice.
- Rinse and wipe the knife after each cut.
- Use a ruler to make all the bars the same size.
Tips for Success:
- Don’t overbake! Bake until the bars are set on top and just turning golden on the edges. They will continue baking after removing from oven and will firm up while cooling.
- Measure your flour carefully. If you can, measure by weight. Otherwise, I’ve used the spoon and level method here. There’s a significant difference between measuring method and even different sets of measuring cups. Too much flour will make a dry cookie bar.
- When making the frosting use a cool, room temperature butter. If the butter is too warm, the frosting won’t be smooth and fluffy.
- Line the baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper so you can easily lift the entire cookie bar out of the pan.
- These cookie bars are super sweet. You can make only a half batch of the frosting if you’d like them less sweet.
FAQ
What size pan do I use for these Sugar Cookie Bars
This recipe fits an 8 by8-inch or a 9 by 9-inch square pan. I’ve used an 8 by 8-inch baking pan here. The bars will be slightly thinner in a 9 by 9-inch pan.
Can I double this Sugar Cookie Bars recipe
Yes. You can double the recipe and use a 9 by 13-inch pan. Add a few minutes onto the baking time.
How long will Sugar Cookie Bars stay fresh?
They will stay fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature or a week at room temperature.
How do you keep bar cookies soft?
Put the bars into an airtight container as soon as they’re sliced.
Can Sugar Cookie Bars be made in advance?
The dough can be made in advance and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Let the dough come to room temperature before pressing into pan.
Can bar cookies be frozen?
They can be wrapped in plastic wrap or put in a plastic freezer bag, either the whole big cookie or individual squares. Don’t stack in the freezer until firm. Let thaw to room temperature before serving.
Print
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
The BEST thick and chewy Sugar Cookie Bars with vanilla buttercream frosting. Quick and easy to make bar cookies recipe!
Ingredients
For the sugar cookie bars:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (6.7oz, 190g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (4oz, 113g), melted and cooled
- ¾ cup white sugar (5.25oz, 149g)
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
For the frosting:
- 6 tablespoons (3oz, 85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (8.6oz, 245g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- A drop or two of gel food coloring (optional)
- Assorted sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan by lining with aluminum foil or parchment. Spray the foil or parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and melted, cooled butter and whisk until the butter is absorbed into the sugar. Add egg and egg yolk and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
- Press into prepared baking pan. Bake until just set on top and the edges are turning golden, about 30 minutes. Don’t overbake! They will look undercooked but will firm up after cooling.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting:
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides halfway through, about 4 minutes. Add more cream if needed to thin the frosting.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled bars, smoothing it out with a spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if using. Cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9 by 13-inch pan. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
Don’t overbake! Bake until the bars are set on top and just turning golden on the edges. They will continue baking after removing from oven and will firm up while cooling.
Measure your flour carefully. If you can, measure by weight. Otherwise, I’ve used the spoon and level method here. There’s a significant difference between measuring method and even different sets of measuring cups. Too much flour will make a dry cookie bar.
When making the frosting use a cool, room temperature butter. If the butter is too warm, the frosting won’t be smooth and fluffy.
These cookie bars are super sweet. You can make only a half batch of the frosting if you’d like them less sweet.
- Category: dessert
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookie bars, sugar cookies, bars, sugar cookie bars, bar cookies
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