Sugar Cookie Bars are the easiest way to get that soft, frosted sugar cookie flavor without rolling and cutting dough. They bake up thick and tender in a 9×13 pan, then get topped with a fluffy vanilla almond frosting and sprinkles that is beyond delicious and a family favorite.
Cream cheese in the bars keeps them extra soft, and the frosting spreads beautifully and sets up just enough for clean slices. These are perfect for birthdays, holidays, school events, cookie trays… you name it!!
If you loved these, try our Frosted Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Bars, Funfetti Cookies, or Brownies.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- No Rolling, No Chilling. Skip the hassle of cutting out cookies. There’s no need to chill, and they’re ready to dive into in only 30 minutes!
- Easy to Customize. Add colors and sprinkles for any occasion.
- Cream Cheese Base. Adds moisture and keeps the bars soft.
- Balanced Flavor. Vanilla and almond extracts create classic taste.
Sugar Cookie Bars Ingredients
Bars
- Sugar (1¼ cups): Sweetens the bars and helps create a soft texture.
- Butter (¾ cup, softened): Adds richness and keeps the bars tender. See How to Soften Butter Quickly.
- Cream Cheese (1 package, 8-ounce, softened): Adds moisture and gives the bars a soft, slightly creamy texture.
- Egg (1): Binds the ingredients and adds structure.
- Vanilla Extract (1 tablespoon): Adds classic sweet flavor.
- Almond Extract (1 teaspoon): Gives that signature sugar cookie taste.
- All-Purpose Flour (1¾ cups): Provides structure for the bars. See How to Measure Flour.
- Baking Soda (1 teaspoon): Helps the bars rise and stay soft.
- Baking Powder (1 teaspoon): Adds lift for a light texture.
Frosting
- Powdered Sugar (3½ cups): Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Butter (½ cup, softened): Creates a rich and creamy frosting base.
- Milk (3-4 tablespoons): Adjusts the frosting to the right consistency.
- Vanilla Extract (2 teaspoons): Enhances the frosting flavor.
- Almond Extract (½ teaspoon): Adds that classic bakery-style flavor.
- Food Coloring (optional): Adds color for holidays or events.
- Sprinkles (optional): Adds a fun and decorative finish. For an alternative, top with rainbow jimmies, colored confetti, holiday-themed sprinkles, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or mini M&M’s.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a metal 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside, or Line the Pan with Parchment Paper.
BATTER. Beat sugar, butter, cream cheese, and egg with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until well blended and a bit frothy, 2–3 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for a few minutes.
BAKE. Pour into a 9×13 pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool.
FROSTING. Beat powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extracts until well combined. Start with 3 tablespoons of milk, adding more as needed to reach the desired texture. Add food coloring.
Spread over the cooled cake and top with sprinkles.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overbake: Pull them out when the center is just set for soft bars.
- Use Room Temp Ingredients: Helps everything mix smoothly and evenly.
- Cool Before Frosting: This prevents the frosting from melting and getting messy.
- Spread Evenly: Use a spatula for a smooth frosting layer.
Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Bars
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- food coloring, optional
- sprinkles, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a metal 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside.
- To make the bars, beat sugar, butter, cream cheese, and egg with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until well blended and a bit frothy, 2–3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat for a few minutes. Pour into a prepared pan and bake for 18–20 minutes. Let cool.
Frosting
- Beating powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extracts until well combined. Start with 3 tablespoons of milk, adding more as needed to reach the desired texture. Add food coloring.
- Spread over cooled cake and top with sprinkles.
Notes
- Don’t Overbake: Pull them out when the center is just set for soft bars.
- Use Room Temp Ingredients: Helps everything mix smoothly and evenly.
- Cool Before Frosting: This prevents the frosting from melting and getting messy.
- Spread Evenly: Use a spatula for a smooth frosting layer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Roll the dough into a log shape. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days or wrap again with foil and freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and follow the recipe instructions to bake.
Cover the pan with plastic or foil and store at room temperature. Separate layers with wax or parchment paper.
Flash freeze to set the frosting, then layer the bars in a freezer-safe container. Separate layers with wax or parchment paper, and freeze for 3-6 months.
More Like This
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Sugar Cookie Recipes
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Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
2 hrs 18 mins
Frosted Sugar Cookies
25 mins
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
2 hrs 18 mins
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This recipe was originally published June 2012.
How would I convert this recipe if I wanted to use a sheet pan instead of a 9×13?
You could make 1.5 batches of the recipe and it should fill a sheet pan (13×18) just fine!
Super disappointed! The consistency of these is nothing close to sugar cookies, they’re more like a fluffy cake. It took about 30-35 minutes to fully cook – I had to cover the top with tin foil so they didn’t burn, as they were already super dark. Not at all what I was hoping for. Bummer, because they were easy to make and tasted decent.
Thanks so much for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
These are great when you need to make a large batch of sugar cookies. The recipe is quick and easy and the almond flavor in them makes them sooo good!! I use this recipe often for large parties or gatherings. My oldest often chooses these Sugar Cookie Bars for his birthday dessert!!
I have made this recipe several times. It is so much easier than traditional sugar cookies, but just as yummy. It’s easy to adapt to different holidays with different colored frosting and sprinkles. This recipe is a keeper!
These are delicious! My husband requests these often, they are his favorite! They are perfect to bring to get togethers too, everyone raves about them!
One of our families favorites! These bars tastes amazing and so soft! Everything you love about sugar cookies, but easier!!!
Your recipe calls for a 9×13 pan, but the picture shows this recipe baked in a 12×17 jelly roll pan, which is what I would like to do. Double the recipe?
I made these a few nights ago. They were wonderful. My husband liked them so well that he asked for the recipe to share with others too! Also, one of my kids noted that he liked them better a day or two after they were made. I agree that they’re even better when they’ve had a bit of time to sit. Thanks for the great recipe 😁
You are so welcome! I’m so happy you like them as much as we do! I agree – they are even better after sitting for a bit. 🙂
I LOVE LOVE WATCHING ALL LIL LUNA’S RECIPES & HOME DECOR, CRAFT’S & YES YOUR CHILDREN ARE SO CUTE‼️ ENJOY THE GOOD REAL EVERYDAY LIVING LIFE ECT ECT ECT‼️ KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB 😊
Awe, thank you so much!!
Love these. So yumny
These are so easy to make and everyone loves them!!
Love that these are so quick.
Have not made these yet. Have read and Re-read Top to bOttom. Nowhere do i find the size pan yoi used. Im assUming its a jelly roll pan; but would be nice to have that info listed in the Recipe. Also, in the Execution hints at the BegInning, you say to beat sugar and butter together for 3 minutes. But beliw, your recipe instructions say to beat sugar, butter, eggs, and cream cheese all at once. Which is it?
Yes, a jelly roll pan works best & follow the recipe card 🙂 Hope you like them!
These are SUPer YUMMY! My kids and their friends like to make them.
I love these sugar cookie bars. There so much easier than regular sugar cookies and the taste is the same!
Sugar Cookie Bars are my very favorite! This recipe is going to be added to my recipe book for sure!
Why did you change your sugar cookie bar recipe? The other version was PERfection!?!
Always changing recipes around here..these are great too 😉
Perfect for summer parties and potlucks!
I like sugar cookies, but never make them because they take so long. I was happy to find your sugar cookie bar Recipe. SaMe great taste without the effort of traditional sugar cookies.
I love taking this recipe to any gathering! It feeds so many, is soft, & always a hit!! I love how creamy & smooth the frosting is, too!
Am going to make these. Do they need to be refrigerated?
Thanks!
No, they don’t need to 🙂 Enjoy!
Yumm! These look devine
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this recipe. I have been making these for several years now, probably since you posted it, and we LOVE it! Thank you!
Thank you so much for stopping by to leave a comment. I’m so glad you like these bars. They’re definitely ones of our favorites too. 🙂
Hi! I was just wondering if you make these in a 10×15 pan or a bigger sized jelly roll pan than that? I just made them and they were really good but I was just curious as to if I used the right sized pan. I also added almond extract to the frosting and it was really good! Thanks!
I use the 10×15 size and it usually works great. 🙂 SO glad you liked them too!
What is it about pink frosting and sprinkles that just mesmerizes me? Sugar Cookie Bars are one of my all-time favorite cookies to make. They’re so much easier than making rolled cookies and the texture and the smooth creamy buttercream frosting just sends me to the moon. You just reminded me that I need to make these… Thank you!!
Just made these and they are DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
YAY! So glad you liked them! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
YuM! These remind me of those lofthouse cookies! Would love for you to link up at my Pin It Thursday party http://www.sweetbellaroos.com/2012/07/19/pin-it-thursday3/
These look so nice!! your newest follower!!
Natasha xx
These looks great! I made myself cookies for my birthday. So much better than cake, plus you can still have the frosting!
Happy Belated Birthday Kristyn! Sounds like you had a blast! Enjoy your week 🙂
Michelle
Happy Belated Birthday girl!!! Sounds like hubs did a great job!!! 😉 And the fun polkadot stuff!?! You lucky lady!
Happy birthday! Those look SO GOOD! Glad you had a great day!
Happy Birthday!! The 9th is my birthday too. I turned 32. 😉
happy birthday… it was my birthday too yesterday! 🙂
What a thoughtful and lovely gift from your hubs! The cookie bars look amazing too!
Yours rolled sugar cookies are our all time favorite so I am looking forward to trying these.
Happy Birthday
Grr! I was trying so hard to make it over here to wish you a Happy Birthday on your actual Birthday.. And now it’s a day late. 🙁
Buuut, Happy Birthday, girl!!
It sounds like you had an amazing day. What a sweet husband to arrange a fun day for you! 😉
Hugs to you!
Vanessa
Happy Birthday Kristyn! As one of your blog followers I just wanted to wish you all the best for your special day … and being a fair bit older than you I just wanted to let you know that your 30s is a great place to be … so enjoy and embrace it all. You’ve done a great job here and should be proud of all your successes … family and work wise. Here’s to you sweetie (insert digbat drink here! lol)
HAPPY Birthday!!!!! It sounds like it got off to a GREAT start, and I hope it just got better as the day went on :o)
Lorin is SOOO cute!! I love the polka dot hanger, what a stud
Happy birthday to our good friend!! We love you!
xoxo
Happy birthday! And can I just say how super impressed I am with your husband’s creativity. And who doesn’t love polka dots? Looks like a fun day.
Happy Birthday Kristyn! What a thoughtful hubby you have! Mine would never get that “cutesy” with my gifts… but I’d enjoy the gift cards all the same 🙂 Hope you have an amazing day, sounds like you will! A day without kids is always a nice break for us moms 🙂 You have been such an inspiration to us, we love ya!
Happy Birthday!! It sounds like you have a very lovely and caring family and I am glad they are making the day special for you! Enjoy it!
Happy Birthday! You are one lucky girl! Love that gift from your hubby 🙂 And I can’t wait to try the sugar cookie bars!
Happy Birthday, sweet Kristyn! So glad you were spoiled by your family–you deserve it!
Happy Birthday!!!
Happy birthday Kristyn! I am SO glad you get to have a super fun day with Lo and I love the gift he got for you. He’s a keeper!