SUGAR COOKIE BARS
It's no secret around here that sugar cookies anything are a favorite. I already have this recipe for cookie sheet sugar cookie bars on the site and they have been a long time favorite.Â
Sometimes you just want a smaller pan (and not a cookie sheet worth of bars) and today's recipe is just that.Â
If you live in Utah then you know about a drink and cookie place called Swig. They have these amazing sugar cookies with crinkly edges that are so sweet and yummy. These bars are a play on those cookies! The crackly sugary top and the not super sweet frosting are the best part.Â
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE BARS
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a bowl and handheld blender, beat together butter, canola oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until it's creamy and lighter in color.Â
Beat in a large egg, water, and vanilla extract.Â
Add the dry ingredients of flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix on low speed until combined, increasing speed as needed to mix it all together.Â
Dump the dough into a 9x13 pan and spread it out. The dough will be in pieces but should easily come together as you press it into the pan with your fingers. The dough is supposed to be moist crumbles. It's different than traditional cookie bar dough.Â
Bake and let the bars cool completely before frosting. Frost and top with whatever sprinkles you want. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge if you like them cold.Â
MY TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Change up the frosting color and sprinkles for any occasion! Or if you are not into food dye then simply leave the frosting white.Â
- Careful not to overbake these bars! If you do, they will be crumbly and really dry. The edges of the bars should only be a very lightly golden brown color. Middle of the bars should still be very pale but not look wet like it's raw batter.Â
- We prefer these bars cold! But they are good at room temperature too.Â
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper and be sure and leave some extra hanging out. That way you can easily lift the bars out of the pan to frost and cut them nicely.Â
TRY THESE OTHER FAMILY FAVORITE 9X13 PAN DESSERTS
- funfetti cake batter cookie bars
- tres leches cake
- s'mores cobbler
- orange pineapple cake (aka - pig pickin' cake)
- chocolate chip streusel pumpkin cake
- no bake banana cheesecake dessert
- s'mores cookie bars
- berry crisp dump cake
- chocolate chip cookie layered pudding dessert
- soft snickerdoodle bars
Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter softened
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil OR vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for the top of bars before baking)
Frosting
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (less if you use lower fat milk)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. *I prefer to line with parchment paper because then I can lift the bars out, frost them, and cut them easier.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a mixing bowl and a handheld blender, add the butter, sugar, powdered sugar, and oil. Beat until creamy, combined, and lighter in color.
- Add water, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on LOW speed (to avoid a flour puff) and increase speed as needed, just until dough is combined and no flour streaks remain. *The dough will look like it's crumbled, but that's ok, this dough is a different dough than traditional.
- Dump dough into the prepared pan and use your fingers/hands to spread it out evenly, while pressing down gently on the dough. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over top.
- Cook for 11-13 minutes. The edges should be a very pale golden brown while the middle of the bars will still be very pale. *Obviously every oven cooks differently. I never cook mine for longer than 12 minutes. If yours need more time, then let it bake longer. Watch carefully because you don't want to overbake these.
- Let the sugar cookie bars cool completely in the pan.
- MAKE THE FROSTING: Beat together the butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, and almond extract until combined. Add in the cream, starting with 1 tablespoon, and add more if needed. You want the frosting to be thicker so it will stay on top the bars. It's ok if you don't use the full amount of heavy cream or milk listed in recipe. * If you use anything that's less fat than heavy cream you will need less of it. Start with a small amount and add as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I just made these and they are not sweet at all. They taste nothing like a sugar cookie...they just taste like flour. Maybe the slightest undertone of a sugar cookie.
The texture was great and the frosting pretty good.
Hi Heidi. I'm sorry to hear they didn't turn out for you. I just rechecked the recipe on the post to make sure I typed it out correct, and it is. Not sure what to tell you, maybe more sugar? I have not tried doing that. If you want a sugar cookie bar that is really sweet try this one https://www.pinterest.com/pin/229754018462777386/ . I have made it several times and love it. I half the recipe so it fits into a 9x13 pan, otherwise the full recipe is for a cookie sheet size. Hope that helps. So sorry, and thanks for coming back to leave your comment 🙂
Hi. Have you ever made these ahead to freeze? How did they hold up?
Hi Lois. I've never made them ahead of time to freeze. I honestly am not sure if they would still have the same soft texture?? With 3 kids and the husband, nothing ever lasts long enough to freeze around here 🙂 so I don't have much experience with freezing stuff. Sorry I can't be of more help. You could always try it and see??
I made these for my daughter's birthday. They were amazing and super easy to make! I cheated and just threw some store bought frosting on top. Maybe the person who had it not work out forgot one of the sugars, since there is regular sugar and powdered sugar in this recipe.
I super loved these and will definitely be making them again thanks!
Thanks Amy! These are so good. And soft! Yea, with the two sugars in the recipe it could be easy to get confused. So glad you loved them.
Fyi: link on Pintrest for this recipe is blocked now for inappropriate content. I love the cookie recipe. So much easier than rolling and cutting out shapes. Thanks!
Thank you for letting me know. Pinterest blocked my pins for several days because someone reported them as spam.... it is fixed now so everything should work. Fingers crossed! So happy you love these sugar cookie bars. They are easily in my top 5 favorite desserts.
Hello! I would like to make these for an Easter brunch. But the only 9x13 dish I have is a deep sided Le Creuset casserole dish. would this work?
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-heritage-stoneware-rectangular-covered-casserole/?pkey=s%7Cle%20creuset%20casserole%7C17
Hello, I just baked these so I haven’t tasted them yet but I am sure they will be great. I had trouble with the frosting. It looks separated or something. I actually made it twice and it came the same both times. The only thing I can think of is the sour cream I used used was light sour cream. Have you ever had this problem?
I have never had a problem with the frosting separating but I also never buy the light sour cream. It's probably because the light sour cream has more water in it?? But it should not make frosting separate so that's interesting. I am not sure what it could be. Make sure that the cream cheese is really softened. That could also maybe be the problem. If the cream cheese is too cold or firm, it can cause lumps that might make the frosting appear like it's separated. I microwave the cream cheese for like 20 seconds (give or take) so it's nice and soft.
Confused now -- where is there cream cheese in the frosting ingredients?
Hello Jessica! My bad, when I wrote cream cheese in the other reply I meant butter. Thank you for pointing that out!
Hi… I’m a baker of 15 years. What is the texture like with these bars? I’m looking for chewy bars only. Thank you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season 🙂
Hello! Texture can be subjective but I would describe these bars as having a classic sugar cookie chewy texture. Hopefully you like them!