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Stack of three sugar cookie bars, stacked on top of each other
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5 from 2 votes

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

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 9x13 inch pan - so it makes a big batch!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars, Sugar Cookie Bars
Servings: 18 squares
Author: Fiona Dowling

Equipment

  • 9x13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Bars

  • 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (344 grams) spooned and leveled
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch (about 24 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams) softened but not starting to melt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk discard the white, in addition to the 2 large whole eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the Frosting

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 grams) softened to room temperature
  • 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese (56 grams) softened to room temperature, or replace with another 1/4 cup butter
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar (330-440 grams) sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk
  • 2-4 drops food coloring optional
  • sprinkles

Instructions

Sugar Cookie Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 (23x33 cm) pan and line with parchment paper so that there's an overhang around the edges (greasing first keeps the paper in place). Alternatively, lightly grease the pan.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
  • In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamed together.
  • Beat in the 2 eggs, additional egg yolk, vanilla extract and almond extract.
  • Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture, starting with the mixer on a low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed until combined.
  • Add the batter to your prepared pan and smooth into an even layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  • Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is set and the sides are just beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. Bake time is slightly dependent on how chewy vs cakey you prefer your cookie bars. Baking for longer will make them a little more cakey in texture. Allow to cool fully before frosting. 

Buttercream Frosting

  • In a medium bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the cream cheese. I recommend cutting the cream cheese into cubes first for easier mixing.
  • Add in 2 cups powdered sugar along with the vanilla extract, almond extract, salt and optional food coloring. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed.
  • Mix in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2-1 cup at a time, adding in the cream 1 tablespoon at a time as needed until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.

Decorating

  • Frost the fully cooled bars with an offset spatula or knife. Optionally, decorate with sprinkles.
  • Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before slicing for the frosting to slightly harden (this will give you cleaner cuts).
  • When ready to slice, if you lined the pan with parchment, lift the bars out of the pan (using the overhang from the long sides) and place on a cutting board. Slice with a sharp knife. If you only greased the pan, then slice the bars in the pan.

Notes

  1. For a Small Batch: Make the bars in an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) pan. Divide all the ingredients in half - not the small changes due to the extra egg yolk. The bars will take about 20-25 minutes to bake.
    • 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  2. Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Fresh is always best.
  3. Nutrition: Nutrition is an estimate only and based on 1 bar with frosting, assuming the pan is sliced into 18 uniform pieces and all the frosting is used. 

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg