Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar cookies are a classic holiday treat! But they're not easy to make with all the chilling, rolling, and cutting! With this recipe for Christmas sugar cookie bars, you can enjoy all the flavors of your favorite holiday treat without all the hard work. This easy recipe is perfect for a cookie exchange or baking with the kids this holiday season!
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What Do I Need to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars?
These delicious treats have all the flavor of basic sugar cookies because they're made with similar ingredients. To make your own cookie bars, you'll need:
Sugar Cookie Bars - Shopping List
Dairy & Refrigerated
- Unsalted butter - 2 ½ sticks (1¼ cups total)
- Cream cheese - 4 ounces (full-fat)
- Heavy cream - ½ cup (small carton is fine)
- Eggs - 3 large
Baking Aisle
- All-purpose flour - 3 cups
- Granulated white sugar - 1¼ cups
- Powdered sugar - 2 cups (one 2-lb bag)
- Baking powder - ¾ teaspoon
- Vanilla extract - 1½ teaspoons
- Almond extract - ½ teaspoon
Pantry Staples (you likely have these)
- Salt
Optional for Decorating
- Sprinkles
- Gel food coloring
Notes:
- Heavy cream: The recipe calls for ¼ cup plus 1-2 tablespoons, so a small carton will have plenty with some to spare.
- Powdered sugar: A standard 2-lb bag contains about 7½ cups, so one bag is enough.
- Butter: Grab two boxes (4 sticks total) if you want a little buffer for mistakes or greasing.
How Do I Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars?
Once you see how simple it is to make sugar cookie bars, you'll want to bake them over and over again! To get started, follow these easy instructions for preparing and baking your own Christmas treats at home today.
Step One: Prepare the Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving enough paper hanging over the side to lift the bars out after baking. Set the baking pan aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low for about 1 minute until the dough just comes together.
Step Two: Bake the Cookie Bars
Spread the cookie mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it out all the way to the edges. The dough will be sticky, so you may need to wet a spatula or spray a little cooking spray on it to help smooth out the dough. Don't worry if the top isn't perfectly smooth-frosting will cover it later.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks just slightly underbaked. The bars will continue to set as they cool.Cool completely in the pan before frosting. When cooled pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper.
Step Three: Prepare the Frosting
Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low after each addition to avoid a powdered sugar cloud.
Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and beat on medium-high for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick to spread easily, add an additional tablespoon of cream.
Spread over completely cooled cookie bars and decorate with sprinkles as desired.
Step Four: Decorate the Cookie Bars
Now that the cookie bars and frosting are ready to go, it's time to decorate! Spread the icing evenly over the cooled bars, then top with your favorite holiday sprinkles. Slice the bars into even squares before serving.
Sugar Cookie Bars Tips & Tricks
You won't believe just how simple it is to make your own sugar cookie bars at home this holiday season! And when you see how much easier they are to make than traditional sugar cookies, this is going to be your go-to Christmas recipe! Try these tips and tricks as you're baking to ensure your holiday treats are always amazing.
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- Start with softened butter. Before you start mixing your ingredients, make sure your butter is nice and soft. This will ensure the dough comes together without large lumps of butter in the batter. Try setting the butter out a few hours before you plan to bake to ensure it comes to room temperature.
- Soften the cream cheese. When making the frosting for your sugar cookies, it's also important to make sure your cream cheese is soft. Set the cream cheese out at room temperature for an hour or two before mixing to enjoy a smooth and creamy frosting for your cookies.
- Don't overbake the cookie bars. When they're finished baking, your cookie bars should be soft and chewy. So, it's important that you take them out of the oven when the center of the bars is still slightly soft. If the cookie bars are overbaked, they'll quickly become dry and crumbly!
- Allow the cookie bars to cool completely. Before adding the frosting to your treats, make sure the bars are fully cooled. Adding icing to warm cookies will cause the frosting to melt, leaving you with a mess!
- Add some sprinkles. The top of your cookie bars isn't the only place to use sprinkles to add more holiday cheer to your treats! You can also mix around ¼ up of Christmas sprinkles to the batter to add a pop of color to the dessert. Mix the sprinkles into the prepared dough before pressing it into the pan.
How Do You Store Christmas Cookie Bars?
The uniced cookie bars can be stored at room temperature for up to one week. However, once the cookies are decorated with icing, they should be stored in the refrigerator. That's because the frosting contains cream cheese, which can go bad if it's set out at room temperature for too long. After the cookies are decorated, transfer them to an airtight container and keep them chilled for up to 5 days.
You can also store the uniced cookie bars in the freezer for longer-term storage. Store the entire pan of baked cookie dough or cut it into bars and transfer to an airtight container. They'll be good in the freezer for up to three months.
To thaw the frozen cookie bars, simply set them out on the counter at room temperature overnight before decorating and serving.
Troubleshooting
My bars turned out dry. This is usually caused by overbaking or too much flour. Cookie bars continue to set as they cool, so pull them from the oven when the center still looks slightly underbaked. For the flour, spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can pack in extra flour.
My bars are too cakey or puffy. This can happen if the eggs are too large or if the butter and sugar were overbeaten. Beat the butter and sugar just until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes), and make sure you're using large eggs, not extra-large.
My bars are gooey in the center. If the edges are golden but the center is still too soft after cooling, the bars needed a few more minutes in the oven. Every oven runs a little differently-try increasing the bake time by 2-3 minutes next time. You can also pop underbaked bars back in the oven for a few minutes to finish them off.
My bars stuck to the pan. Make sure to use parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to lift the bars out easily. Letting them cool completely before removing also helps.
My frosting is too runny. Add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency. This can happen if your butter or cream cheese was too warm, or if you added too much heavy cream.
My frosting is too thick. Add heavy cream, one teaspoon at a time, until it's easy to spread.
My frosting is lumpy. This happens when the cream cheese or butter isn't fully softened. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 30-45 minutes before mixing. If you already have lumps, try beating the frosting on high for another 2-3 minutes, or press it through a fine mesh strainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes! Unfrosted bars can be baked a day ahead, covered tightly, and stored at room temperature. Frosted bars should be refrigerated and are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Can I freeze sugar cookie bars? Absolutely. Freeze unfrosted bars wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before frosting. You can freeze frosted bars too, but the frosting texture may change slightly-let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted? You can, but reduce or omit the added salt in both the bars and frosting to avoid an overly salty taste.
Can I leave off the frosting? Sure! The bars are delicious on their own. You could also dust them with powdered sugar for a simpler presentation.
Can I add sprinkles to the cookie dough? Yes-fold in about ½ cup of sprinkles at the end of mixing. Use jimmies (the rod-shaped sprinkles) rather than nonpareils, which can bleed color into the dough.
Can I use a different extract? Definitely. Swap the almond extract for more vanilla, or try lemon or orange extract for a citrus twist. Keep the total extract amount the same.
Can I use low-fat or whipped cream cheese? I don't recommend it. Full-fat block-style cream cheese gives the best flavor and texture. Low-fat or whipped versions contain more water and can make the frosting runny.
How do I cut clean bars? Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts. For extra-clean edges, chill the frosted bars in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing.
Can I pipe the frosting instead of spreading it? Yes! This frosting holds up well for piping. Use a large round or star tip for a decorative finish.
How should I store these? Keep frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened ½ stick
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cookie bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving enough paper hanging over the side to lift the bars out after baking. Set the baking pan aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low for about 1 minute until the dough just comes together.
- Spread the cookie mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it out all the way to the edges. The dough will be sticky, so you may need to wet a spatula or spray a little cooking spray on it to help smooth out the dough. Don't worry if the top isn't perfectly smooth—frosting will cover it later.Don't worry if the top isn't perfectly smooth—frosting will cover it later.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks just slightly underbaked. The bars will continue to set as they cool.
- Cool completely in baking pan. When completely cooled pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper. Frost the cookie bars and add festive sprinkles (if desired) before using a sharp knife to cut them into squares.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low after each addition to avoid a powdered sugar cloud.
- Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until combined.
- Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and beat on medium-high for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick to spread easily, add an additional tablespoon of cream.
- Spread over completely cooled cookie bars and decorate with sprinkles as desired.
Notes
- Pan alternative: For a 9x9-inch pan, reduce the cookie bar ingredients by one-third and bake for 22-26 minutes.
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter are fully softened—cold cream cheese will leave lumps in your frosting.
- For colored frosting, divide the batch and add gel food coloring (liquid dye can thin the consistency).
- Storage: Frosted bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving for the best texture.
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