These sugar cookie bars are so much better than traditional sugar cookies. They are rich, thick, and so soft, without any chilling, rolling, or cutting the dough!
These sugar cookie bars might even be better than regular sugar cookies because they cut out the chilling, the rolling, and the cutting of the sugar cookie dough, and instead all you have to do is flatten the dough into a baking pan for a thick and soft and perfect sugar cookie bar!
Many sugar cookie recipes are hard to get just right. First, you have to take the time to chill the dough in the fridge. Then you have to roll the dough out to just the right thickness, before cutting out your cookie shapes. You might end up with cookies that are too thin and crispy, or cookies that totally lose their shape. But not these sugar cookie bars.
These bars have the great taste of a sugar cookie without any of the hassle. And in only about 30 minutes time, you can have a thick delicious sugar cookie bar topped with your favorite frosting.
I topped these bars with my favorite sugar cookie frosting recipe, which I originally got from my mother in law. For these sugar cookie bars, I just changed the amounts a little bit to get the right amount of frosting to top these bars with a thick, layer of sweet buttery vanilla frosting.
Another great thing about these sugar cookie bars is that they can be decorated for any occasion. Here, I made them white with fun rainbow sprinkles.
These sugar cookie bars are easy enough to make them for an after school treat. Or they’re also delicious and cute enough for a holiday or special occasion.
To make them for different holidays, or events, you will just add a little food coloring to the frosting, for whichever occasion you might be celebrating.
What holidays can I make these sugar cookie bars for?
- Red and Blue Frosting for Fourth of July
- Orange for Halloween
- Red and Green for Christmas
- Pink or Red for Valentine’s Day
- Green for St. Patrick’s Day
- etc.
And don’t forget to add your favorite sprinkles to the tops. Because, who doesn’t love sprinkles?! You can get so many fun sprinkles for different holidays. I mean cute orange, and purple, and black for Halloween. Christmas trees and red, white, and green for Christmas. Heart sprinkles in pink and red for Valentine’s day.
There are so many cute decorating options, even without cutting the cookies into different shapes.
How to make sugar cookie bars?
These sugar cookie bars are very easy to make. You’ll need flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, an egg, sour cream and vanilla extract.
Mix your dry ingredients together and set them aside. Then you’ll cream together your butter and sugar. You do this so that cookies end up soft and not gritty with any undissolved sugar. The egg, sour cream and vanilla are added into the creamed sugar and then the dry ingredients are added in.
You’ll have a cookie dough now, and you don’t need to chill the dough first. You don’t need to roll it out into just the right thickness, and worry about then being too thin, or too thick that they spread. The dough is a bit crumbly, but all you need to do is press the dough together and into a greased 9×13 pan. The bars are baked and after they cool you’ll whip up the frosting.
The frosting I use is only 4 ingredients and it comes together in just seconds. It’s a recipe from my mother in law and its so good!
These bars are sweet and rich, so if you think they might be too much for you, don’t use all the frosting, or cut the pieces into bite size. But personally, I think you’ll love them!
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 TBS sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For The Frosting:
- 5 TBS butter (softened)
- 3 TBS milk
- 1 TBS vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3-5 drops food coloring
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine your flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together your butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in your egg, sour cream and vanilla and mix till combined.
- Slowly add in your flour mixture while stirring until everything is combined. (The dough will be crumbly)
- Press the batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish and spread it out evenly with your hands or a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges just barely start to turn golden.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Mix together all your ingredients for your frosting until creamy.
- Add in desired amount of food coloring.
- Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookie bars.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe first posted on April 8, 2015. Photos and text updated on February 18, 2019.
This post contains affiliate links.
Things you might need for this recipe:
- assorted food coloring
- mixing bowls
- holiday sprinkles (if you’re making these for Christmas)
Enjoy these simple sugar cookie bars!
For more delicious sugar cookie and sugar cookie bar recipes, try these:
Strawberry Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
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Jules says
These are AwEsOmE! Perfect.
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
These look so much better than cookies!
Amana Cady says
Would this work without the sour cream??
Aimee Berrett says
I’m not sure, you might need to add something else for liquid. You could use greek yogurt instead!
Omi says
I was wondering if you could use applesauce instead of sour cream, as I already have it ?
Aimee says
A better substitute would be yogurt if you have that, but since its such a small amount applesauce would probably work! Let me know if you try it!
Haley Colleran says
Could I cut this recipe in half and it still work out?
Haley Colleran says
Oh wait, the egg. 😆
Aimee Berrett says
You could try it with just an egg yolk instead of a whole egg, but I’m not sure how well it would work! I’d just make the whole thing and take some to neighbors/friends/coworkers to share if you don’t want to eat them all 🙂
Katie says
HI!
They really look fantastic and indonwant to make a batch but is there any way to replace the egg since a family member is allergic to them?
Thank you!!
Aimee Berrett says
I would just try with egg replacer from the store, I believe you can find it in a carton near dairy or eggs!
Rhonda M says
Just wanted to know if frosting hardens enough to stack?
Aimee Berrett says
I’d still stick parchment paper inbetween, but it shouldn’t come off too much if at all once its hardened/set.
Nicold says
For the frosting are you also using unsalted butter? Thanks!
Aimee Berrett says
Yeah! I do! But you can add a small dash of salt if you want.
velyn says
I made these and to me they are bit of a cross between cake and cookie. Very delicious. I used 1/2 almond 1/2 vanilla in the frosting. So good.
Theresa S. (@Reese22) says
Those are so adorable! And they look scrumptious! Will have to add this to my “must bake” list!
Aimee Berrett says
Thank you Theresa! They are on my must make monthly list 😉
Kendra Williams says
Oh, these look ssssooooo yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
creativesouthernhome says
They look so amazingly yummy!
Debra says
These look amazing! Sometimes I just need a sugar cookie!
April Tuell says
These are really pretty! I love the pastel frosting. I’ll have to surprise my family with these soon. PINed.
Aimee Berrett says
I’m sure your family will be SO happy for the sweet surprise!
Stephanie Pass says
I saw these on pinterest a few days ago and thought they looked amazing. I just want to take a bite out of one of those sugar cookie bars!
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks so much Stephanie! They are amazing if I do say so myself 😉
Joanne T Ferguson says
How cute and delicious do these bars look! YUM!
Jillian (Food, Folks and Fun) says
These sugar cookie bars looks so good! I love how you can change the color for different occasions and holidays!
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks Jillian! And you can even add some sprinkles to make them extra festive 😉
Britney Mills (@princesscowboys) says
These look like delicious pieces of goodness that I need right now!
savoryexperiments says
These look perfect in every way! This is one of my favorite treats and I make them a lot in the summer months for cook outs.
Aimee Berrett says
They seem perfect for a cook out, easy and delicious!
sunandhurricane says
LOVE the look of these and bet the taste is even better! Pinned and shared, these look like a Spring favorite!
Aimee Berrett says
Thank you so much!! They do taste even better than they look!
Emily @ Love, Pasta and a Tool Belt says
These sound oh so very delicious! I want some right now but alas instead I’m going to exercise haha!
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks! And good for you Emily, I usually decide to eat/make cookies instead!
Meagan says
These look like such great brownies! I bet they are even better than cookies. Love the colors too. So fun for spring!
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks Meagan! I think I like them better than regular sugar cookies because of how thick they are!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These sugar cookie bars look incredible! I love how thick and chewy they are and the pretty pastel frosting is perfect for spring.
Aimee Berrett says
Thank you Kelly! They are so good! And the thickness is my favorite part too cause it keeps them so soft!
Marilyn the nurse says
Looks so good, I am going to try them this weekend!!!
Aimee Berrett says
I hope you love then as much as we do!
Ellen Garrett says
Pure genius!
thefoodcharlatan1 says
These look absolutely perfect! I love sugar cookie bars, so much. Thicker and chewier than sugar cookies. 🙂 YUM!
Aimee Berrett says
Exactly! I may never make regular sugar cookies again 😉