Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookie Bars taste just like traditional sugar cookies! They’re so much simpler to make and can be baked in a single pan. 

Topped with fluffy sugar cookie frosting and sprinkles, these soft sugar cookie bars are a festive addition to any occasion.

Sugar Cookie Bars

These soft sugar cookie bars are one of those pretty desserts that get eaten first, especially by little kids who love sprinkles.

Not only are they pretty, but they’re also super tasty, there’s nothing dry or crumbly about them. And best of all, they’re a FAST recipe. They won’t require an hour of time to frost as individual cookies do.

As much fun as it is to decorate sugar cookies, sometimes you just don’t have the time. When you want the familiar taste of a soft sugar cookie in record time, this Sugar Cookie Bars recipe is the answer!

Another reason to make these Sugar Cookie bars? They require no chilling time.

With traditional cut-out cookies, you need to chill the dough before cutting and baking. When you make bars, you get to skip this step entirely.

Instead, all the sugar cookie dough gets pressed into a pan. Bake, frost, sprinkle and slice!

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Use a flat rubber spatula or a butter knife to spread an even layer of frosting over the top of the bars. Cover the top with your sprinkles of choice.

For the bars in these photos, I added some pink food coloring to the frosting and used multicolored sprinkles. Feel free to change up the colors for different occasions.

This is a simple, straightforward recipe that’s easy to adapt for any holiday or event. Try red and green sprinkles for Christmas. Leave the frosting white and add green and orange sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day.

The decorating options are endless!

Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the dough into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake or you will end up with dry bars. Let cool completely.
3. Frost the bars when cool. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Beat in enough cream or milk to make a smooth spreadable consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired.

Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep them in a single layer to avoid messing up the appearance of the frosting.

Can you freeze sugar cookie bars?

Yes, sugar cookie bars freeze well! You can freeze the baked bars either before or after frosting. I recommend adding the sprinkles after thawing. Otherwise, they tend to “bleed” color into the icing.

You can also freeze this sugar cookie dough. Wrap in cling wrap and store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw and bake as directed.

When you want sugar cookies but are short on time, Soft Sugar Cookie Bars save the day!

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5 from 3 votes

Soft Sugar Cookie Bars

Mary Younkin

Sometimes sugar cookies are too much work. These simple and soft sugar cookies bars are just like the traditional cookie, only quicker and made in a pan. They are anything but dry and dense.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 24 bars

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Cookie Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup softened butter
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons sour cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Buttercream Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 or 2 tablespoons cream or milk room temperature
• ▢ Food coloring and sprinkles if desired

Instructions 

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the dough into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake or you will end up with dry bars. Let cool completely.
• Frost the bars when cool. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Beat in enough cream or milk to make a smooth spreadable consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar | Calories: 175 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 39 mg | Sodium: 149 mg | Sugar: 11 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!

{originally published 5/24/16 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/12/21}
recipe adapted from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Here are some of my other favorite bar recipes:

Red Velvet Cookies and Cream Bars

 Peaches and Cream Bars

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting