Easy & Delicious Sugar Cookie Bars with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Prepare for a delightful treat that brings all the joy of classic sugar cookies without the fuss! These Sugar Cookie Bars are incredibly thick, wonderfully soft, and generously frosted with a rich, luscious vanilla buttercream. This simple sugar cookie recipe is designed for ease, baked in a single pan, and can be effortlessly sliced and served, making it perfect for any occasion.
If you adore sugar cookies but often find the traditional rolling, cutting, and baking process a bit time-consuming and messy, then these cookie bars are your ultimate solution. Forget the endless cycles of chilling dough, flour-dusted countertops, and meticulously cutting out individual shapes. With this recipe, you simply press all the dough into a 9×13 inch pan and bake the entire batch at once. It’s a game-changer for busy bakers and anyone who loves a good homemade dessert without the hassle.
What truly sets these sugar cookie bars apart is their irresistible texture and the phenomenal frosting. Each bite offers a perfect balance of chewiness and tenderness, a hallmark of well-made sugar cookies. The vanilla buttercream, smooth and creamy, elevates the experience, making these bars truly unforgettable. Beyond their amazing taste, they are incredibly versatile. You can easily adapt the frosting color and sprinkle choices to match any holiday, celebration, or seasonal theme, making them a fantastic go-to recipe for any festive gathering.
Essential Ingredients for Your Delicious Sugar Cookie Bars
Crafting the perfect sugar cookie bar begins with quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for the tender cookie base:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional, but highly recommended for depth of flavor)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Ingredients for the Heavenly Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
A sugar cookie bar isn’t complete without a generous slather of creamy frosting. Our vanilla buttercream recipe is simple yet incredibly delicious, ensuring a perfect complement to the cookie base. The addition of sour cream or plain yogurt provides a wonderful tang and enhances the frosting’s creaminess, making it less cloyingly sweet and perfectly balanced.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt (adds a lovely tang and creaminess)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Food coloring (if desired, for festive touches)
- 1-2 Tbsp milk, as needed for desired consistency
Step-by-Step: How to Bake Perfect Sugar Cookie Bars
Making these sugar cookie bars is straightforward and incredibly rewarding. Follow these simple steps for a batch of soft, chewy, and irresistible treats:
- Prepare Your Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars later. Lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray to ensure no sticking.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air and creating a tender cookie texture.
- Add Extracts and Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract, mixing for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisking ensures these dry ingredients are evenly distributed, preventing pockets of leavening agents or salt in the final product.
- Mix Dough: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookie bars. A few streaks of flour are fine; they will disappear during baking.
- Press into Pan: Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. You can use your hands or the back of a spoon, making sure the surface is as level as possible for even baking.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges barely begin to turn a light golden brown. The center should still look slightly soft and set. Overbaking will result in dry, crumbly bars, so err on the side of slightly underbaked for that desired soft, chewy texture.
- Cool Completely: Allow the sugar cookie bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before attempting to frost them. Frosting warm bars will result in a melted, messy frosting.
Creating the Dreamy Buttercream Frosting for Your Sugar Cookie Bars
This vanilla buttercream frosting is the crowning glory of these cookie bars. It’s incredibly easy to whip up and perfectly complements the sweet, soft cookie base:
- Combine Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, sour cream (or yogurt), powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Mix Until Smooth: Using an electric mixer, start on low speed to incorporate the powdered sugar (to avoid a sugar cloud!), then increase to medium-high speed and beat until the frosting is well combined and smooth.
- Adjust Consistency and Color: If you desire a thinner consistency, add the milk one tablespoon at a time, mixing until you reach your preferred spreadable consistency. If you wish to add food coloring for a festive touch, now is the time to mix it in thoroughly.
- Frost the Cooled Bars: Once the cookie bars are completely cool, spread the buttercream frosting evenly over the top. Add sprinkles or other decorations immediately if desired, before the frosting sets.
Vanilla Buttercream Sugar Cookie Bars
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 Tbsp sour cream/plain yogurt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- food coloring if desired
- 1-2 Tbsp of milk to consistency
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the sides. Lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray.
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In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beating together for another 2-3 minutes until well combined.
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In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
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Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.
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Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges barely start to turn a light golden brown and the center is set. Do not overbake. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
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To make the frosting, in a bowl, mix the softened butter, sour cream (or yogurt), powdered sugar, and vanilla together with an electric mixer until well combined and smooth. Add food coloring if desired. Then, add milk one tablespoon at a time, mixing until you achieve your desired consistency. Spread evenly over the cooled cookie bars.
Video Tutorial
Secrets to Cutting Perfectly Shaped Cookie Bars
Achieving clean, perfectly cut sugar cookie bars can sometimes feel like a challenge, especially with gooey desserts. However, the secret weapon for flawless slicing is simply parchment paper! This kitchen essential allows you to lift the entire baked and cooled slab of cookie bars out of the pan, making it incredibly easy to transfer them to a cutting board for precise, even slices. No more sacrificing the first row to get a clean edge!
If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, you can certainly bake the bars directly in a greased pan as usual. Just be aware that the very first piece might not come out as cleanly as the rest. Regardless, these sugar cookie bars hold their shape beautifully compared to many other desserts, making them one of the easiest bar recipes to cut into neat squares. Remember to allow them to cool completely before attempting to cut them, as warm bars will be much harder to slice cleanly.
Expert Tips for Making the Best Sugar Cookie Bars
To ensure your sugar cookie bars turn out perfectly every time – thick, soft, and utterly delicious – keep these crucial tips in mind:
- Don’t Melt the Butter! This is a common mistake. The butter needs to be softened to room temperature, not melted. Softened butter creams together with sugar to create air pockets, which are essential for the cookie’s light and fluffy texture. Melted butter will result in a greasy dough and dense, flat bars.
- Cream Butter and Sugar Thoroughly: Dedicate a good 2-3 minutes to creaming the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is visibly lighter in color and fluffy. This process incorporates air, which contributes to the soft texture and helps the cookies spread just right.
- Always Preheat Your Oven: Ensure your oven is fully preheated to the specified temperature before placing the pan inside. A properly preheated oven allows the cookie bars to start baking immediately and evenly, preventing them from spreading too much or baking inconsistently.
- Utilize Parchment Paper: As mentioned, lining your 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper is a game-changer. It makes lifting the entire baked slab out of the pan incredibly easy, allowing you to cut perfect squares without any fuss or mess.
- Avoid Overbaking at All Costs: This might be the most important tip! Sugar cookie bars are best when they are soft and slightly chewy. Once the edges begin to turn even the lightest golden brown, take them out of the oven immediately. The center might still look a tiny bit undercooked, but they will continue to set as they cool. Overbaking, even by a minute or two, can quickly turn soft bars into hard, dry ones. Trust your instincts and pull them out early!
Customize Your Sugar Cookie Bars: Fun Variations!
One of the joys of these sugar cookie bars is how adaptable they are. Here are some ideas to make them uniquely yours:
- Seasonal Sprinkles: Change the sprinkles to match any holiday! Red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, red, white, and blue for patriotic holidays, or black and orange for Halloween.
- Food Coloring: Tint the buttercream frosting with food coloring to create vibrant desserts for birthday parties, baby showers, or holiday themes.
- Extract Variations: While vanilla and almond are classic, consider experimenting with other extracts like lemon, peppermint (especially for winter), or even a touch of coconut extract for a tropical twist.
- Citrus Zest: Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the cookie dough for a bright, refreshing flavor profile.
- Add-ins: Fold in some white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even a handful of dried cranberries into the dough before baking for added texture and flavor.
Storing Your Sugar Cookie Bars for Optimal Freshness
To keep your delicious sugar cookie bars fresh and soft:
- Room Temperature: Store frosted sugar cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If your kitchen is very warm, consider refrigerating them.
- Refrigeration: If you’ve used a cream cheese frosting or if your kitchen is particularly humid, refrigerate the bars in an airtight container for up to a week. Let them come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
- Freezing: Unfrosted sugar cookie bars can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then frost as usual. Frosted bars can also be frozen, ideally in a single layer in an airtight container, for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator and then bring to room temperature before serving.
Craving More Cookie Bar Recipes? Explore Our Favorites!
If you’ve fallen in love with the ease and deliciousness of cookie bars, you’re in for a treat! We have a fantastic collection of other bar recipes that are just as simple to make and equally delightful. Why not try one of these next?
- Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Effortless No Bake Cookie Bars
- Wholesome Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Bright & Zesty Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Festive Swirled Patriotic Cookie Bars
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