Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

This Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe bakes up soft, sweet, and buttery bars topped with a creamy layer of frosting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

Servings: bars

Cost: $7.12

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Bars

16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar lightly packed, see note 1
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons orange zest optional
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white chocolate chips

Frosting

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Food coloring optional
2 to 3 tablespoons sprinkles optional, to top bars

US - Metric

Instructions

Sugar Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then scrape all the melted butter into a large bowl.
Add brown sugar and whisk vigorously until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, and orange zest if using. Whisk briskly until the mixture becomes creamy and well emulsified.
Add flour and white chocolate chips. Switch to a spatula and fold until no dry streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.

Frosting

Add room-temperature butter to a large bowl. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add vanilla, heavy cream, and salt. Beat until combined.
Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed and beat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the frosting is light, fluffy, and a brighter white color.
Add a few drops of food coloring if desired and mix on low speed for 15 to 20 seconds, just until evenly colored.

Finish

Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Spread frosting evenly over the completely cooled bars with a table knife or spatula.
Immediately add sprinkles if using. Slice into bars and enjoy.

Notes

Note 1: Use very soft, fresh brown sugar for the best results. If the sugar feels hard or dry, it won’t mix as smoothly into the batter.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temp for 1-2 days or in the fridge (tightly covered) for up to 5 days.

Make Ahead & Freezing: Make bars and frosting 1 day ahead. Keep bars covered at room temp and frosting in the fridge. Frost just before serving. Freeze unfrosted bars up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, frost, cut, and serve.

Nutrition