These sugar cookie bars are easy to make and just as soft and fluffy as a classic sugar cookie. Frosted with a simple buttercream frosting, they are perfect for any occasion.
If you love sugar cookies, Swig cookies or sugar cookie truffles, you’re going to love these cookie bars!
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
This sugar cookie bars recipe is one of the tried and true bars that I’ve been making over the years. Another favorite variation that uses a sugar cookie base is this fruit pizza with a sugar cookie crust.
These cookie bars that I’m sharing today turned out so good!
The nice thing about them is that they are half the work as a cut out Christmas sugar cookie or even no roll drop sugar cookies but taste just as good. Baked from scratch with creamy buttercream frosting, they are thick, chewy and delicious!
Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe Ingredients
I believe there are two ingredients that make a good sugar cookie: sour cream and powdered sugar. The sour cream keeps the dough moist and the powdered sugar makes the dough fluffy.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Baking flour: Gives these cookies the base and adds texture and thickness to the sugar cookie dough.
- Salt: This is a flavor enhancer but also gives it the fluffy texture you need in all cookies.
- Baking powder: Increases volume in the cookie dough while being baked.
- Butter: Salted butter gives an extra boost of salt and flavor that helps build up the dough while being baked in the oven.
- Sugar: Adds the sweetness!
- Powdered sugar: This helps absorb moisture and gives cookies a lumpy appearance but also a soft and chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract: Blends the flavor together.
- Egg: Gives structure and combines the dough together.
- Egg white: Has a secret way of adding moisture and helps with the chewy texture.
- Sour cream: Chewy and flavorful cookies are the best! This sour cream does just that!
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
These easy sugar cookie bars are so easy to make and taste amazing!
- Dough. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to mix together the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Next mix in the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Assemble. Pour the dough mixture into a buttered 9×13″ glass baking dish. Press down on the dough to spread it out smoothly in the pan.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes (until lightly browned) and then cool before frosting.
Frosting the Bars
Buttercream is my favorite frosting to spread on top just like I use for these Lofthouse cookies!
- Prepare frosting. Combine all frosting ingredients in a large bowl. Beat together with a mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Frost the bars. Spread the frosting evenly over top of cooled cookie bars with a spatula.
Decorating Sugar Cookie Bars
The great thing about these sugar cookie bars is that they are perfect for literally any occasion. You can decorate them for a birthday, baby shower, holiday, or even just for fun!
- Coloring. Color the frosting with food coloring. Match the color to the special occasion or holiday. For Christmas sugar cookie bars, I like to leave the frosting white.
- Sprinkles. Add sprinkles on top! Rainbow, holiday, or colored ones for special events.
- Dough. Can also mix sprinkles in with the dough. Add the sprinkles to the dough before baking. You could even do 4 different mix-in’s like my sheet pan bar cookies!
- Toppings. Add M&M’s on top of the frosting or any other candy you love over top of the frosting.
Baking Tips
- Extra flavor. Can add almond extract or lemon extract to the dough for extra flavor.
- Sprinkles. Mix sprinkles in with the dough. Add the sprinkles to the dough before baking.
- Smooth. After pouring the dough into the pan, I use a piece of parchment paper to press it down to create a smooth and even surface.
- Baking. Remove from the oven when the edges are lightly golden. The center will continue cooking as it cools.
- Cutting. Use a sharp knife to cut the cookies into sections. In between each slice, wipe the frosting off the knife before slicing again. This will give clean slices each time.
- Frosting. Make sure bars have cooled completely before frosting. Instead of buttercream, try cream cheese frosting, sour cream frosting, or strawberry buttercream.
If you love cookies recipes as much as I do, try M and M cookies, cake mix cookies, funfetti cookies or this brown sugar cookie recipe, next!
More Cookie Bar Recipes
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Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup sour cream
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoon half and half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
Optional: Sprinkles for topping
Instructions
Bars:
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Dry ingredients. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. With a mixer, combine 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Pour in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 eggs, 1 egg white and 1/4 cup sour cream and mix until combined. Then pour dry ingredients into this bowl and mix until combined.
- Bake. Place mixture in a buttered 9×13" glass pan. Press down on dough with hands (or a piece of parchment paper) to smooth out the surface to avoid lumpiness. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not over cook.
Frosting:
- Combine 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons half and half, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and food coloring in a large bowl and beat with a mixer for 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Once the bars have cooled completely, pour frosting over top and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Optional: Top with sprinkles for a decorative touch!
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
These easy sugar cookie bars will bake up and turn a light golden yellow color with a soft-looking crust on top. Use a wooden pick to place in the middle of the baking pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cookies are done, if not bake for a few more minutes.
Simple! Let your baked sugar cookies cool to room temperature. Either cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or slice the cookies into squares or shapes and place them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for four to five days or until they become hard.
Yes! These cookie bars are perfect to store and freeze. Let the cookies cool and place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper to freeze. This takes about 30 minutes. Then place those cookie squares in a ziplock bag or airtight container and store them in the freezer for one month.
Categorized as: American, Bars, Birthdays, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Frosted Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Is there any reason this couldn’t be baked in a 10×15 (for a shorter period of time), so thinner?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not! They may be a bit more crispy, but the flavor would still be great. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn :)
It’s turned out so amazing! I can’t wait to try it again!
These do look amazing and super easy to make. Thank you!! :) :)
My girls love helping me make these! We use the strawberry buttercream on top…yum!
Hi, I live in Thailand and there is no such flour as baking flour here. What is available is all-purpose flour, cake flour, bread flour and self raising flour. Which one of these would be a good substitute in this recipe
You can use all purpose flour!
Delicious and soo easy!!
These sugar cookie bars look so amazing! I can’t wait to try them out!
These are so good! I usually double the recipe and share the extras with friends. Everyone loves them!
I can’t ever resist sugar cookie bars. And they’re so easy!
I am so making these!! My kids would LOVE them!! YUM!!
These are mouth watering!
I have misplaced my sugar cookie bar recipe and have looked everywhere ! I am a fanatic at HAVING to find what I am looking for and can’t rest until I find it . I have looked all over the house and wasted so much time online lol
Your recipe is THE closest I have found to mine. I am going to make right away !
Thank you thank you ! I will let you know the results ! I am sure they will be great and u bet my recipe will magically appear also ?
Can these be frozen?
Hi Jo! The cookie dough can be frozen, but I’m concerned defrosting frozen cooked and frosted cookies wouldn’t be as tasty due to the ice crystals that would form.
Okay, thanks!
Since “baking flour” is a category, not a flour type, what kind do you actually use? Cake flour? Pastry flour? (I’m guessing you’re not using self-rising flour since there’s also baking powder in the recipe.) Thanks…
All purpose flour :)
We have a Halloween party to go to, and guess what I am bringing? That delicious looking Pumpkin Dip!
Thanks Jamielyn
Hope you enjoy it! It is so yummy! :)
Jamie,
This is a question…I was looking at the Amazing Sugar Cookie Bar recipe and it calls for baking Flour. What is Baking Flour? Is it different than all purpose or cake flour?
Thanks.
P.s. Love your page I heart nap time.
Hi Teri! They sell baking flour at the grocery store, but you can use all purpose flour as well! :)
I had a major issue with the batter being way too thick! I couldn’t spread it out in the 13×9 pan. They taste great but they look awful-all lumpy and uneven on top :( Has anyone else had that issue or did I do something wrong?
I’m sorry you had trouble with it! You could have added a little too much flour, everyone measures flour differently. Try adding 1/4 cup less flour next time. Also, make sure to pat it down with your fingers to avoid lumpiness! :)