These Sugar Cookie Bars are a soft, sweet, and chewy vanilla crumb layer topped with a buttercream frosting and decorated with sprinkles. These delectable bars taste just like your favorite sugar cookie, but with a slathering of sweet and buttery icing.

More filling than a cookie and perfect for when you don’t want to make a cake, these bars are just right for any occasion. They are simple to make and are far less trouble than cutting out cookies to bake. There’s no need to chill the cookie dough or roll it out – you just press it into the baking pan. Don’t be surprised when they disappear quickly from your kitchen counter – they’re irresistible!

Tips to make the best sugar cookie bars

• Don’t over mix the cookie dough batter. You want to mix it just until the ingredients are combined. Over mixing will result in a tough dough and you don’t want that! You want a soft and chewy cookie bar.

• Undercook the cookie bars just a bit. If you wait until the top is golden brown, you’ve gone too far. Remember, the cookie bar dough will continue to cook in the pan once you’ve removed it from the oven to cool. So, go ahead and take it out a little bit before you think you should!
• Let the cookie dough bars cool completely in the pan before adding the frosting. The frosting is butter-based, so you definitely want everything cool so you don’t end up with melted frosting. That’s just not a good look!

• Don’t skimp on the frosting. Admittedly, the frosting is what makes these bars a dessert item and not just big cookie squares. We’re going for a thick covering of frosting on top, not a thin, barely-there icing. Pile it on. You’ll be glad you did!
• Get creative with your sprinkles. Here, I’ve gone for a festive look that would work for holidays such as Christmas or the 4th of July. Choose sprinkles for whatever occasion. How about blue, white, and silver snowflakes for a Disney’s Frozen theme? Or pink and red for Valentine’s day? Or pastels in yellow, green, and blue for Easter? The ideas are endless on how to make this work for any occasion!
• This icing recipe is basic enough that the buttercream frosting can be tinted with food coloring if desired, so have fun exploring your options there.

Ingredients

Batter:

¾ cup of unsalted butter softened

1 cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or ½ teaspoon almond or lemon extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting

½ softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2-3 Tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment and lightly grease or butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and then beat the eggs in one at a time scraping the bowl between additions before adding in the vanilla extract.
3. In a smaller bowl stir the flour, salt, and baking powder together.
4. Add it to the sugar mixture and mix well.
5. Scrape the dough into a 9×13 pan and pan out
6. Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes or until the cookie is just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack
7. When you’re ready to frost put the soft butter in a mixing bowl and mix it lightly to make it smooth.
8. Then mix in the powdered sugar, it will look crumbly. Add the vanilla, a pinch of salt, and one Tablespoon of the milk. Mix with the mixer, add another Tablespoon of milk, and see how it looks, if it’s soft and spreadable you’re done, if you need to add more milk to make it spreadable you can add the last Tablespoon.
9. Frost the sugar cookie in the pan and sprinkle with desired sprinkles. Lift it out of the pan by the parchment paper and cut it into 20 Bars. They can also be cut smaller or larger.

Are these freezable?

The unfrosted bars are freezable. Just make, bake, and cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and then tin foil. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting.

How to store these Sugar Cookie Bars

Store these bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

With half the work of traditional cookies, these Sugar Cookie Bars are the ultimate way to enjoy that soft cookie taste with a sweet buttercream frosting. Don’t wait for a special occasion to make these. They’re a wonderful and easy way to share a sweet sugary treat with family and friends.

Related Recipes

Easy Gingerbread Bars

Best Pecan Pie Bars

Christmas Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Butter Cookies

Caramel Nut Revel Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Magic Bars

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her very popular website Moore or Less Cooking

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #mooreorlesscooking so I can see all the wonderful recipes that YOU make from this site!

Continue to Content

Yield: Makes 20 Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These Sugar Cookie Bars are a soft, sweet, and chewy vanilla crumb layer topped with a buttercream frosting and decorated with sprinkles. These delectable bars taste just like your favorite sugar cookie, but with a slathering of sweet and buttery icing.

Print

Ingredients

• Sugar Cookie Bars:
• ¾ cup of unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or ½ teaspoon almond or lemon extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Frosting:
• ½ softened butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 2-3 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚
2. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment
3. Lightly grease or butter the parchment paper
4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
5. Beat the eggs in one at a time scraping the bowl between additions
6. Then mix in the vanilla extract
7. In a smaller bowl stir the flour, salt, and baking powder together
8. Add it to the sugar mixture and mix well
9. Scrape the dough into a 9×13 pan and pan out
10. Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes or until the cookie is just lightly browned
11. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack
12. When you’re ready to frost put the soft butter in a mixing bowl and mix it lightly to make it smooth
13. Then mix in the powdered sugar, it will look crumbly
14. Add the vanilla, a pinch of salt, and one Tablespoon of the milk
15. Mix with the mixer, add another Tablespoon of milk and see how it looks, if it’s soft and spreadable you’re done, if you need to add more milk to make it spreadable you can add the last Tablespoon 
16. Frost the sugar cookie in the pan and sprinkle wit desired sprinkles 
17. Lift it out of the pan by the parchment paper and cut it into 20 Bars.
18. They can also be cut smaller or larger.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Organic Valley, Organic Low Fat Cultured Buttermilk, Pasteurized, Quart, 32 Ounces
• 
  365 Everyday Value, Baking Powder, 10 oz
• 
  McCormick Sea Salt Grinder
• 
  365 Everyday Value, All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
• 
  Rodelle Gourmet Pure Vanilla Extract, 8 Oz
• 
  Domino Powdered Sugar, 32 Oz
• 
  Domino Sugar, Granulated, 4LB Canister
• 
  365 Everyday Value, Unsalted Butter, 16 oz
• 
  Baking Rack & Cooling Rack
• 
  Ifuerte 10-Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
• 
  Mixing Bowls
• 
  Hand Mixer
• Parchment Paper
• 
  Cake Pan | Non-Stick Steel 8-Inch Square Baking Pan by Boxiki Kitchen | Durable, Convenient, Premium Quality No-Stick Baking Mold Cookware | 

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 220Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 38mgSodium 155mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 0gSugar 22gProtein 2g