Sugar Cookie Bars
These Sugar Cookie Bars are a great way to make sugar cookies for a crowd. No rolling, no cutting out.
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I love getting recipes from readers. I feel like if someone takes the time to email you a recipe, they must really love it.
I have acquired quite a few recipes over the last couple of months and I’m determined to try all of them as time and my thighs allow it.
BreeAnn emailed me this a while ago and I finally tried them and loved them. It seems like I’ve seen them bouncing across the food blogs a ton just recently so I may not be the first but here’s my go at them.
They are dangerously easy and great for holiday themed cookies or baby showers with half of the effort! No rolling and frosting individual Sugar Cookies.
Someone couldn’t wait for me to chill these and dug right in…
They should be less work although my kids were being high maintenance and wanted half yellow, half pink…and half normal icing, half almond flavored frosting. I actually preferred the almond frosting.
Sugar Cookie Bars
Sometimes dishing out cookie dough gets old fast. Pressing your dough into bars is quick and easy, and these sugar cookie bars are wonderful!
Ingredients
Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- food coloring, if desired
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet or parchment lined sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.
For the frosting:
- Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk if needed. Spread over cooled cookie bars.
Notes
Source: BreeAnn Fankhauser
I made this dish last night and my husband and I looooved it. It was so tasty…
So glad you loved them.
This is kind of gorgeous, but super simple, recipe idea!
Thank you!
The very unique post I must say. I like your Image and your presentation. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
You’re welcome!
Hey! Am I able to use this recipe and still roll it out and cut it out with cookie cutters?
Sure!
I’ve been searching for a quick & easy recipe to as a Valentine’s Day treat for the office. Looks like I found my recipe!
I tried these and loved them. I just got your cookbook and there is a different recipe version for Sugar Cookie Bars. Which version do you like best?
I like the cookbook version better but that’s just me. The frosting in my cookbook is better in my opinion.
thank you!
What’s the frosting recipe from the cookbook?
My aunt made these for a reunion, AMAZING. She put a packet of dry koolaid fruit punch powder in with the icing and it was so GREAT. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these for a church gathering and they flew off the table. Everyone loved them.
I had to modify this a little, since my oven’s interior is narrower than 18 inches, but they did pretty well in a 10 x 15 pan. They’re a little dry, though, because they’re thicker. (I gave the rest to law students, who will eat anything with final exams approaching.) Next time, I’ll spread this out over two 9 x 13 dishes and see what happens. The ones I baked for the students taste delicious, though, and your frosting recipe is out of this world!
This looks fantastic!! I would love to try this sometime!
i’ve always wanted to make these. they look yummy!
Made these this morning for a party we are hosting later. Should they be refrigerated with the cream cheese being in the frosting??
Shoot! It’s probably too late. I don’t refrigerate them. I think they should be fine for a couple of hours. Sugar acts as a preservative.
I l.
ove the look of the recipes I am going to try a couple
Thank you for sharing, They look delish!!
I’m not sure if I would freeze them with frosting but I’ve never tried it before…you could definitely freeze them without.
Do you think you can freeze these?
Hi – I have freezed these cookies with cream cheese frosting and without – both ways work fine! Sometimes I will just cut them into big quarters or halves and wrap the entire portion well and then cut into smaller pieces. That way you can also frost a larger piece after defrosting if you didn’t do it before. Depending on the softness of your frosting it may stick if you leave the plastic wrap on too tight while defrosting – we eat them too fast for that though! These are my kids go-to, most requested cookie for school functions and parties
I made this last night and they not only look beautiful but they taste great. They were so quick and easy to make. I think the next time I make them I’m going to add a little nutmeg in the dough and make the almond flavored frosting.
I’ll be making these again and again.
My kids loved these and they were so much less work than sugar cookies. I cut them out with cookie cutters after they were frosted so they were still like sugar cookies. Thanks so much!
These look very yummy! Will be making this today 😉
They are in the oven now…and they smell SO good!
I made these this weekend and they turned out yummy but they needed to bake longer then the 15 minutes. They came out too doughy 🙁
I just made these for a baptism. They were super yummy. Thanks so much.
I just made these and even though the whole thing put together has not gone in my mouth, the parts…dough….frosting have been so yummy. I made double the almond frosting and am now searching for a cherry cupcake recipe to use the rest of it one….mmmmm….so good, can’t wait to have it tonight with the girls!!!
Anonymous,
I would say they are on the firmer side.
Christy
Do they turn out soft or hard?
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Just tried these and they were fantastic! I used the lemon zest. I love sugar cookies and these are sooooo much easier (and just as tasty) than the cookie cutter kind! These will be a definite repeat at my house.
I made these last 4th of july. totally forgot about them. yours look divine!
I have seen these everywhere but I’m always up for another sighting! They look delicious. I really love the almond-infused buttercream!
I just found your blog and marked it in my faves! My mouth is watering and I am ready to hit the kitchen, thanks for posting all these delicous recipes!! We live in Florida too, what part do you live in?
They are so pretty and look delicious!!
I have never seen these before! I love sugar cookies and these just look amazing!!
These are such a perfect go-to cookie bar. I make them whenever I need to take something to a potluck. I like that you did two kinds of frosting. : )
These look great. My Boyfriend loves sugar cookies. I’ve never tried sugar cookie bars before but they look easier and just as tasty.
BreeAnn,
Thanks again. I loved them! I saw that other blogs with this recipe added some lemon zest to the cookie so I added that as an option.
Thanks again,
Christy
Glad you liked them! They are still a fave around my neck of the woods! When I bring them to work, they are gone in seconds! Almond flavoring sounds yummy, a hint of lemon might be good with these ones as well!
I have seen these around the blog world and keep meaning to make them…I am a little nervous about having them in my house, though! I might eat the whole pan!
those look so good! and adorable to boot.
I’ve seen thse around and they look so good though I’ve never tried them. Your pink and yellow frosting is pretty too.
mmmmmmmmmmm!
I am going to have to try these! I am throwing a baby shower for my sister this Saturday. I think I will make them for it!!!
Too funny… I had seen these on lots of blogs and just made these this morning for a bible school class. They were a hit!!
These are quite gorgeous, lovely pics