Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Soft and chewy frosted Christmas sugar cookie bars are the perfect make ahead holiday treat to bring to a potluck party or serve for Christmas Eve.
I know cookie baking is an essential part of the Christmas holiday season, but I confess that one bite of these soft and chewy Christmas sugar cookie bars has me thinking I may never bake regular cookies again.
Spread that cookie dough base into a 9x13-inch pan, frost it all at once, and then slice and serve? Christmas recipes do not get any easier than this one.
There are countless ways you could decorate this easy recipe. I went with classic white frosting and colorful sprinkles but you're only limited by your imagination. The color combos you could do are endless.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Make Ahead Friendly: You can prep the cookie base ahead for easy decorating and serving the next day OR prep the whole pan the day before and keep in the fridge.
- Party-Perfect: You can slice big, generous squares for dessert or slice them bite-sized to fill a treat tower.
- So Soft and Chewy: The texture of these cookie bars is the best you'll ever taste.
Ingredients
This easy recipe only requires a few simple pantry ingredients:
- Butter: I use salted butter in my baking. If you use unsalted, you'll want to add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the recipe.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Baking Powder
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Almond Extract
For the Buttercream frosting, you will also need:
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Food Coloring Gels and Sprinkles (optional)
Make the Cookie Bar Dough
Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Add the softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat them together. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then beat for another minute or until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat them in.
Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat them in.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. You may find it easiest to finish the last few mixes by hand with a spatula so the dough doesn't get overworked.
Spread the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan.
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Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cookie bar base for 15 minutes. The edges will be just barely golden brown and the center may look a little pale still.
This will keep your bars soft and chewy.
Cool the cookie bars fully. This will take at least 1 hour but this step can also be done the day before.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
Add the powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla to the stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Beat them together on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl.
With the mixer on low, drizzle in just 2 tablespoons of milk. Beat it in and scrape down the sides.
If the frosting is too thick (mine was!) add more milk, just 1 tablespoon at a time until it is nice and creamy. I used 3 tablespoons total but you might need that 4th tablespoon depending on how you measured your powdered sugar.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember, you can always add more milk, but if the frosting gets "soupy" you'll have to add more powdered sugar to thicken it up. So just add a little at a time until you get the right texture.
If you want to tint your frosting, now is the time to add a few drops of food gel and mix it in.
Decorate the Cookie Bars
Spread the buttercream evenly over the top of the cooled cookie bar base.
Look at that pretty cookie canvas. Imagine all the ways you could decorate this . . .
I used an adorable jar of sprinkles from Sweetapolita. It had a mix of pink, green, blue, and golden jimmies with gingerbread men and Christmas tree sprinkles that turned out so cute:
Very Whoville, don't you think?
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
I made the cookie base the day before so it was easy to frost and serve the next day.
Once you frost the cookie bars, you'll want to keep the pan in the fridge so the buttercream frosting doesn't spoil with the milk in the mix.
These chewy cookie bars will keep for 2 - 3 days in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
I made these sweet sugar cookie bars for my girls as a special treat during their exam week before Christmas. Nothing tastes better with a tall glass of cold milk!
These would make an amazing Christmas potluck party treat since they travel so well in their 9x13-inch baking pan. Or you could pre-slice them and present them on a festive platter. Add a few more sprinkles to the plate for a simple garnish.
As much as I love my cut out sugar cookies and soft frosted sugar cookies, it will be hard to not have this be my go-to sugar cookie treat for parties from now on!
More Christmas Treats
Looking for more easy Christmas treats to bring to a potluck or share with your loved ones? Don't miss these family favorites:
📖 Recipe
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Base
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Cookie Frosting
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter softened
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla or use fresh squeezed orange juice or lemon juice for a citrus frosting
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 - 2 drops food coloring gel optional
- Sprinkles for decorating the top optional
Instructions
Bake the Cookie Base
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add the softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat them together for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating them in and scraping the bowl as needed each time. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat them in.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
- Spread the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake the cookie base for 15 minutes, it should be just barely golden brown on the edges. Cool completely, for about an hour or up to 24 hours in advance.
Prep the Frosting and Decorate
- Add the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla to the stand mixer bowl. Beat them together on medium speed. Slowly drizzle about half of the milk in and continue to beat the frosting. If it is still too thick, add the reserved half of the milk and beat until fluffy. If you want to tint the frosting, add the food coloring gel now and stir it in.
- Spread the prepared frosting over the cooled cookie base. Immediately add sprinkles if using, the frosting will set and the sprinkles won't stick if you try to add them later. It helps to gently press them into place. Keep the pan of sugar cookie bars chilled in the fridge until serving so the milk in the frosting doesn't spoil.
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