Sugar cookie bars are a simple and delicious dessert that comes together in no time at all. A soft sugar cookie bar flavored with vanilla and almond extract smothered in sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting sprinkled with rainbow sprinkles!
Ingredients for Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar cookie bars
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature, softened butter for easy creaming.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg: Large egg, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract + almond extract: Adds amazing flavor to the sugar cookie bars.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors in the bars.
- Baking powder: A tiny bit of baking powder helps create the perfect soft, texture.
- All-purpose flour
- Milk: Room temperature.
Vanilla cream cheese frosting
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter.
- Cream cheese: Room temperature to cream easily with the butter.
- Powdered sugar: Confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds great flavor.
- Salt: To contrast the sweetness in the frosting.
- Heavy cream: Helps the frosting whip up well.
- Rainbow sprinkles: Add colorful rainbow sprinkles to give these bars a little something extra! Use a sprinkle blend to customize these bars for different holidays or seasons!
Tools & Supplies for Making Sugar Cookie Bars
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar cookie bars
To make the dough, I recommend using an electric hand mixer.
- Preheat oven and prepare an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- Cream softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add the dry ingredients (baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour). Mix until combined and then add milk and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
While you are waiting for the sugar cookie bars to cool, prepare the vanilla cream cheese frosting.
Vanilla cream cheese frosting
To make the vanilla cream cheese frosting, I recommend using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Cream softened butter and cream cheese for a few minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar and mix on low to combine.
- Add in salt and vanilla extract and continue to mix.
- Drizzle in heavy cream. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
Once the sugar cookie bars are completely cool, use an offset spatula to spread a thick layer of the frosting onto the cooled cookie bars. Add rainbow sprinkles for a little extra fun and color! Use different sprinkle blends to coordinate with the holiday season, such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or other holidays!
Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe Tips
Cream the butter and sugar very well
One key to getting the perfect sugar cookie texture is to cream the butter and sugar very well. Using softened, room temperature butter helps make the creaming process easy! Whip the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes or so until it appears light, pale, and fluffy.
Preparing the baking pan
To easily remove the bars from the baking pan, spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper sheets. Cut the parchment paper so it fits into the bottom of the pan. Extend the parchment paper up the sides and over the edges of the pan. Simply lift up on the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan with no mess!
Do not over bake the cookie bars
Keep an eye on the bars as they are baking! The bars are perfectly baked when they are slightly golden-brown around the edges and still a bit soft in the middle. Be sure to position the baking pan in the center of the oven and keep an eye on the color!
Customize the bars
Use different sprinkle blends to customize these cookie bars to different seasons and holidays! Be creative and have fun!
Storing and serving
Sugar cookie bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 or 3 days. To serve, bring the bars to room temperature to soften the cream cheese frosting and for the best flavor and texture.
Click here to see a quick video on how to make sugar cookie bars! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 8×8 baking pan
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp milk room temperature
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp heavy cream
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), cream unsalted butter and granulated sugar for a few minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in egg, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix to combine.
- Add in salt, baking powder, and all-purpose flour. Mix until combined. Then, add milk and mix on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms. Do not over mix the dough.
- Press the sugar cookie dough into the prepared baking pan to create an even layer of cookie dough.
- Bake the sugar cookie bars for approximately 25 minutes until they are light golden-brown around the edges.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven. Allow the sugar cookie bars to cool to room temperature in the pan while making the vanilla cream cheese frosting.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add in powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined with the cream cheese mixture.
- Add in salt, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and continue to mix on low.
- Once all the ingredients are well incorporated, turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Spread the vanilla cream cheese frosting on the cooled sugar cookie bars with an offset spatula. Add sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Can you substitute the almond extract for more vanilla extract?
Hi Sara! Yes, absolutely!
Hi..
If I double the recipe…can I use a 13 x 9 pan?
Hi Lori! You could double the recipe and use a 13×9. The baking times might be a bit different so keep your eyes on the oven!
These were really good. A little to sweet for the fam so next I’ll just use less powered sugar for the frosting.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I love the idea of adjusting the powdered sugar to your taste! 🙂