Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

Six frosted sugar cookie bars with colorful red, green, and yellow sprinkles are arranged on a white surface, with one bar partially eaten.

Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars taste like the holidays baked into one easy pan. They’re soft, buttery, and topped with a thick layer of festive frosting that always gets smiles.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings bars

Calories 214kcal

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Bars

10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 small eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon Christmas sprinkles for topping

Instructions

Sugar Cookie Bars

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 10-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together until just combined.
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
Add the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
3 small eggs, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat for about 1 minute until the dough forms.
2½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Spread evenly, smoothing it out all the way to the edges. (Don’t worry if the top isn’t perfectly smooth, as frosting will cover it later.)
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is still slightly gooey. Keep an eye on it after 20 minutes to ensure it doesn’t over-bake.
Cool the cookie bars in the pan, or remove with the parchment paper and cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
4 ounces cream cheese, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bars, covering the entire surface. Decorate with Christmas sprinkles.
1 tablespoon Christmas sprinkles
Slice into 20-25 2-inch (5 cm) squares and serve right away, or let the frosting firm up slightly before cutting for cleaner slices.

Notes

Prep in advance. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are fully softened for the smoothest cookie dough and frosting.

Make cleanup easy. Leave an overhang on your parchment paper so the bars lift out cleanly.

Frosting will cover mistakes. Don’t worry if the top isn’t perfectly smooth, as frosting will cover it later.

Pan sizes: If you don’t have a 10 x 10-inch pan, don’t stress! This recipe is flexible. The most important thing is to spread the dough evenly in the pan so everything bakes at the same rate. After baking, cut into your preferred size — anywhere from 20 to 30 bars depending on how big you like them.

A 9 × 9-inch pan will give you slightly thicker bars and works beautifully; just add a couple extra minutes to the bake time and slice into 2 to 2.5-inch squares.
A 9 × 13-inch pan will give you thinner bars; they’ll bake a little faster, so start checking around 18 minutes, and cut them into 20 to 30 rectangles depending on how big you like them.

Nutrition

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