These Sugar Cookie Bars deliver all the nostalgic flavor of classic sugar cookies without the fuss. They bake in one pan and are topped with a cloud-like vanilla buttercream. Perfect for any occasion, these soft, thick bars are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Looking for Sugar Cookie Bars inspiration? You'll love what we have! Explore more Snacks recipes or discover our Appetizer Recipes favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookie Bars
- Incredibly easy: One-bowl base, no chilling or rolling required.
- Perfect texture: Soft, dense crumb with a slightly chewy edge.
- Endlessly customizable: Easy to dress up with sprinkles or flavor variations.
- Feeds a crowd: One pan yields generous squares for any gathering.
Ingredients & Tools
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups (360-480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Tools: 9×13-inch baking pan, electric hand mixer or stand mixer, medium bowl, spatula, offset spatula for frosting
Notes: Using room temperature ingredients ensures a smooth, non-greasy base and creamy frosting. A pinch of salt in the frosting balances sweetness.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 420 kcal |
| Protein: | 3 g |
| Fat: | 18 g |
| Carbs: | 63 g |
| Fiber: | 0.5 g |
Serves: 16 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20-25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes (plus cooling)
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- What does “softened” butter really mean? It should be cool to the touch but yield easily when you press it. If it’s melty or oily, your bars will spread too much and become greasy. A perfect press should leave a clear indentation without sinking all the way through.
- Why room temperature eggs? Cold eggs can cause the softened butter to seize up, leading to a curdled-looking mixture. This can affect the final texture, making it a bit denser. Just let your eggs sit on the counter for 30 minutes before you begin.
- Don’t skip sifting the powdered sugar. I know, it feels like an extra step, but it’s the key to a silky-smooth, lump-free buttercream. You’ll thank me when you’re spreading that dreamy frosting without any gritty surprises.
- How to know when the bars are done? The edges will be a light golden brown, and the top will look matte and set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached, not wet batter. They continue to cook as they cool in the pan.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal later. This little trick is a lifesaver for getting clean, perfect bars out of the pan.
Step 2: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the 1 cup of softened butter and granulated sugar. You’ll want to beat it on medium-high speed for a good 2-3 minutes, until it becomes light, pale, and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which gives the bars their lovely soft texture.
Step 3: Beat in the room-temperature eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, mix in the tablespoon of vanilla extract. The mixture should look smooth and cohesive. If it appears a little curdled, your eggs were probably too cold—don’t panic, it will still bake up fine!
Step 4: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening is evenly distributed throughout the dough. With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear and a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Overmixing can lead to tough bars.
Step 5: Transfer the cookie dough to your prepared pan. Now, this is the fun part: use lightly moistened fingers or a small offset spatula to press the dough into a smooth, even layer across the bottom of the pan. Getting it even is key to consistent baking.
Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes. You’re looking for those golden edges and a top that has lost its glossy, wet look. The center should spring back lightly when touched. Remember, the toothpick test with moist crumbs is your best friend here. Let the cookie base cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Rushing this will cause the frosting to melt into a puddle!
Step 7: While the base cools, make the buttercream. In a clean bowl, beat the remaining ½ cup of softened butter until it’s smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, on low speed to avoid a sugar dust storm. Once incorporated, add the vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Step 8: Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until the frosting is very light and fluffy. Add the milk or cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired spreading consistency. It should be thick but easily spreadable.
Step 9: Once the cookie base is completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula. If you’re adding sprinkles, now is the time to press them gently into the frosting before it sets. Slice into squares and serve. The wait is finally over!
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store frosted bars in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted bar slab wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.
- Reviving: Bring to room temperature before serving; refrigerate briefly for cleaner slices.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream — The warm bar (if you serve it slightly heated) with cold, creamy ice cream is a textural masterpiece. The contrast is simply divine.
- A side of fresh, tart berries — The bright, acidic pop of raspberries or strawberries cuts through the richness of the buttercream beautifully, balancing each bite.
- A warm chai latte or coffee — The warm spices in chai or the bitterness of coffee are the perfect partners to the sweet, buttery notes of the bar, making for a cozy dessert experience.
Drinks
- A tall glass of cold milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The creaminess of the milk is the ultimate palate cleanser and complement to this sweet treat.
- Sparkling rosé — The bubbles and slight dryness of a rosé provide a sophisticated counterpoint to the sweetness, making these bars feel a bit more festive for a gathering.
Something Sweet
- Mini fruit tarts — Their crisp, buttery shell and creamy, fruity filling offer a different texture and flavor profile that keeps a dessert platter interesting and varied.
- Dark chocolate-dipped orange segments — The intense, bitter chocolate and bright citrus provide a sharp, refreshing contrast that resets your taste buds between bites of bar.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using melted butter. This is the number one error. Melted butter will cause the bars to spread excessively and become oily and dense, rather than soft and cakey. Patience with softened butter is key.
- Mistake: Frosting a warm base. The heat will instantly melt the butter in your frosting, creating a runny, greasy mess that soaks into the cookie. Wait until it’s completely, totally cool to the touch.
- Mistake: Overbaking the bars. They continue to cook as they cool. If you wait for a completely clean toothpick, you’ve gone too far, and you’ll end up with dry, crumbly bars instead of soft, chewy ones.
- Mistake: Overmixing the dough after adding flour. This develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, bread-like texture rather than a tender, cookie-like crumb. Mix just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
Expert Tips
- Tip: For an extra flavor dimension, add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the buttercream along with the vanilla. It gives it a subtle, bakery-style complexity that people will love but won’t quite be able to place.
- Tip: If your kitchen is warm and your buttercream is getting soft, pop the frosted bars in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before slicing. This will give you super clean, sharp edges when you cut them.
- Tip: To make the bars ahead of time, bake and cool the base, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Make the frosting and store it separately in an airtight container. Frost the bars the day you plan to serve them for the best texture.
- Tip: For a fun, confetti-style look, fold ⅓ cup of rainbow sprinkles directly into the cookie dough right before pressing it into the pan. Use the “jimmies” style, as nonpareils can bleed color.
FAQs
Can I make these bars ahead of time?
Absolutely! They are a fantastic make-ahead dessert. You can bake the base up to two days in advance; just let it cool completely, then wrap the whole pan tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Frost them the day you want to serve. Once frosted, they keep well at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze Sugar Cookie Bars?
Yes, they freeze beautifully. It’s best to freeze them without the frosting for the best texture. Wrap the cooled, unfrosted bar slab tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before frosting. You can also freeze individual frosted bars, but the frosting may become slightly less fluffy upon thawing.
My bars turned out cakey, not chewy. What happened?
This usually comes down to the flour. If you scooped your flour directly from the bag with the measuring cup, you likely used too much. The best way to measure flour is to spoon it lightly into the cup and level it off. Too much flour absorbs more moisture, creating a cakier, drier texture.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but you’ll want to adjust the salt. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt in the cookie dough to ¼ teaspoon and omit the pinch of salt in the frosting. Taste the frosting as you go to make sure it’s balanced.
How can I color the frosting without making it runny?
Gel food coloring is your best friend here! It’s highly concentrated, so you only need a tiny bit to achieve vibrant colors, and it won’t water down your frosting like liquid food coloring can. Add it drop by drop until you reach your desired hue.
Sugar Cookie Bars
Make perfect Sugar Cookie Bars with no rolling or chilling! This easy recipe yields soft, thick bars with fluffy buttercream frosting. Get the simple recipe now!
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars:
-
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 226 g, softened to room temperature)
-
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 g)
-
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
-
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
-
3 cups all-purpose flour (375 g)
-
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
-
½ teaspoon salt
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
-
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 113 g, softened)
-
3-4 cups powdered sugar (360-480 g, sifted)
-
2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
-
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-
1 pinch salt
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal later.01
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the 1 cup of softened butter and granulated sugar. You’ll want to beat it on medium-high speed for a good 2-3 minutes, until it becomes light, pale, and fluffy.02
-
Beat in the room-temperature eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, mix in the tablespoon of vanilla extract.03
-
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear and a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.04
-
Transfer the cookie dough to your prepared pan. Use lightly moistened fingers or a small offset spatula to press the dough into a smooth, even layer across the bottom of the pan.05
-
Bake for 20-25 minutes. You’re looking for those golden edges and a top that has lost its glossy, wet look. The center should spring back lightly when touched. Let the cookie base cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.06
-
While the base cools, make the buttercream. In a clean bowl, beat the remaining ½ cup of softened butter until it’s smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, on low speed to avoid a sugar dust storm. Once incorporated, add the vanilla and a pinch of salt.07
-
Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until the frosting is very light and fluffy. Add the milk or cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired spreading consistency.08
-
Once the cookie base is completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula. If you’re adding sprinkles, now is the time to press them gently into the frosting before it sets. Slice into squares and serve.09
Not what you're looking for?
