Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
on Nov 30, 2023
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If you love thick and tender sugar cookies with creamy frosting – then you’ll love these peppermint sugar cookie bars! They’re quick and easy to make with a delicious hint of peppermint, creamy peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes on top. 
I love making cookie bars over the holidays – like my snickerdoodle cookie bars, Christmas M&M cookie bars and gingerbread cookie bars. They’re quick and easy, thick and tender, and take way less effort than their traditional cookie counterparts. So as much as I love my peppermint sugar cookie recipe – I wanted to make a faster and easier option.
These peppermint sugar cookie bars are perfect if you love Lofthouse style cookies. They’re soft and tender with a buttery flavor that’s infused with peppermint. Then they’re topped with a thick layer of peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes. They aren’t sickeningly sweet like a lot of packaged cookies, and the peppermint flavor pairs perfectly with the creaminess of the frosting.
I love cutting them into large squares and serving as dessert over the holidays, but they’re equally perfect cut into smaller squares and placed on a Christmas cookie tray. 
Making Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
- Start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C). This recipe is made in a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan, which you can either line with parchment or lightly grease.
- In large bowl you’ll beat together the softened butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar. Cream cheese is used in this recipe to make the bars extra soft. If also gives an almost creaminess to the sugar cookie bars that really adds to the flavor and keeps them from being too rich or greasy.
- From there, beat the egg, additional egg yolk and peppermint extract into the batter. Make sure that the eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the dough – this ensures that the batter doesn’t start to curdle.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) into the butter mixture. Then mix everything together, starting with the mixer on a low speed. I highly recommend sifting the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. This removes any lumps before mixing – which will help avoid overmixing the dough. Overmixing the dough can lead to tough cookie bars instead of tender cookie bars.
- Then spoon the dough into the prepared pan and smooth/press into an even layer.
- The bars will bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until the top looks set and you just start to see the edges starting to brown.
Then it’s time for the creamy, dreamy peppermint frosting. Make sure the cookie bars have fully cooled before frosting, otherwise, the frosting will melt when you go to decorate. This recipe uses real butter and cream for the creamiest frosting around and peppermint extract for the delicious peppermint flavor. For the cream – I use whipping cream that’s typically between 33-35% MF (the kind that comes in a carton). Heavy cream, table cream or half-and-half work too. I always recommend sifting the powdered sugar (AKA icing sugar) when making frosting so that it isn’t lumpy. 
A Note About Peppermint Extract
Peppermint extract can be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store, typically near the vanilla extract. Peppermint extract is not interchangeable with peppermint oil – peppermint oil is far stronger and also, not always edible.
The amount of peppermint extract you use in this recipe is really up to you and how strong of a peppermint flavor you’d like. I typically am a bit conservative with the amount of extract I use in the cookie dough. Then in the frosting I’ll use a little more because I can taste test the frosting as I go to get the exact flavor that I want. 
I love these peppermint sugar cookie bars because of their delicious peppermint flavor, soft and tender texture, and super creamy frosting. The look extra festive with a few crushed candy canes on top and taste like Christmas thanks to their delicious flavor.
For more candy cane holiday desserts, then be sure to try:
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9x13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 grams), softened, but not starting to melt
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (112 grams) , room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (250 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk, in addition to the 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (292 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Peppermint Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 grams) , softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar (330-440 grams) , AKA icing sugar
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3-4 tablespoons whipping cream (45-60 ml) , or heavy cream, table cream or half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-3 drops red food coloring, optional
- 2-3 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
Peppermint Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) pan or line with parchment paper so that there's an overhang around the edges.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar until creamed. You should no longer see lumps of butter or cream cheese.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk and peppermint extract.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the butter mixture. Starting with the mixer on a low speed, beat the ingredients together until combined. Stop mixing as soon as combined.
- Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and spread/press into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 22-25 minutes, or until the top looks set and the edges are just starting to turn golden.
Peppermint Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
- Add in 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract and the salt. Starting with the mixer on a low speed beat together until incorporated. If the powdered sugar is lumpy, I recommend sifting it into the mixture.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream until the desired thickness and sweetness is reached. Optionally, beat in a little more peppermint extract and a few drops of red food coloring.
- If you lined the pan with parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and place on a cutting board. If you simply greased the pan, then leave the bars in the pan.
- Frost the cooled bars using a flat-edge knife. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes
- Slice with a sharp, thin knife (not a table knife) and lift the bars out of the pan using a metal spatula.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: The butter, cream cheese and eggs should all be at room temperature before getting started. The butter should still be slightly firm to the touch, it shouldn't be slimy and starting to melt.Â
- Eggs: You will need 2 eggs in total for this recipe. However, you will only use 1 full egg and just the egg yolk of the second egg.Â
- Peppermint Extract: Peppermint extract can be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store near the vanilla extract.Â
- Flour: Measure the flour carefully. Whisk first, then spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. Alternatively, measure using a weigh scale in grams. Do not pack your flour in the measuring cup.Â
- Storage: Store frosted bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.Â
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 bar with frosting, assuming the pan is sliced into 15 uniform pieces.Â
