If you're a fan of soft, buttery sugar cookies but don't want to fuss with scooping and baking individual cookies, these Sugar Cookie Bars are for you. They have all the delicious flavor of your favorite sugar cookie in an easy bar form. Top them with a sweet almond-vanilla buttercream frosting and sprinkles for a fun, crowd-pleasing dessert.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- These Sugar Cookie Bars have all the rich, buttery flavor of a classic sugar cookie in an easy bar form.
- They start with a tender, vanilla-scented cookie base that gets topped with a sweet almond-vanilla buttercream frosting.
- The bars can be customized with different frosting flavors or fun toppings like sprinkles for any occasion.
These simple but delicious Sugar Cookie Bars make for a crowd-pleasing dessert that's perfect for everything from potlucks to holiday parties. Once you try this bar version of classic sugar cookies, it's sure to become a new favorite.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter: If you use salted butter, cut back on the salt you add to the frosting and cookie dough.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Milk: You can use any type of milk you prefer.
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Almond extract: Optional, for the frosting.
- Food coloring and sprinkles: Optional, but highly recommended to make your cookie bars festive!
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Put the butter in a separate large mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar to the butter.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg, milk, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients as you mix on medium-low speed.
- Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper. Add the dough to the dish.
- Press the dough into an even layer with your fingers.
- Bake 22-25 minutes, or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown.
- To make the frosting, put the butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Add salt and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- Then, add milk, vanilla, and almond extract (if using).
- Beat frosting ingredients until combined and fluffy.
- Add food coloring, if using until the desired color is reached.
- Using the parchment paper, lift the sugar cookie bars from the pan in one piece.
- Spread the icing on top of the cooled bars and top with sprinkles, if using. Cut into squares to serve.
🥫 Storage
In an airtight container, sugar cookie bars will last at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
You can also keep them in the fridge for a few days more. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between the cookie layers to prevent sticking.
To freeze unfrosted sugar cookie bars, wrap them in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, and make the frosting the day you plan to serve the cookie bars.
📚 Variations
- Use different extract flavors like lemon or orange in the frosting in place of the almond extract.
- Add mix-ins like chocolate chips or nuts to the cookie batter for a totally different twist.
- Change up the color of the frosting and the shape of the sprinkles to suit the occasion for which you're serving them.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Let the butter soften at room temperature before creaming it with the sugar to get an extra light and fluffy texture
- Use parchment paper to line the baking pan for easy removal of the cooled bars
- Bake the bars just until set - they'll continue to firm up as they cool, so you don't want to over-bake
- For neat cut bars, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts
- If frosting seems too thick, add a bit more milk until it's easily spreadable
🤔 FAQs
A cookie bar is a type of bar dessert that has a texture and flavor similar to a drop cookie, but is baked in a pan and cut into bars instead of being scooped and baked individually.
If your cookie bars are underbaked in the middle, it likely means they need to bake a little longer. Oven temperatures can vary, so check for doneness by looking for set edges and a toothpick inserted in the center coming out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
No, you do not need to refrigerate cookie bars as long as they don't contain any perishable fillings or toppings. Cookie bars with buttercream frosting can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
While many drop cookie recipes can be adapted to bar form, not every cookie translates well to bars. Recipes that spread a lot or get very thin and crispy may not work as well when baked in a pan versus individually.
If your sugar cookies taste strongly of raw flour, it likely means the dough was over-mixed or the cookies were underbaked. Be gentle when mixing in the dry ingredients, and bake just until set for the best sugar cookie texture and flavor.
📗 Related Recipes
If you love classic cookie recipes, you'll go wild for these!
🍽 What to serve with Sugar Cookie Bars
Bars! They're like little squares of joy, aren't they? Now, let's think about what could complement these sweet treats, shall we?
Picture this: a velvety vanilla bean ice cream dollop nestled beside each bar. The contrast between warm, chewy cookies and cool, creamy ice cream is divine! And if you're feeling extra indulgent, you could drizzle some homemade caramel sauce over the top instead of frosting them. Ah, the combination is pure bliss!
But wait, there's more! How about a piping hot cup of espresso or a comforting mug of chai tea on the side? The rich, robust flavors of the coffee or the aromatic spices of the tea will dance harmoniously with the sweetness of the cookies, creating a symphony of flavors in your mouth.
And for a final touch, why not adorn the platter with some fresh berries? Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries would add a burst of color and a refreshing contrast to the decadence of the cookies and ice cream.
So there you have it, my friend! A delightful ensemble to accompany your Sugar Cookie Bars.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- 13x9 inch baking dish
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Parchment Paper
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Let's talk about why opting for Sugar Cookie Bars is a brilliant move, especially when time is of the essence.
Firstly, imagine the simplicity of pressing the cookie dough into a single pan, rather than meticulously portioning and rolling out individual cookies. It's a breeze, right? No need to worry about perfectly shaping each cookie or spacing them out on multiple baking sheets. Just spread the dough evenly in the pan, and you're halfway there!
Now, let's talk baking time. When you're making bars, you're essentially creating one large cookie that bakes all at once. This means you can cut down on baking time compared to baking multiple batches of individual cookies. Plus, since the dough is spread evenly, you don't have to worry about cookies on the edges of the baking sheet baking faster than those in the center. It's uniform baking perfection!
And let's remember the cleanup. With Sugar Cookie Bars, you only have one pan to wash up afterward, as opposed to multiple baking sheets and possibly even parchment paper for rolling out the cookies. Less mess means less stress, amici!
So, in summary, making Sugar Cookie Bars is quicker and easier because you save time on shaping, baking, and cleanup. It's a win-win situation that allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time savoring those delicious treats with your loved ones. Buonissimo!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Bars:
- Cooking spray
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. table salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 8 oz. softened
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Buttercream frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter 4 oz. softened
- ⅛ tsp. Kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp. almond extract optional
- Pink food coloring optional
- Sprinkles for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Sugar cookie bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13- x 9-in. pan with cooking spray and line parchment paper, letting the long edges hang over the sides of the pan slightly.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy and combined for about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gradually add flour, mixing at medium to low speed. Continue to mix only until a smooth, soft dough forms.
- Press dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cookie bars are golden brown on the edges, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean. Cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack for about 1 ½ hours.
Buttercream frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat butter and salt with an electric mixer at medium speed until the butter is smooth and light, for about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add milk, vanilla, and almond extract (if using); beat until evenly combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add food color, if using, until the desired color is reached, beating until smooth and combined.
Decorate the cookie bars
- Remove the cookie bars from the pan using the parchment paper as handles. Spread icing on top of cooled cookie bars. Sprinkle with sprinkles if using. Cut into squares to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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