These sugar cookie bars are easy to make and just as soft and fluffy as a classic sugar cookie. Frosted with a simple buttercream frosting, they are perfect for any occasion.
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Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
These sugar cookie bars are one of my most reliable, crowd-pleasing desserts. They’re baked with a soft sugar-cookie base, topped with creamy buttercream frosting, and cut into thick, chewy squares everyone loves.
What makes these bars so good comes down to two key ingredients: sour cream for moisture and powdered sugar for a light, tender crumb. If you want a fun spin on the same classic flavor, try my fruit pizza with a sugar cookie crust for a fresh and fruity variation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- If you love soft sugar cookies, these slice-and serve bars deliver that same tender texture with half the work. They are even easier than my no roll drop sugar cookies!
- They give you all the flavor of traditional cut-out Christmas sugar cookies without the rolling, chilling or cutting, making them a go-to for holidays, potlucks, and bake sales.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Baking flour: Gives these cookies the base and adds texture and thickness to the sugar cookie dough.
- Salt: This is a flavor enhancer but also gives it the fluffy texture you need in all cookies.
- Baking powder: Increases volume in the cookie dough while being baked.
- Butter: Salted butter gives an extra boost of salt and flavor that helps build up the dough while being baked in the oven.
- Sugar: Adds the sweetness!
- Powdered sugar: This helps absorb moisture and gives cookies a lumpy appearance but also a soft and chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract: Blends the flavor together.
- Egg: Gives structure and combines the dough together.
- Egg white: Has a secret way of adding moisture and helps with the chewy texture.
- Sour cream: The sour cream gives these bars both flavor and chew. Use full fat sour cream for best taste.
- Buttercream frosting. This is my favorite icing to spread on top. You’ll need powdered sugar, butter
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
These easy sugar cookie bars are so easy to make and taste amazing!
- Dough. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to mix together the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Next mix in the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Assemble and bake. Press the dough mixture into a parchment paper lined 9×13″ glass baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes (until lightly browned) and then cool before frosting.
- Prepare frosting. Combine all frosting ingredients in a large bowl. Beat together with a mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the frosting evenly over top of cooled sugar cookie bars with a spatula.
Decorating Sugar Cookie Bars
The great thing about these sugar cookie bars is that they are perfect for literally any occasion. You can decorate them for a birthday, baby shower, holiday, or even just for fun!
- Coloring. Color the frosting with food coloring. Match the color to the special occasion or holiday. For Christmas sugar cookie bars, I like to leave the frosting white.
- Sprinkles. Add sprinkles on top! Rainbow, holiday, or colored ones for special events.
- Dough. Can also mix sprinkles in with the dough. Add the sprinkles to the dough before baking.
- Toppings. Add M&M’s on top of the frosting or any other candy you love.
Baking Tips
- Smooth. After pouring the dough into the pan, I use a piece of parchment paper to press it down to create a smooth and even surface.
- Baking. Remove from the oven when the edges are lightly golden. The center will continue cooking as it cools.
- Cutting. Use a sharp knife to cut the cookies into sections. In between each slice, wipe the frosting off the knife before slicing again. This will give clean slices each time.
- Frosting. Make sure bars have cooled completely before frosting.
If you love cookies recipes as much as I do, try M and M cookies, cake mix cookies, cake mix funfetti cookies or these Lofthouse sugar cookies!
More Cookie Bar Recipes
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Video
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup sour cream
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoon half and half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
Optional: Sprinkles for topping
Instructions
Bars:
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Dry ingredients. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. With a mixer, combine 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Pour in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 eggs, 1 egg white and 1/4 cup sour cream and mix until combined. Then pour dry ingredients into this bowl and mix until combined.
- Bake. Place mixture in a buttered 9×13" glass pan. Press down on dough with hands (or a piece of parchment paper) to smooth out the surface to avoid lumpiness. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not over cook.
Frosting:
- Combine 1/2 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons half and half, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and food coloring in a large bowl and beat with a mixer for 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Once the bars have cooled completely, pour frosting over top and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Optional: Top with sprinkles for a decorative touch!
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Variations
- Extra flavor. Can add almond extract or lemon extract to the dough for extra flavor.
- Sprinkles. Mix sprinkles in with the dough. Add the sprinkles to the dough before baking.
- Instead of buttercream, try 4-ingredient cream cheese frosting, sour cream frosting, or strawberry buttercream.
Recipe FAQs
These easy sugar cookie bars will bake up and turn a light golden yellow color with a soft-looking crust on top. Use a wooden pick to place in the middle of the baking pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cookies are done, if not bake for a few more minutes.
Simple! Let your baked sugar cookies cool to room temperature. Either cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or slice the cookies into squares or shapes and place them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Yes! These cookie bars are perfect to store and freeze. Let the cookies cool and place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper to freeze. This takes about 30 minutes. Then place those cookie squares in a ziplock bag or airtight container and store them in the freezer for one month.
Lynne Ericson
What if I don’t have sour cream can I just use milk
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Hi Lynne, it has not been tested with just milk and sour cream is a bit thicker / tangier than milk.
Wendy
These were such a hit with the kids. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Dana
I also love sugar cookies but sometimes don’t have the time (or patience) to do all the work involved, so these bars are perfect! The cookie and frosting combo is fantastic. Will definitely make these again and again.
Renae
The pink frosting sealed the deal with this recipe! So yummy 😋