No cookie cutters or rolling pins needed to make these adorable Thanksgiving sugar cookie bars! Simply decorate and cut a 9x13 pan into triangles for the easiest (but cutest) treat on the table!
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Why I Love These Thanksgiving Sugar Cookie Bars
- No cookie cutters needed: These are made with my all-time favorite thick & soft sugar cookie bars – the perfect recipe when you don't want to cut out a bunch of cookies!
- No fancy decorating skills needed: As long as you can spread frosting and pipe a few details, you have the skills to make these adorable pumpkin pie slice cookies!
- Perfect size for cookie platters! After slicing these, you'll have 24 perfectly sized pumpkin pie slice cookies!
Psst! These use the same cutting method as my easy Christmas tree cookies, so save this idea for the holidays!
What You Need:
- Sugar Cookie Dough: My recipe is below. If you use premade dough, I would get two tubes to make sure it is thick enough
- Frosting: 2 cups total, my buttercream recipe is below
- Food coloring gel: Orange, yellow, and brown (I have the Wilton gel food coloring kit which includes all 3 colors)
- Star piping tip: I use a Wilton 30 or Ateco 842
- Round piping tip: I use the Wilton #5 round tip
- 9×13 pan: I highly suggest using a parchment-lined, light-metal 9×13 pan for these. Light metal will allow your bars (and any baked good!) to bake more evenly and prevent the over-browning that dark metal or glass pans can cause.
Tip: Piping tips are often much cheaper at craft stores than on Amazon. Or buy an off-brand set and get a lot more for the same price as one. They're often thinner metal, and the piping bags aren't very sturdy, but it's a great starter set.
How to Make Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars
Step 1: Make Sugar Cookie Bars
Use the recipe card below to mix your sugar cookie dough. The dough should have a thick consistency and soft texture. When pinched between your fingers, the dough should be similar to playdoh consistency and not be very sticky (if you use a handheld mixer, your dough will look a bit less solid than the photo below and that’s okay).
Don’t skip the parchment! Lining the pan with a parchment sling will allow you to get these clean cuts; it will be very difficult to cut these in the pan itself.
Step 2: Make & Color Frosting
While your bars are in the oven, whip up the homemade buttercream frosting. Once mixed, use the following amounts and color formulas to color your frosting:
- White: Add ½ cup white frosting to a piping bag with a star tip (Wilton 30 or Ateco 842)
- Brown: Scoop ½ cup frosting into a separate bowl and dye brown (2 drops Wilton brown + 2 drops Wilton yellow). Add to a piping bag with a round tip (Wilton #5 round tip).
- Orange: Color the remaining frosting orange (8 drops Wilton Orange + 6 Drops Wilton Yellow + 1 Drop Wilton Brown).
Tip: I use the Wilton gel food coloring kit which lasts forever and includes 8 colors that you can mix and match.
Step 3: Spread Orange Frosting
Spread orange frosting over cooled bars. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until the frosting is firm; this will help you cut clean edges.
Step 4: Cut Into Triangles
Run a knife along the edges of the bars (that aren’t covered with parchment), then carefully lift or slide the cookie bars out of the pan. Use the instructions & photo references below to cut.
- Use a large, straight-edged knife to cut the bars in half horizontally, then cut each half into half again.
- Starting on the bottom quadrant, use a sharp knife to cut into triangles. To keep clean edges, wipe the knife off on a warm, wet cloth in between each cut (or whenever the frosting is sticking to the knife).
- Continue until all triangles are cut (you should get 24 cookie trees). You can snack on the edge pieces.
Step 5: Pipe Details
Pipe brown frosting in a zig zag pattern on the edge of the triangle, then finish off with a white star in the center.
- Star piping tip: I use a Wilton 30 or Ateco 842
- Round piping tip: I use a Wilton #5 round tip
Tips & Variations
- Don’t overbake! 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.
- Use a parchment sling: Lining your pan with parchment paper and allowing an overhang on the long sides will allow you to lift the bars out of the pan after they are cooled. This will allow you to get clean, even cuts using a large knife.
- Use canned frosting: Even though the homemade buttercream is so delicious, if you’re needing to save time, you can totally use premade frosting! I find it helpful to microwave canned frosting for 15-20 seconds to help it spread smoothly (just make sure every piece of the foil seal is off the lid before microwaving!)
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: These bars do not need to be refrigerated but are so delicious chilled! Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days (they last longer but will start to dry out).
- Freezing: These sugar cookie bars freeze really well and are actually so good straight from the freezer! To avoid smearing the details, I suggest frosting them orange, cutting, and then freezing (wait to add the crust and whipped cream details until after thawing). I suggest freezing the frosted bars in a single layer for about an hour so that you can then stack them in between pieces of parchment paper and place in an airtight container. When ready to thaw, be sure to unstack them before thawing so that the frosting doesn’t smear.
Save this idea for Christmas!
I also have an adorable Christmas tree version of this technique (that is even simpler to make!). This one is great if you don't want to do any piping but instead use sprinkles and a star candy to decorate.
Did you make this recipe? If so, 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.
Thanksgiving Sugar Cookie Bars
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 not baking soda!
- ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Topping
- Orange, yellow, and brown food coloring I use the Wilton gel food coloring kit
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
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If butter hasn't been softened you can place in microwave for 10 seconds to *slightly* soften it.
- In a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter (1 cup, i.e. 2 sticks) and granulated sugar (1 cup) on medium speed for 20-30 seconds. While mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (1 teaspoon).
- Once mixed, add in baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons), salt (½ teaspoon), and *all-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups); adding flour ½ 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.
- Spray a light-colored metal 9×13 pan with cooking spray, then line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on each long side so that you will be able to lift the bars out of the pan (photo reference in FAQ section above).
- 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 FAQ section above.
- 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).
To Make Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat unsalted butter (1 cup, i.e. 2 sticks) 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 vanilla extract (1 tablespoon), almond extract (1 teaspoon), and powdered sugar (4 cups).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 1-2 tablespoons of milk if frosting seems too thick to spread.
Color Frosting:
- Divide and color the frosting as stated below:White: Add ½ cup white frosting to a piping bag with a star tip (Wilton 30 or Ateco 842)Brown: Scoop ½ cup frosting into a separate bowl and dye brown (2 drops Wilton brown + 2 drops Wilton yellow). Add to a piping bag with a round tip (Wilton #5 round tip).Orange: Color the remaining frosting orange (8 drops Wilton Orange + 6 Drops Wilton Yellow + 1 Drop Wilton Brown).
Decorate:
- Spread orange frosting over cooled bars. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until the frosting is firm; this will help you cut clean edges.
Cutting & Storage:
- Refer to the tips in the post above on how to cut the perfect trees!
- If not eating same day or within 3-4 hours, place in airtight container to stay fresh. These bars can sit out for a few days due to the sugar in the frosting keeping the milk stable. These bars are also amazing chilled or 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.
BH
I made these last year and they were a HUGE hit!!! They were so good and not too fussy to make! Thank you!
Melissa
So glad to hear that! Thank you so much for leaving a review!!
DiMarzo Beth
So cute, easy, and scrumptious!
Melissa
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Beth!
Alex
So good and super easy!!! My new favorite cookies!!
Andrea
Cute, easy, and yummy!
Melissa
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Andrea!
Debby
Pretty easy, and super cute
Melissa
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Debby!
Nicole S
Wonderful recipe and easy to follow instructions. These were so fun to make, not to mention simple yet delicious. Impressive to bring to your thanksgiving gathering.
Nicole
Wonderful recipe and easy to follow instructions. These were so fun to make, not to mention simple yet delicious. Impressive to bring to your thanksgiving gathering.
Melissa
So happy you loved the recipe, Nicole! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!