Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars
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These chocolate sugar cookie bars are tender and soft with a delicious chocolate flavor and creamy chocolate frosting. The recipe is so much easier than making cut-out cookies, and perfect for chocolate lovers!
I love sugar cookies, and I love sugar cookie bars. So after making a big batch of my frosted sugar cookie bars the other week, I decided I needed a chocolate version on my site. I already have a recipe for red velvet sugar cookie bars and peppermint sugar cookie bars for Christmas, but since I’m a true chocolate lover, this double chocolate version was necessary.
These chocolate sugar cookie bars are tender and soft. Unlike a brownie – which is gooey and fudgy – these are a little more cakey in texture. Since they’re a chocolate sugar cookie – the texture is more tender than a drop cookie. The chocolate flavor is rich, but sickeningly sweet. Then they’re topped with a super thick layer of creamy chocolate frosting.
Compared to making cookies – this recipe is so much quicker because there’s no need to chill your dough and you don’t need to form the dough into balls or get out your cookie cutters.
For the Chocolate Sugar Cookie Dough
Note – this recipe is designed to be made as cookie bars. It will be too sticky to use as cut-out cookies, and the cookies will spread too thin if forming into balls.
You’ll start by sifting together the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Then in a separate bowl, you’ll beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined. Beat the eggs, a little oil and vanilla into the butter mixture. Using a touch of oil keeps these bars soft for longer. Then you’ll mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
Then you’ll spread the cookie dough into your prepared pan. You can also use a piece of wax paper and press the cookie dough down into the pan. The piece of wax paper between your hands and the dough is necessary – otherwise the dough will just stick to your hands.
The bars will bake for about 25-28 minutes – but the bake time is a little subjective, depending on if you like your bars more chewy or more cakey. A longer bake time, will lead to cake-ier bars.
For the Chocolate Frosting
The cookie bars are then frosted with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream. It’s a simple recipe made with butter, cocoa, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and a little cream (or milk).
After frosting the bars, I like to place them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This allows for the frosting to crust (aka harden slightly), which means your cookie bars will have perfectly clean cuts.
You’ll love these chocolate sugar cookie bars because they’re soft, tender and have a delicious chocolate flavor. Plus – the thick layer of creamy chocolate frosting on top makes them even more
And if you need more chocolate cookie recipes, then be sure to try:
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams) , whisk first, the spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder (68 grams), sifted
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (205 grams), use 3/4 cup for sweeter bars
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or canola oil
Chocolate Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 grams), softened but not starting to melt
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar (220-330 grams), sifted
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (45 grams), sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream, and milk
Instructions
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line with baking paper so that there's an overhang around the edges. Greasing the pan first makes the paper stick to the pan and then it's easier to spread out the dough. Alternatively, simply grease the pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk together.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamed.
- Beat the eggs, vanilla and oil into the butter mixture.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. I typically do this about 1/2 at a time and start with the mixer on a low speed so that the flour doesn't make a mess when you turn on the electric mixer.
- Spoon/dollop the dough into the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer using an offset spatula. Alternatively, take a large piece of wax paper and press the dough down into an even layer (using the wax paper between your hands and the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 24-29 minutes, or until the top looks set. The bake time is slightly subjective depending on if you prefer chewier or cake-ier bars. A longer bake time will lead to cake-ier bars.
Chocolate Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft.
- Sift in 2 cups powdered sugar and the cocoa powder. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed.
- Add in the vanilla and salt. Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of cream (or milk) until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
Frosting & Serving
- Ensure that the bars are fully cooled, then frost with a offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- When ready to slice, if you lined the pan, lift the bars out of the pan using the long side of the overhang of the parchment. Set on a cutting board and place on a cutting board. If you didn't line the pan and only greased it, cut in the bars in the pan. Slice the bars with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: Details are an estimate only, based on 1 bar with frosting, assuming the pan is sliced into 18 uniform pieces.
