Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
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These buttery, chewy sugar cookie bars are frosted with a thick layer of creamy vanilla buttercream. If you love sugar cookies but don’t want to take the time to scoop individual cookies, this recipe is the perfect quick and easy shortcut!
THE COOKIE FOR FOLKS WHO DON’T WANT TO SCOOP COOKIE DOUGH
We’ve all been there: wanting (or needing!) cookies but just not feeling at all like standing over the oven waiting for a batch to come out.
And while I do love a good frosted sugar cookie, the time it takes to scoop and bake and frost is sometimes not in the cards for my patience nor my available time, so I often turn to this easy bar cookies instead.
This recipe has lived on my site since 2019, and over the years, I’ve made these sugar cookie squares many ways. With sprinkles, without sprinkles, with white buttercream instead of a tinted one… They’re easily customizable, a cinch to whip up, and like a lot of sugar cookies, get better as they age.
Here are more reasons to love them:
• they’re based most heavily off of my funfetti sugar cookie cake
• they’re soft & chewy
• they’re bursting with sugar cookie flavor
• you can add any kind of frosting you like
• match your holiday, party theme, or sports team
• no chill recipe– it’s so quick!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
I modeled these cookie bars after a combination of my funfetti sugar cookie cake as well as my chewy sugar cookies. All in all, you’ll need 11 ingredients between the bars and the frosting. See my notes in the recipe about using a different buttercream recipe.
For the bars, you will need:
• all-purpose flour
• cornstarch
• baking soda
• salt
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• sprinkles
For the buttercream, you will need:
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• milk or cream
• salt
• gel coloring, if desired
I use my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe on these sugar cookie bars. It’s smooth and creamy and you can tint it any color you like!
HOW TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIE BARS
These cookie bars are really simple, and you even get to start with melted butter, so there’s no waiting for the butter to come to room temperature! Of course, you’ll. need room temperature butter for the frosting, but get that out at the start of your sugar cookie dough and it’ll be ready when you are!
STEP #1: start by lining an 8″ square baking pan with parchment or foil, then set it aside.
STEP #2: next, toss together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, then set this mixture aside.
STEP #3: whisk together the melted butter and sugar until smooth, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until completely combined.
STEP #4: pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until no flour clumps remain. If using, add the sprinkles and stir to combine.
STEP #5: press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan, then bake! The dough will be thick, so use your hands if you need to.
STEP #6: allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
STEP #7: make the vanilla frosting, then spread on top of the cookie bars. Add sprinkles, if desired.
You’ll want to keep an eye on these sugar cookie bars in the oven. Just 23-25 minutes in the oven! We’re slightly underbaking these bars so they stay soft and chewy. If the edges start to brown at all, they may turn hard and crunchy by the time the bars cool.
TIPS FOR THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE BARS
Be sure you’re weighing your flour, or at the very least, using the spoon-and-level method of measuring it.
Use room temperature butter for the frosting to avoid a greasy buttercream.
It’s completely acceptable to leave the frosting for your cookie bars white, or just leave the cookie bars completely unfrosted. Consider add sprinkles to jazz them up if you want to leave off the frosting.
If you want to use sprinkles inside the cookie bars, be sure you’re using jimmies (the rods) and not nonpareils.
Use the parchment or foil overhang to take the bars out of the pan before serving, no matter what you choose to do to prettify them. This is a much easier method than trying to cut them inside the baking pan. If you’re traveling or taking these somewhere, you can absolutely pop them back into the baking pan after they’re cut. Easy transport!
Add your favorite extracts to the bars and/or the frosting if you want to change up the flavor. I often like to use almond extract in my sugar cookies. Do not replace the vanilla entirely– simply add about ½ to 1 teaspoon of an additional extract.
Looking for my go-to frosted cookies? These sugar cookies are my favorite for scooping and frosting individually.
STORING & FREEZING SUGAR COOKIE BARS
These sugar cookie bars will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to one week, and it’s best to store them in one layer. If you want to stack them, keep in mind they will start to stick together significantly as they sit.
They will last a bit longer in the refrigerator, but are best enjoyed at room temperature, so plan ahead!
Frosted or unfrosted bars can be frozen, up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
You’re going to love these sugar cookie bars. They’re soft in the middle, and the edges (are you an edge lover?? I am!!) carry a touch more firmness than the inside ones. Personally, I think those pieces have it all. *cue the drooling*
Paired with lots of sprinkles and a sweet and creamy buttercream, these cookie bars will bring your cookie baking schedule down a notch without sacrificing flavor or aesthetics. Easily decorate them to be Christmas sugar cookie bars, match your favorite football team, or your party’s theme!
The decor is up to you, but you’re definitely going to want to keep this recipe for easy cookie emergencies. Trust me.
Soft Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
COOKIE BARS
- 1 and ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 2 teaspoons (5g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (67g) sprinkles optional
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons (30-45mL) milk or cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
COOKIE BARS
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line an 8" square baking pan2 with parchment or foil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 and ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (5g) cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until completely combined.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until no flour clumps remain. If using, add the sprinkles and stir to combine.⅓ cup (67g) sprinkles
- Spread the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. It will be thick, so use your hands if you need to. Bake for 23-25 minutes until golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. You may cover the bars with foil to prevent browning, if preferred. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the the butter on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- Reduce the mixer to low, then slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until everything is combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly add the milk or cream, watching for and stopping at desired consistency. Add the salt, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth.2 to 3 Tablespoons (30-45mL) milk or cream, pinch of salt
- If after beating, the frosting is too stiff, add more cream. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar, about 2 Tablespoons at a time. If using, add coloring3 when your frosting is at the desired consistency and stir with a spatula.
- Using the foil or parchment overhang as handles, remove bars from baking pan, carefully remove bars from the lining, and place on a plate. Spread the buttercream evenly over the bars, top with more sprinkles (if desired), then slice to serve. Sugar cookie bars remains fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days. Unfrosted or frosted bars freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature before decorating.
Notes
- Sprinkles: I have made these bars with and without sprinkles. I actually prefer them without because I love the soft and chewy texture of the bars to shine through. If you want to use sprinkles, be sure you’re using jimmies and not nonpareils.
- Baking pan: this is my favorite platform pan, but you can use a 9″ x 13″ if you want super thin bars. If you want to double this recipe, a 9″ x 13″ is the best size for the same thickness of bars that you’d get from one batch in an 8″ baking pan.
- Coloring: I prefer AmeriColor gel colors. For these bars, I used electric purple + pink.
- Buttercream: you can use any kind of buttercream you like for these sugar cookie bars. Here are all of my American buttercream recipes.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Do you think these would work with gluten free flour or almond flour.? Looking to add gluten free to the cookie tray this year. So cute and festive!
I think GF flour should work just fine!
LOVE the flavor of the cookie and especially the butter cream frosting on top. My cookie came out quite thick though, so I might switch it to a 9×13 for the next time, because there will be a next I make this! Also love how customizable it is to any occasion or holiday!
Thanks so much, Ritt! So glad you liked them.