Sugar Cookie Bars
These delicious frosted sugar cookie bars have all the taste of sugar cookies, but without the rolling and cutting!
I will never turn down a cookie, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be either chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies. They are the two kinds of cookies I make the most often, and I have a ton of different variations of both of them on the blog. These sugar cookie bars are one of my favorites, because they’re much quicker and easier to make than traditional sugar cookies, but they taste every bit as delicious. That’s a definite plus when I’m tired and short on time, and just want a sugar cookie!
The sugar cookie base is thick and soft, and not too sweet, which means it’s totally okay to pile on the frosting. I like to beat the frosting until it’s extra light and fluffy, almost like whipped cream. The combination of the two is totally delicious! If you’re making these for a crowd, you could easily double the recipe and cook them on a rimmed baking sheet. A 9 x 13 pan is plenty for my family, though! They’re fairly rich, so I usually cut them into 24 smallish squares. They’re really great with a glass of cold milk!
Sugar Cookie Bars
Print Recipe
Ingredients
for the bars:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
for the frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons half and half or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- food coloring optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray, and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg white, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt to form a crumbly dough. Press the dough into the prepared pan to form an even layer, and poke the dough every few inches with a fork so it will bake evenly. Bake 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt, and food coloring, and beat again until fluffy. Spread over cooled cookies and add sprinkles. Cut into squares (I did 24 squares, but you can make them as big or small as you would like). Enjoy!
