These sugar cookie bars are soft and sweet with a smooth layer of icing that is sprinkled on top. Perfect for your next party!
Cookies are a favorite at our house and always on demand. Some that we love are No-Bake, Pecan, and Snickerdoodles Cookies.
Easy Sugar Cookie Bars
I have made these sugar cookie bars over a dozen times! They are so easy to whip up a batch and have a delicious sugar cookie in a bar! A soft and chewy sugar cookie with delicious frosting on top. And it makes enough to feed a crowd! You are going to love these and they will become a major hit wherever you take them!
A sugar cookie bar is everything a good sugar cookie is: soft, chewy, and sweet but not too sweet! Traditional sugar cookies take a little more time. But these sugar cookie bars are easy and bake in under 20 minutes. If you love sugar cookies these Lofthouse cookies have the sweetest touch that everyone loves! Anyway a sugar cookie is made is my favorite!
What do you need to make sugar cookie bars?
These are basic pantry staple ingredients that makes these sugar cookie bars easy to make any day of the week. It is quick and easy to mix together and bake within 30 minutes.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter softened at room temperature and not melted.
- Sugar: This is the main attraction and sweetness to any sugar cookie.
- Egg and Egg Whites: The egg and egg whites are a special way to bond the cookie bars together while baking.
- Sour Cream: Keeps the cookies moist and also helps give the sugar cookie bars that signature cake-like texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor to the dough.
- Flour: Creates a thick batter that bakes up evenly.
- Baking Powder: Make sure it is fresh and this will help keep the sugar cookie soft and puff up in the oven.
- Salt: Just a pinch!
Colored Frosting
Frosting can be fun and easy to layer on top of these sugar cookie bars. Make sure the sugar cookie bars are cooled before applying the frosting.
- Unsalted Butter: Cut up into tablespoons for a quicker way of mixing together.
- Powdered Sugar: For a thicker frosting add more powder sugar.
- Half and Half: For a thinner frosting add more half and half.
- Vanilla Extract: Added for flavor in the sugar cookie frosting.
- Food Coloring of Choice: I went with pink because of my girls but mix it up and have a fun time with the colors depending on the holiday or celebration!
How Do you Make Homemade Sugar Cookie Bars?
After mixing the dough together, press it into a 9 x 13 pan and bake, cool and then frost! It is that simple and will come together quick and easy!
- Set Temperature: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. (best if done 30min before baking so it’s truly the right temperature.)
- Prepare Pan: Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. (use parchment paper for easy removal)
- Dry Ingredients: Combine all the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Mix Together: Cream butter and sugar using a stand or electric hand mixer. (about 3 min)
- Add in: Then add egg, and egg white, sour cream, and vanilla extract mix until fully combined.
- Combine: Slowly add the dry ingredients mix until just combined.
- Fill Pan: Lightly press dough into a greased pan.
- Bake: Bake for 17-20 minutes. They are done when the edges are slightly golden and the toothpick comes out clean.
- Frosting: While the cookies are baking make the frosting by combining the butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until fluffy.
- Color and Flavor: Add in vanilla extract and optional food coloring.
- Checking: When the toothpick comes out clean and edges are slightly golden take it out of the oven
- Wait to Frost: Let cool completely. Frost and slice to enjoy.
Tips for Making the Best Sugar Cookie Bars
These tips will help ensure that your sugar cookie bars are thick, sweet and fluffy! Every bite will be soft and chewy!
- Baking Powder: Make sure it’s fresh and replace it every 6 months.
- Flour: Fluff your flour before you measure. This will avoid having dense or dry cookies. Use a whisk or spoon it in the measuring cup.
- Sour Cream: Use full fat for more rich and tender cookies.
- Powdered Sugar: Sift if you want the frosting to be smooth.
- Sticky Dough: Refrigerate until your butter hardens up making it easier to place in the pan.
- Do not over bake: Take the pan out of the oven as soon as the edges are slightly golden and the toothpick comes out clean.
- Let them cool completely before frosting: hardest part in my opinion.
What Can you Serve with Sugar Cookie Bars?
You can serve just about anything with these sugar cookie bars, They are perfect for a potluck, birthday parties or special occasions. Serve these sugar cookie bars after a delicious dinner, after a lunch salad with friends or serve an afternoon snack after school.
Add to your Sugar Cookie Bars with these Quick and Easy Variations
The sugar cookie bar recipe is easy to customize for holidays, birthdays, family parties, and barbecues. You can add different colors to the frosting, festive sprinkles.
- Chocolate: Drizzle melted white chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped nuts or shredded coconut.
- Flavoring: Try adding lemon extract or almond extract to the cookie dough or the frosting. You can add fresh fruit just before serving for a version of fruit pizza.
- Slice: You can cut these up easily in squares, rectangles, diamonds, and even triangles.
- Diamond-Cut: For diamonds cut lengthwise lines 1 ½ inch apart. Then cut straight lines 1 ½ inch apart diagonally across the pan.
- Triangle Cut: For triangles cut the cookies into 2 ½ inch squares then in half diagonally.
How to Store Cookie Bars
Storing is simple with these cookies bars. It is easy to freeze, refrigerate or leave on the countertop for everyone to snack on. Enjoy these soft and chewy sugar cookie bars year round!
- How to freeze your sugar cookie bars? You should slice into squares or rectangles and place into a gallon freezer bag in a single layer. Squeeze as much air out as possible and seal. Do not layer multiple bags on top of each other as the frosting will stick. When the cookie bars are completely frozen the bags may be stacked. To serve, allow them to come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
- How long can I store sugar cookie bars? In an airtight container, they can be stored for 2 weeks on the counter, my personal preference to eat them within the first week. In the freezer, they can be stored for up to 3 months.
- What if the dough is too sticky to put in the greased pan? You can chill the dough for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. If it is still hard to manage add a tablespoon of flour dusting it across the dough and gently pat it in.
More Cookie Bar Recipes
Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Vanilla Frosting:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoon half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Any color of food coloring optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt then set it aside.
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In a stand mixer or with beaters, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. About 3 minutes. Combine egg, egg white, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix together until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients until all is fully combined.
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Gently press the dough into the bottom of your 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 17-20 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and toothpick entered in the center is clean. Let completely cool and frost.
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To make the frosting, Whip together butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until fluffy. Add vanilla. Add food coloring if using. Spread on the top of the cooled bars.
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