Sugar Cookie bars are fast, easy and taste just as good as the roll & cut cookies! The super soft, chewy vanilla cookie is made with simple ingredients and comes together quickly. Topped with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting, these Sugar Cookie Bars will be an easy favorite!
Sugar Cookie Bars- All the flavor, none of the work!
We are nearing that crazy, busy-all-the-time part of the year. Actually, I take it back.. I think it is here! In the past, I have been all over Halloween, coordinating costumes all ready before September even ends.
Not this year, folks! I was running to Walmart the morning of our town’s Trick or Treat on Main Street! I feel like I’ve been running 15 minutes behind schedule for the past 6 months. Life. Is. Hectic.
If you feel even remotely the same way, time to raise your hands and sing the Hallelujah Chorus, because these Sugar Cookie Bars are everything.
Every bit as tasty as the classic roll and cut sugar cookies , the exact same frosting (AKA my super popular Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe) except half of the work!!
Bar desserts in general are just fabulous. If you’re in the market for more of these types of desserts, be sure to check out my Blonde Brownie Recipe!
How to make Sugar Cookie Bars
With either your stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. The ‘light’ in that phrase is actually referring to color of the mixture! Mix for 2 minutes, the sugar will cut into the butter and really cause the color to become light!
Add in the vanilla and egg. Mix thoroughly.
Add in baking powder, flour and salt. Mix until well combined. It will seem a little dry at first, but it will come together, promise!
If after mixing for a minute or so it still seems to be having a hard time coming together, add water 1 tsp at a time. The humidity can have a big effect on whether or not the dough will come together without a little water. The dough is very forgiving!
The dough’s consistency should be similar to soft Play-doh.
Press the cookie dough into a greased 9×13 pan. I personally like my sugar cookie bars THICK so I press my dough into about 3/4 of the 9×13 pan. (See picture below. ?)
Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Be careful not to over bake these! You’ll want to pull them out as soon as the top is puffy and no longer glossy.
Pull out of the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
I use my favorite Sugar Cookie Frosting recipe to top these Sugar Cookie Bars.
Essentially, butter, crisco, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk are combined to create the frosting. I know more than one of you are wondering if you could use all butter instead of the butter and crisco combo.
More on that over on the Frosting Post, but the short answer is yes. Yes, you can. The frosting won’t be as bright of a white, and will not be crusting at all, but it will work. ?
Spread that frosting all over, lick the spoon and then top with sprinkles & love.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the best way to store the Sugar Cookie Bars?
Store the finished sugar cookie bars in an air tight container or zip baggie at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 1 month.
Can the Sugar Cookie Bars be safely stored at room temperature even with the milk in the frosting?
YES!! There isn’t a whole lot of milk in the frosting and there is enough sugar in the frosting to stabilize the milk that is in the frosting.
Can I half the recipe? Can I double?
Yes on all accounts!! If you half the recipe, use a square 8×8 pan. If doubling the recipe, use a standard cookie sheet.
YIELD: APPROX. 20 BARS
Sugar Cookie Bars
(Printable Recipe Below)
Sugar Cookie bars are fast, easy and taste just as good as the roll & cut cookies! The super soft, chewy vanilla cookie is made with simple ingredients and comes together quickly. Topped with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting, these Sugar Cookie Bars will be an easy favorite!
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla (Not a typo! ?)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup crisco
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2-3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13 pan. Set aside.
- For the Sugar Cookie Bars:Cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and egg. Mix thoroughly.
- Mix in the baking powder, flour and salt until well combined.
- Press into the greased 9×13 pan.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until puffy and no longer glossy. You’ll want to pull them before they start turning brown.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- For the Frosting: Cream together the butter, crisco, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and creamy.
- Frost cooled sugar cookie bars and top with sprinkles, if desired.
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla Not a typo! ?
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup crisco
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2-3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 pan. Set aside.
- For the Sugar Cookie Bars: Cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and egg. Mix thoroughly.
- Mix in the baking powder, flour and salt until well combined.
- Press into the greased 9x13 pan.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until puffy and no longer glossy. You'll want to pull them before they start turning brown.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- For the Frosting: Cream together the butter, crisco, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and creamy.
- Frost cooled sugar cookie bars and top with sprinkles, if desired.
Kelly says
Batter was so dry and crumbly. Is that normal?
Hoping the end result is as good as the batter tastes!!!
karlibitner says
Hi Kelly- How did they turn out? The dough should be similar to play dough. If is was really crumbly and it effected the final sugar cookie bar, you may want to add a tsp or two of water to the dough next time. This can vary from climate to climate. Hope they turned out well!
Karen says
Same here… I had to add about 1/3 cup of milk to get it to be play dough consistency. If I made them again, I’d definitely cut back on the amount of flour.
Alex says
Mine started out really dry And crumbling but I just mixed it at a higher speed and it turned out perfect!!
Mary Renee says
I live in the Pacific Northwest USA about 600ft above sea level and I found I needed to add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water….with that added in, I have made these twice and they are the absolute best cookie bars I have ever had even before going vegan. They vanish at potlucks. Absolutely the best. I plan to make them for the 4th of july and use plain white frosting topped with chopped strawberries with a cooled strawberry maple syrup reduction.
Carol says
I am surprised by the dry and crumbly batter comments. I made mine on a warm August day and my butter was VERY soft almost melted on the edges. I bet their butter wasn’t soft enough. I made it just like the recipe and it looked just like my great grandmothers cut out sugar cookie recipe. I dumped the batter into the pan, press it down, and it baked up all puffy. I took it out just before the edges were hardly even brown. I didn’t want to over bake it because I taking them to a picnic tomarrow, but traveling today so I don’t want them to dry out. I will try to let you know how they tasted, can’t wait!
Karli Bitner says
I hope you and everyone at the picnic totally enjoyed them!
Carol says
They were perfect. The cookie was “soft & chewy”! You could taste all that butter and vanilla. I did make your frosting recipe, but I didn’t have any crisco or vegetable shortening so I skipped it and probably added a little more milk to get to the right thickness. I was just the right amount of frosting for a 9×13 pan of bars. This one is a winner, I will make this again.
Karli Bitner says
I am so happy to hear this, Carol! 🙂 Thanks for the update!
Sierra says
Best sugar cookie recipe! Made both as a sheet pan cookie and cookie cut-outs for a holiday! (The only thing I noticed was it took my sheet pan 9×13 atleast 25 minutes to cook.) I did not have the ingredients for the frosting so I made a different recipe. This will be my go to recipe from here on out for sugar cookies!
Karli Bitner says
I am so glad you found my recipe, Sierra! Thanks for the comment, stars and coming back for all the holidays! 🙂
Jo says
Can you tell me what I can use instead of Crisco? Thank you. I just never use it!
Karli Bitner says
You could use all butter instead of part butter and part crisco! Just replace the crisco with extra butter.
Briana says
These are life changing!!! You get an AMAZING sugar cookie without all the work!! These are so delicious and perfect in every way!! Thanks so much for a fantastic, simple recipe!!
Sierra H. says
The best sugar cookie recipe that I have used! Perfect taste and texture. I have not tried the frosting recipe along with it, as I have another recipe I love but would make these anytime that I wanted a sugar cookie for a holiday or event!
Jessica says
One of the ingredients says crisco. Is that crisco vegetable oil or crisco shortening?
Karli Bitner says
Shortening.
Kristin says
Quick question. I kind of want to make this into a number cake. I bought a silicon number pan and wondered if you think it would hold up coming out or if it would break easy?! Thank you! Looks amazing!!!
Karli Bitner says
That is a great question. This cookie comes out pretty soft, so if you were to do it, I’d bake them into the silicone number and then either refrigerate or freeze the cookie in the silicone mold before taking it out. 🙂