Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
These Christmas sugar cookie bars are soft, chewy, and topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. An easy holiday dessert without rolling or cutting cookies!
Ingredients
Bars:
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter (softened)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup (55 g) sour cream
- 2 ¼ cups (290 g) all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter (softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Christmas sprinkles for topping
Instructions
Bars:
- Preheat and Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F and butter (or use parchment paper) a 9x13 pan.
- Dry ingredients. Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. With a mixer, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup granulated sugar. Mix until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Pour in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 1 egg and 1/2 cup sour cream and mix until combined. Then pour dry ingredients into this bowl and mix until combined.
- Bake. Place mixture in a buttered 9x13 pan. The dough will be a little sticky, so press down with a spatula (or a piece of parchment paper) to smooth out the surface to avoid lumpiness. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges lightly golden and a toothpick comes clean. Be careful not over cook.
Frosting:
- Beat: With a mixer, beat 8 ounces cream cheese and 6 Tablespoons butter in a large bowl until smooth and well combined.
- Add and beat: Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and beat for 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Add little milk, if needed.
- Cool and serve: Once the bars have cooled completely, spoon frosting over top and spread evenly with a spatula. Top with sprinkles.
Notes
Storage: Store in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 160mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 379IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
