These sugar cookie bars are soft and tender with a thick layer of creamy frosting on top. The recipe is much simpler than making traditional sugar cookies and made in a 9×13 inch pan – so it makes a big batch!

**This post was update March 4, 2025 with new photos and an updated recipe so that the bars are made in a 9×13 inch pan**

If you love sugar cookies – especially the soft, melt-in-your mouth variety with a thick layer of frosting on top – then I urge you to make these easy sugar cookie bars. They’re perfect if you love Lofthouse cookies and can be decorated for any occasion.

Most of the time, I can’t be bothered to make a batch of cut-out sugar cookies. The process of making the dough, chilling it, rolling it out, cutting it into tiny little shapes, and painstakingly decorating each cookie is easily an all day affair.

But with these sugar cookie bars, there’s no need to chill the dough and get flour all over your kitchen when you roll out the dough, and no decorating skills required. Instead, you get super soft cookie bars with a delicious buttery vanilla flavor and creamy frosting on top.

They’re flavorful, tender and perfect for birthdays and holidays.

Making Sugar Cookie Bars

Making the dough for these cookie bars is very similar to making sugar cookies. However, the ratios are slightly different. That’s because with cut-out cookies, you need the cookies to hold their shape as they bake. With these cookie bars however, we want them to stay soft and tender.

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C). You can either lightly grease the pan, or lightly grease the pan and line with baking paper so that there’s an overhang around the edges.
   • Greasing the pan first, then lining with parchment makes the parchment stick to the pan. It’s therefore easier to spread the dough into the pan without the parchment sliding around.
2. In a medium bowl, start by sifting together the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
   • The cornstarch (AKA cornflour for readers in the UK) keeps these bars tender and a little delicate.
   • Just a little baking powder ensures that they aren’t dense and gooey like a blondie.
3. Then in a separate large bowl you’ll beat together the butter and sugar until creamed.
   • The butter should be softened, but still slightly cold to the touch. If the butter is starting to melt, the texture will be more similar to a blondie.

4. Beat the eggs, additional egg yolk, vanilla and almond extract into your dough.
   • The additional egg yolk keeps the bars tender.
   • While these bars are delicious without it – the addition of almond extract really takes the flavor up a notch. You can find almond extract near the vanilla extract in the baking section of your grocery store.
5. Carefully mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. The dough should be a little sticky. Be careful not to overmix or the bars can become tough.

6. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.

6. The bars will bake for about 25-30 minutes. When done baking, cool the bars in the pan.

After the bars are baked and cooled, they’re topped with a thick layer of creamy vanilla buttercream. I actually added just a touch of cream cheese to the recipe to help cut the sweetness. The frosting is definitely still sweet – but not sickeningly so. Just like the cookie dough, I recommend adding a little almond extract for the perfect flavor.

After frosting the bars, I always place them in the fridge for about 20 minutes (or more) before slicing. This makes the frosting harden slightly to give you cleaner cuts.

If you simply greased the pan, you’ll cut the bars in the pan. However, if you lined the pan you can lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang, holding from the long sides and carefully transfer to a cutting board. I like to frost the bars with an offset spatula but any spatula or non-serrated knife will work.

You’ll love these sugar cookie bars because of they’re tender texture, buttery vanilla flavor, and creamy frosting. So much simpler than making cut-out cookies, these sugar cookie bars are perfect for any holiday.

And for more cookie bar recipes, be sure to try:

• Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars