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:
- Unsalted Butter
- White sugar
- Eggs
- Almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Heavy cream
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Holiday sprinkles
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
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, then line a 10x10 baking pan with parchment paper. Using a hand mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue beating until smooth. After that, add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until a thick dough forms.
Step Two: Bake the Cookie Bars
When the dough is ready, transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread it evenly across the baking sheet. Lightly press it into place, making sure it's evenly spread all the way to the edges. Place the pan in the preheated oven to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the center is still slightly soft.
Step Three: Prepare the Frosting
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When the cookies are finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan. While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting by beating together the powdered sugar, softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until smooth and fluffy.
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.
- 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.
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Holiday sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
Cookie Bar Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10 x 10-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together until just combined.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients: Add the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients: Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the salt, baking powder, and flour, and beat for about 1 minute until the dough forms.
- Transfer the mixture: Spread the cookie mixture into the prepared pan, 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 overbake.
- Cool the cookie bars in the pan before frosting (optional) or serving.
Frosting Instructions:
- Prepare the frosting: In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine powdered sugar, softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Frost the bars: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bars, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Decorate: Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles for added color and texture.
- Serve: Slice into squares and serve right away, or let the frosting firm up slightly before cutting for cleaner slices.
- Enjoy these deliciously frosted cookie bars!
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