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Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

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Comments 49
Last Updated:March 12, 2023Published:May 6, 2020
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The best soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth frosted sugar cookie bars topped with an easy vanilla buttercream. No chilling, rolling, or cutting required – just spread in a 9×13 pan and cut for the ultimate crowd favorite!

Making these for Christmas? Use the instructions in my Christmas tree sugar cookie bars post to turn these into adorable little trees!

Stack of the best soft sugar cookie bars
Pin this recipe for later!

I’ve gotten questions over the years on how to turn my popular Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe into sugar cookie bars and, well friends, the time has come! Introducing the most luscious, frosted, and soft sugar cookie BARS!

Soft frosted sugar cookie bars with bite

Why these are the best sugar cookie bars:

  1. They’re So Soft: This recipe for easy cookie bars are melt-in-your-mouth, buttery-soft and when topped with vanilla buttercream, are essentially a homemade version of lofthouse sugar cookie bars. They’re texture heaven.
  2. Quick to Make: While making cut out sugar cookies is fun, sometimes you just don’t want the mess or work! Make these in a 9×13 pan; no rolling or cutting required.
  3. No cutters needed! If you don’t have cutters on hand, these are the perfect way to make sugar cookies without cutters!

Tip: For birthdays, bake this in a round cookie cake pan to turn it into a homemade sugar cookie cake!

Stack of soft frosted sugar cookie bars with pink frosting and sprinkles

Ingredients for Soft Sugar Cookie Bars

  • Unsalted Butter (not margarine!)
  • Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • Vanilla Extract & Almond Extract
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Milk
  • Food Coloring & Sprinkles, optional
bottom of frosted sugar cookie bars with pink frosting and sprinkles

How to Make Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars:

Step 1: Make Sugar Cookie Dough

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar on medium speed for 20-30 seconds. (If butter hasn’t been softened, you can place in microwave for 10 seconds to *slightly* soften it.) 
  3. While mixer is on medium speed, add in 1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract.
  4. Once mixed, mix in 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 1/4 cups flour. (Add flour 1/2 cup at a time on low speed). Be sure to measure your flour properly using the spoon & level method, as adding too much can result in dry bars.
  5. Mix until all flour disappears, typically 20-30 seconds. You do not need to beat/mix this any longer than it takes to mix in the flour.

Dough should look like the below photo. When pinched between your fingers, dough should be similar to a playdoh consistency and not be very sticky.

sugar cookie bar dough in bowl

Step 2: Prep Pan & Press Dough

Spray a metal 9×13 pan with cooking spray, then line pan with parchment paper (having the grease underneath the paper will help the paper stay down).

Drop the dough into 1 tablespoon sized chunks into the prepared pan. Use your hands or a spatula to press down the dough until it covers the pan.

Tip: If the dough is sticky, you can place another piece of parchment paper on top and continue pressing down. To get clean edges, you can fold down the sides of the parchment paper and press like shown below.

How to press sugar cookie dough into 9x13 pan with spatula
9x13 of sugar cookie dough with parchment overhang pressing down dough to get clean edges

Step 3: Bake

Bake bars at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. The trick to soft sugar cookie bars is to take them out right when you see the TINIEST amount of brown around the edges. The center may look underdone and this is okay; the bars will continue to bake in the hot pan when cooling.

Allow to cool completely before frosting (you can put the pan in the fridge on a cooling rack to speed this up).

Baked unfrosted 9x13 metal pan of sugar cookie bars

Step 4: Make Frosting!

Once bars are cooled completely, frost with your homemade buttercream! If using sprinkles, add them immediately after frosting. If you wait too long, the frosting will set and the sprinkles won’t stick.

To make frosting: In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer (with paddle attachment) for 1-2 minutes (until light and creamy).

Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 2 cups powdered sugar. Once incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and beat for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk if frosting seems too thick to spread.

Pink buttercream frosting on kitchenaid paddle

Step 5: Cut!

How do you cut the perfect cookie bar? The trick to perfect slices is to make sure you line your 9×13 with parchment paper, ensuring you leave enough extra overhang so you can easily lift the entire sheet of bars out the pan. The trick to the perfect slices is:

  1. Place cooled, frosted bars in fridge for 30 minutes to allow frosting to “harden”.
  2. (Optional, if you’re feeling risky) Carefully lift the parchment out of pan (make sure bars are cooled; the bars are fragile and breakage is possible if you’re not careful!)
  3. Use a large butcher knife to do one clean cut across the center of the bars (do not do a sawing motion!). In between EACH cut, wipe frosting off knife. This way, no frosting “drags” across your bars and you are left with a clean, beautiful edge that looks like Pinterest!
  4. To get 24 even-sized squares, start with cutting the bars in half horizontally then split each of those sections in 3. Do the same vertically, splitting each half in 2.

If you don’t have parchment, you can use cooking spray and just cut the bars directly in the pan using the method in #3 above.

pan of cut sugar cookie bars with pink frosting and sprinkles

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you freeze these sugar cookie bars?

YES! These vanilla cookie bars are SO good frozen; they’re actually how we like them best. Simply store cut bars in the freezer for the perfect sweet treat when cravings hit. No need for sugar cookie bars from a mix when you can keep these in stock! Sorry not sorry, Betty Crocker.

Bottom of sugar cookie bars

Decorate for Any Occasion:

  • Easy & Basic: just keep your frosting white and top with sprinkles!
  • Baby Shower: Dye the frosting light pink or blue for the perfect for baby shower pink dessert bars, Valentine’s Day, or Mother’s Day! Check out my trick to achieve light pastel frosting in my post on How to Make Light Pink Frosting.
  • 4th of July: Split the frosting in 3 bowls and use food coloring to dye the frosting red, white, and blue. Then dollop on the colors in different spots, followed by spreading to create a tye dye frosting effect.
  • Christmas: Frost with green frosting and sprinkles, then cut in triangles for the perfect Christmas tree sugar cookie bars that look like trees!
  • Birthdays: You can easily turn this into a cugar cookie cake by making a double batch of frosting and piping decorative around the edges!
step 4 of how to cut triangle christmas trees out of 9x13 pan of sugar cookie bars

Want to use Cream Cheese Frosting instead?

If you want to make these sugar cookie bars with cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream, I’ve got you covered! Make a double-batch of my Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies and spread on top (you can even add sliced berries for a sugar cookie fruit pizza!

Since cream cheese frosting is creamier and not as sturdy, you will need to refrigerate bars for it to “set”. You will also need to store the bars in the fridge since it contains cream cheese.

Pan of strawberry fruit pizza with cream cheese frosting

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

The best soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars topped with an easy vanilla buttercream. No chilling, rolling, or cutting required – just spread in the pan and cut for the ultimate crowd favorite!

Author: Melissa Rose
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Category: Cookies
Servings: 24 bars
Print this Recipe
5 from 30 votes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave us a review

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Bars:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Buttercream Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • Food coloring optional

Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If butter hasn't been softened you can place in microwave for 10 seconds to *slightly* soften it.

  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed for 20-30 seconds. While mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg, vanilla and almond extract.

  3. Once mixed, add in baking powder, salt, and *flour. (Add flour 1/2 cup at a time on low speed). Be sure to measure your flour properly using the spoon & level method, as adding too much can result in dry bars. Mix until all flour disappears, typically 20-30 seconds. You do not need to beat/mix this any longer than it takes to mix in the flour. When pinched between your fingers, dough should be similar to a playdoh consistency and not be very sticky. Refer to photo above in post for how dough should look.

  4. Spray a metal 9×13 pan with cooking spray, then line pan with parchment paper (having the grease underneath the paper will help the paper stay down).

  5. Drop the dough into 1 tablespoon sized chunks into the prepared pan. Use your hands or a spatula to press down the dough until it covers the pan.

    Tip: If the dough is sticky, you can place another piece of parchment paper on top and continue pressing down. To get clean edges, you can fold down the sides of the parchment paper and press like shown in the post above.

  6. Bake bars at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. The trick to soft sugar cookie bars is to take them out right when you see the TINIEST amount of brown around the edges. The center may look underdone and this is okay; the bars will continue to bake in the hot pan when cooling.

  7. Allow to cool completely before frosting (you can put the pan in the fridge on a cooling rack to speed this up).

To Make Frosting:

  1. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer (with paddle attachment) for 1-2 minutes (until light and creamy).

  2. Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in vanilla extract, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Once incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and beat for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk if frosting seems too thick to spread.

  3. If using sprinkles, add them immediately after frosting. If you wait too long, the frosting will set and the sprinkles won't stick.

Cutting & Storage:

  1. Refer to the tips in the post above on how to cut the perfect squares!

  2. If not eating same day or within 3-4 hours, place in airtight container and store in refrigerator for 2-3 days. These bars are also amazing frozen for 1-2 months (any longer and they tend to dry out).

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.

Recipe Notes

Cream Cheese Frosting Option: If you want to make these sugar cookie bars with cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream, I’ve got you covered! Make a double-batch of my Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies and spread on top (you can even add sliced berries for a sugar cookie fruit pizza!

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal
Fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 37mg
Sodium: 54mg
Potassium: 43mg
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 18g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A: 364%
Calcium: 18%
Iron: 1%

Did you make these frosted sugar cookie bars? Be sure to leave a comment below with how you liked them and tag me @designeatrepeat on Instagram!

Did you make this?
Tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat or leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out! I love seeing what you’ve made.
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Reader Interactions

49 Comments

  1. Leah Pichler says

    06/01/2022 at 6:30 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was super easy to make (even without a mixer) and was so delicious! My coworkers loved it and I’m definitely adding it to my recipe box. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      06/06/2022 at 3:14 pm

      I am so glad that your coworkers loved the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Leah.

      Reply
  2. Susan Rodgers says

    05/21/2022 at 4:31 pm

    5 stars
    These bars are absolutely delicious and super easy to make!! My family LOVES theM and we make them almost every week!!

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      05/23/2022 at 8:50 pm

      I am glad that you and the family love these cookie bars Susan!

      Reply
  3. Annie Ford Moore says

    05/11/2022 at 3:03 pm

    5 stars
    I used this recipe to make the easter carrots and LET ME TELL YOU…they were gone before Easter Dinner even started!! The most amazing texture and just SO yummy!! It was hard to stop eating them!

    Reply
  4. Sally says

    04/29/2022 at 10:57 am

    5 stars
    Family’s favorite and requested at birthday parties, showers, and just any time family is home. Just requested for grandson’s 1st birthday! I’m thinking I will make this in a large cookie sheet pan (20″ x 14″ I think), do you think doubling the recipe would work well? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      04/29/2022 at 11:04 am

      Hi Sally! So glad you and the family love them! Yes, I definitely think doubling the recipe for a sheet pan would work great. If you notice they’re a little thicker than the 9×13 ones you make, just bake for a few extra minutes. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  5. Paige says

    04/17/2022 at 10:30 am

    5 stars
    Soft, moist, chewy, delicious! The cut out sugar cookies are my go-to recipe but was in a pinch for Easter so I made the bars instead! They were a hit and equally delicious! Made things even easier on myself and bought frosting and died it orange for carrots and piped a few green leaves- gone by the end of the day!

    Reply
  6. Alex says

    04/15/2022 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    Made the easter carrot version of this for my family and it was an instant hit. Going to be a recipe worthy of repeating year after year for sure.

    Reply
  7. Carrie says

    01/03/2022 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    These are so delicious!!! The sugar cookie is super soft, melt in your mouth good. My son told me these were his favorite thing I baked recently too!

    Reply
  8. Kathryn Veit says

    06/04/2021 at 1:25 pm

    5 stars
    I made these with my granddaughters for a tea party. Easy and yummy!

    Reply
  9. Samantha says

    05/28/2021 at 9:30 am

    Hello! Can I add mix-ins like fresh fruit? At what point should I do so? Thank you very much!

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      05/29/2021 at 3:20 pm

      Are you talking about adding fruit into the dough? If so, I probably wouldn’t recommend that as the juices would affect the dough from baking and would probably be soggy. If you want to add fruit, I would use it as a topper after frosting.

      Reply
  10. Sally says

    02/09/2021 at 8:33 am

    5 stars
    These are sooo good! My daughter-in-law asked me to make for her upcoming baby shower. THANK YOU for such a tasty & moist sugar cookie bar.

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      02/10/2021 at 4:03 pm

      You are so welcome, Sally! So glad you loved them!

      Reply
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