Sugar Cookie Bars
Soft and chewy sugar cookie bars with a sweet cream cheese frosting. The perfect sugar cookie bar recipe!
Sugar cookies are a classic cookie recipe but are known to be quite time-consuming. The rolling out, the cutting into shapes, the baking, the frosting. It takes several hours to whip up a batch! I grew up making sugar cookies for all kinds of holidays -- Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas, and everything else in between.
Sugar cookies are definitely worth the time commitment but I am sharing a quicker way to enjoy homemade sugar cookies! Hello Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookie Bars.
These Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are made by whipping up homemade sugar cookie dough, pressing it into a 9 x 13 baking pan, baking it until nice and soft, and then frosting with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
A secret ingredient in these sugar cookie bars is cream cheese! It makes the bars extra tender and the perfect chewy texture.
Here's my favorite 9 x 13 baking pan for less than 20 bucks. I also love to use Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste in my frosting.
How to make Soft and Chewy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars:
- Cream butter, sugar, and cream cheese together for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. This helps to whip air into the batter which helps while baking an also creates a creamy, smooth texture. Make sure the cream cheese is softened so it easily incorporates with the other ingredients.
- Bake until slightly underdone as the cookie bars will firm up as they cool. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Whip frosting for at least 4 minutes to make it extra fluffy. Stir in food coloring, if desired.
If you love dessert bars, check out these other popular bar recipes:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Better than a Boyfriend Brownies
Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese (softened)
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 ¾ cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¾ cup Butter (softened)
- 8 ounce Cream Cheese (softened)
- 4 - 4 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Whole Milk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract (or ½ teaspoon almond extract)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whip together butter, cream cheese, and sugar for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and whip for 1 minute longer.
- Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until combined. Press sugar cookie dough into a 9 x 13 baking pan (I use an aluminum pan). You may use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan for easy removal.
- Bake for 24-28 minutes. Watch carefully because you want them to be slightly underdone as they will firm up as they cool. Set aside to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract and whip for 2-3 more minutes. Fold in food coloring, if using.
- Spread over cooled sugar cookie bars. Cut into squares and serve.
Rachel
Obsessed with these!
Karen B
I decided to make these for my class at school because they love sugar cookies.....and by making bars, it was a hundred times easier.....and they loved them! Thank you for a great idea.
Cary
YUM!!! These are to die for.
Jesica
What about shipping these to family?? Would I leave the frosting off?? Cant wait to make them.
luda
This looks delicious! I love that it’s quick and easy
Dana
Made these and they are amazing!! I took the advice of another reviewer and reduced the powdered sugar some. My question is— how long will it all keep in the fridge? I’d like to make it for a party but would need to make it 5 days in advance due to my schedule. Will the cookie still be chewy and will the frosting stay good and still taste the same?
Kathrine Angelica
Oh my gosh! I love this recipe so much!! It can stay in the fridge for about four days, however I only needed half of the frosting. Good thing I was catering a party, so the frosting was put to good use!
Wendy Johnson
These are amazing! I went with the almond extract in the frosting, and like the comment above, only needed half the frosting. Chewy deliciousness!!!
Stephanie
I made these last week and they were a big hit. The only complaint was they were a bit too sweet. The cookie part was amazing, but next time I will use half the frosting and put less sugar in it. Still a really solid recipe that takes so much less time than making individual cookies.
Justine
These look amazing! What temp should the oven be set to?