Sugar Cookie Bars are a delightful twist on the classic sugar cookie, offering all the same delicious flavor in a convenient, bar form.
A sweet one-bowl treat with minimal ingredients
This simple recipe is one of our favorite “go-to’s” because it’s so easy for when you need to bring a treat somewhere, or just need your own sugar fix, but you need it fast!
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The addition of sprinkles brings in the fun factor and who can resist sprinkles? Nobody! This easy Sugar Cookie Bar recipe is like a cross between our Easy Drop Sugar Cookies and simple one-bowl Blondies.
These treats are ready in about 30 minutes, with no chilling, and one bowl means less cleanup. Easier than cut-out sugar cookies and always a win-win in our book!
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Ingredients for Sugar Cookie Bars
- Sugar – These are sugar cookie bars, after all! 😀
- Flour – all-purpose is best
- Butter – At room temperature. We used unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter you can use that but cut the salt below to 1/4th teaspoon
- Vanilla Extract – Have you tried making your own vanilla? It’s easy!
- Whole Egg + an Egg Yolk – The additional yolk acts as a binder, makes the cookie bars extra chewy, and adds moisture to these bars. Save the extra white for another use (maybe tomorrows breakfast!)
- Salt – Salt always helps balance the sweetness in baked goods
- Sprinkles – Optional, but everyone loves sprinkles!
How to make Sugar Cookie Bars
The method is simple following these easy steps, and the dough is similar to a sugar cookie dough.
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F
- Prepare an 8″x 8″ square pan by lining it with parchment paper or lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. (see below for tips on using parchment)
- Cream the butter for about 1 minute until lightly fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, on medium speed
- Add the sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Be sure to stop and scrape the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is fully combined
- Gently beat in the whole egg, the egg yolk, and the vanilla and mix until just combined
- Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients (flour and salt) to the wet ingredients, and mix until blended and no streaks remain
- Fold in 3 Tablespoons of the colorful sprinkles and gently combine
- Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining sprinkles over the top
- Bake for 21-23 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on the edges
- Be careful not to overbake. The center will not be brown – just the edges. The bars are done when they lose their glossy sheen and will continue to bake, after they’ve been removed from the oven, while cooling
- Remove bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan
- Once cooled lift the bars out with the parchment paper “handles”
- Place on a cutting board and cut into 16 squares
- NOTE: If planning to frost the bars it’s easier to frost them before cutting
Storage:
These cookie bars are perfect for make-ahead: Store the cookie bars, covered, at room temperature, for up to 5 days. If frosting your bars store them in the refrigerator instead.
To Freeze: Let the pan cool completely and then cut into bars. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator or on the countertop.
Sugar Cookie Bar Variations
You can customize these delicious bars for any season or occasion by switching the color of the seasonal sprinkles. It’s easy to make these into Christmas sugar cookie bars with Christmas sprinkles or sweet Valentine’s Day sprinkle bars. They are perfect for the 4th of July with red, white, and blue sprinkles!
Here are some of our favorite variations:
- In place of vanilla: Use almond extract or add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and some lemon zest for lemon sugar cookie bars
- Sprinkles: Here’s your chance to customize – any fun sprinkles will work! We used rainbow sprinkles in our bars.
- Instead of Sprinkles: chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, crushed Oreos, dried cherries, or cranberries
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars: The only thing that could make these cookie bars better is to slather them with your favorite frosting recipe. We like simple buttercream frosting but cream cheese frosting would be delicious, as well
- Doubling: You can double this recipe and bake in a 9″ x 13″ pan. They may need a few extra minutes of cooking time
- Colored Cookie Bars: Add a few drops of food coloring for instantly fun colored cookie bars
Tips and Tricks
- Room-temperature softened butter works best
- Separating eggs is easier when the eggs are cold
- When lining the pan with parchment it helps to clip the sides with binder clips. They won’t melt in the oven and it keeps the parchment in place. See picture below ⬇️
Looking for other amazing easy treats?
- Scrumptious Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (also called a pizookie) is an easy twist on traditional chocolate chippers
- One Bowl Brownies are a cinch with tons of rich chocolate flavor
- Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips is another easy one bowl treat
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square baking pan
- Stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
Cookie Bars:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly butter, or line with parchment paper, an 8-inch square baking pan leaving some overhang to let you easily remove the bars later.
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or hand-held mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Scrape the side of the bowl occasionally.
- Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until just combined.
- Turn off the mixer and add the flour and salt. Blend gently just until combined and no streaks remain. Scrape bowl if needed.
- Add in most of the sprinkles (about 2/3rds), if using, and mix with a rubber spatula. (The sprinkles could shatter if using the mixing blade to mix them in)
- Press the batter into the prepared pan and evenly smooth the top and then scatter the remaining sprinkles on top.
- Bake for 21-23 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges and top. The top should no longer be shiny.These bars are supposed to be soft so be careful not to overbake them because every oven bakes differently.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pan to cool completely on a cooling rack. The middle may sink a little but that is normal.
- Remove the entire square from the pan by loosening the edges and lifting them out or use the parchment overhang. Place on a cutting board.Cut into about 16 pieces.
- If frosting the bars it's easier to frost them before cutting.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- These bars can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months
- Store, sealed, at room temperature for up to 5 days
- Substitutions ideas for sprinkles: chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, crushed Oreos, dried cherries, or cranberries
Dannii
My kids loved these. They were so easy to make too.
Elisa
Ohh love this recipe, I have little ones and will make them really soon for a gathering or just for fun. Thank for the recipe 🙂
Janessa
So delicious and SO much easier than individual cookies.
Holley
Not only are these sugar cookie bars delish but they took me no time at all! Great dessert recipe whether you’re in a time crunch or not!
Lima Ekram
Needed a quick cookie recipe and tried this – it was fantastic – really soft and adding the sprinkles is such a great idea! Thank you!