Amazing 310 Calorie sugar cookie bars

Hi, I’m Alex, and I’m so glad you’re here. If I’ve learned anything since trading in my spreadsheets for saucepans, it’s that the greatest joy in cooking often comes from the simplest recipes. Remember how I told you I used to think baking was impossible? Well, no more! That’s why I’m obsessed with these **sugar cookie bars**. They give you that buttery, classic, melt-in-your-mouth flavor we all love from holiday cut-outs, but here’s the best part: zero rolling and zero fussy cutting involved. We’re just pressing them right into a pan to bake up perfectly soft and ready for frosting. This is pure cooking joy, made simple.

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Why You Will Love These Easy Sugar Cookie Bars

Honestly, these are my favorite things to whip up when I need a crowd-pleaser fast, especially around the holidays. Why stress over dozens of little shapes when you can get so much flavor and fun directly from a single pan? Trust me, once you see how simple this recipe is, you’ll stop fighting with cookie cutters for good!

• They deliver that classic, authentic sugar cookie taste but are totally foolproof.
• They are the definition of **no roll sugar cookies**—just mix, press, and bake!
• The final product feels like actual bakery magic; they are truly **melt in your mouth cookies**.

Classic Flavor, Zero Fuss

We are capturing all the sweet, buttery nostalgia of your favorite cut-out cookie, but without the cleanup headache. That means all that deliciousness gets packed into beautiful, easy squares. These **sugar cookie bars** are designed for effortless baking, so less time fighting with dough scraps means more time enjoying the party!

Perfect Texture Promise

This is where we really shine. I promised you texture, and I deliver! These aren’t cakey or dry; they are undeniably **soft sugar cookie bars**. We achieve that wonderfully **chewy sugar cookie bars** feel because we bake them just right. They’re rich, buttery, and honestly, a little addictive.

Gathering Ingredients for the Best Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

Okay, let’s talk about what we need to get that perfect base. I know ingredient lists can look long sometimes, but for these **sugar cookie bars**, everything here is about building that rich, classic flavor we want. Remember, quality matters! When you’re pulling out the vanilla, go for the real stuff, not imitation. It makes a huge difference in that classic sugar cookie scent we’re aiming for.

This recipe is amazing because it relies on pantry standards, but using softened butter and eggs at room temperature helps them combine beautifully during that creaming stage later on. Don’t skip the chilling time for the frosting, either—it sets up much better!

Base Dough Ingredients

These are the components that make up the buttery, sturdy cookie base:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Fluffy Buttercream Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars Topping

The frosting is what elevates these from just good to truly great. For the smoothest **frosted sugar cookie bars**, make sure your butter for the frosting is *perfectly* softened—not melted! I always use a good quality powdered sugar here because it breaks down better than cheaper brands, giving you that professional, silky finish without any graininess. If you want an extra little something, I sometimes add a tiny splash of lemon juice instead of milk for a bit of tanginess that cuts the sweetness.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-4 tablespoons milk
• Optional: Sprinkles for decoration

Step-by-Step Instructions for Soft Sugar Cookie Bars

Alright, time to get these babies mixed up! Unlike traditional cookies where every step requires perfect chilling and careful placement, these **sugar cookie bars** are much more forgiving. Follow these steps closely, and you’re halfway to the best cookie bar experience ever. If you ever get stuck on basic processes, you can always check out my general baking guides right here.

Preparing the Pan and Oven

First things first, let’s get organized. We want to preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). While that’s warming up, take your 9×13 inch baking pan and make sure you grease and flour it really well. A good prep job here means the bars slide out perfectly later, which is essential for a clean presentation!

Mixing the Dough for Chewy Sugar Cookie Bars

Grab that big bowl! Start by beating your softened butter and granulated sugar together until it looks light and fluffy—this is called creaming, and it’s how we get air into that dough for a nice, **chewy sugar cookie bars** texture. Next, beat in those two eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk your flour, baking powder, and salt together so everything is distributed evenly. Now, this is crucial: add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing only until everything is *just* combined. If you overmix once the flour is in, you activate too much gluten, and that’s how you end up with tough bars instead of soft ones. We want just combined!

Baking and Cooling the Cookie Base

Once that dough is mixed, just press it evenly across your prepared pan. Think of it like smoothing out thick cement, but yummier! Bake this beauty for about 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it; you’re looking for the edges to just start turning lightly golden, but the center should definitely look set when you gently tap it. The absolute biggest mistake people make is overbaking, which ruins the soft texture promise. Pull them out slightly early, I promise! Once they are out, you must let these cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. If you try to frost them warm, you’ll just end up with a soupy mess of **frosted sugar cookie bars**.

Creating the Simple Dessert Bars Frosting

While the base cools (this takes a little patience, but it’s worth it!), whip up that buttercream. Beat the softened butter until it’s smooth, then start adding that powdered sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. You want to mix in the vanilla and start with just 2 tablespoons of milk. Keep adding milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you hit that perfect spreading consistency for your **sugar cookie bars**. When it’s spreadable but still holds its shape nicely, you’re done!

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Tips for Perfect Sugar Cookie Bars Every Time

I want you to have the absolute confidence that when you make these, they will be your new go-to, **best sugar cookie bars recipe**. It’s all about small details that chefs obsess over, right? Since simplicity is my whole mission here at Pure Cooking Joy, I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years to ensure these turn out bakery-quality without needing a pastry degree.

The Secret to Soft Sugar Cookie Bars Texture

Listen to me on this: do *not* be tempted to go longer in the oven just because you like the tops browned. If you want those **soft sugar cookie bars** that live up to the name, you have to pull them out when the edges are just kissing golden brown. Why? Because they continue to cook setting up on that hot pan once they come out. That residual heat finishes the baking process. If you wait until the center looks bone-dry in the oven, you’ll get a stiff bar once it cools down. A little softness going in equals perfect melt-in-your-mouth chewiness coming out!

Achieving Bakery Style Cookie Bars

Uniformity is key to getting that professional look, which makes them feel instantly special and like those awesome **bakery style cookie bars**. When you press the dough into the 9×13 pan, don’t just use your hands haphazardly. I highly recommend placing a piece of parchment paper over the dough, then using the flat bottom of a measuring cup or even a clean offset spatula to press evenly across the entire surface. Make sure you press right into the corners! This ensures every single square bakes at the exact same rate. No pun intended, but a flat base means evenly cooked **sugar cookie bars**!

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Holiday Adaptations for Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

When the calendar flips toward December, these easily transform into the ultimate **Christmas sugar cookie bars**! Honestly, who has time for 24 different types of cookies when one pan can do the trick? This recipe is built for festive fun. Once the base is cool, the real play begins with the frosting. This is your canvas!

To make them truly sing at a holiday party, I highly recommend separating your finished buttercream into two or three small bowls. You can dye one bowl red, one green, and leave one white. Then, you can swirl them together artfully over the top for a beautiful marbled effect before sprinkling. Or, you can just go hardcore with those little colorful nonpareils—you know, the tiny balls that look like confetti? They stick perfectly to the wet frosting and instantly scream “holiday baking.” It’s such a simple way to make these **sugar cookie bars** look like they took hours of effort!

If you’re looking for other easy seasonal treats, you might want to check out some of my other simple holiday cookie recipes; they all follow that same easy-bake philosophy!

Make Ahead Cookie Bars and Storage Instructions

One of the best gifts this recipe gives us is flexibility. Because these **sugar cookie bars** bake up so beautifully sturdy, they are fantastic for prepping ahead of time! I often bake the base layer a day before a party—sometimes two, actually. This means the day of the gathering, all I have left to do is whip up that fluffy frosting and spread it on. It seriously cuts down on baking day stress, making them perfect **make ahead cookie bars** for busy hosts.

When it comes to storage, you have two options depending on when you plan to frost them. If you bake the base the day before, just keep the unfrosted pan tightly covered with plastic wrap at room temperature. It stays perfectly fresh.

Storing Your Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

Now, once you’ve decorated those **frosted sugar cookie bars**, you need to handle them with a little more care, primarily because of the buttercream. I store mine in a large, airtight container at room temperature for about two days. The high sugar content in the frosting actually helps preserve them quite well! If you need them to last longer, say, up to a week, you can definitely put them in the fridge, but make sure you let them sit out for about 30 minutes before serving. They taste much better when the butter in the frosting softens up again!

Serving Suggestions for Dessert Bars for Parties

These **sugar cookie bars** are the definition of easy entertaining because they are already portioned out! Grab a nice platter, arrange them neatly, and let people grab and go. They are fantastic next to something small and tart, like fresh berries or maybe even miniature lemon tarts if you’re feeling ambitious.

For drinks, if I’m serving these at a brunch party, I always whip up a big pitcher of my easy champagne punch. It just feels celebratory! You can see how to make that right here. Honestly, though, a big tray of these pretty, **frosted sugar cookie bars** is usually the star of the show. Don’t forget to drop by and say hi on Facebook sometime if you get a chance; I love seeing what you all bake! I hang out there often.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sugar Cookie Bars

If you still have questions floating around about these **sugar cookie bars**, don’t sweat it! I get asked these all the time, especially when people are trying to figure out how to fit simple baking into their busy schedules. Here are the quick answers to my top queries.

Can I substitute the milk in the dough?

You definitely can! While the recipe calls for milk, if you want an even richer flavor and maybe even a slightly denser, **chewy sugar cookie bars** texture, substitute the milk with heavy cream. The higher fat content really makes the dough tender. Just make sure you still alternate it with the dry ingredients just like we discussed in the steps; we don’t want to end up with a wet mess!

How do I prevent my *frosted sugar cookie bars* from getting sticky?

Stickiness usually comes down to two things, and both are totally fixable! First, and most importantly, the cookie base needs to be 100% room temperature—preferably cooled for several hours—before you even think about frosting. If it’s warm anywhere, the buttercream will just melt and seep in. Second, for the **frosted sugar cookie bars** themselves, make sure you use the right proportions for the icing. If you need more stiffness, add a tiny bit more powdered sugar, or if you need more body, use slightly less milk than the recipe calls for initially. A stiffer icing sticks less once it sets.

What is the key difference between these and regular sugar cookies?

It all comes down to convenience because the flavor profile is genuinely the same classic taste! The key difference is the format: regular sugar cookies require you to chill the dough, roll it out onto a floured surface, use cutters to create individual shapes, and then carefully transfer them to the baking sheet. These are **bake in a pan cookies**! You mix everything, press it firmly into that 9×13 pan, and bake it as a giant sheet. Later, you just cut them into squares. It completely removes the messiest, most time-consuming part of classic sugar cookie baking!

Estimated Nutritional Data for These Simple Dessert Bars

When I share recipes, especially something totally satisfying like these **sugar cookie bars**, I always want to be as transparent as possible with what you’re working with. Remember how I said I traded spreadsheets for saucepans? Well, I still like numbers, so I ran the breakdown for you!

Here are my best estimates for one serving of these **frosted sugar cookie bars**, based on the ingredient quantities listed. Please keep in mind that this is calculated using standard ingredient averages, so the final numbers will vary slightly depending on the brands of butter, sugar, or milk you personally prefer to use. It’s my best effort to give you a reliable guide for these **simple dessert bars**!

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 310
• Sugar: 35g
• Sodium: 150mg
• Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 55mg

For a dish this decadent and delicious, I think those numbers are pretty reasonable, especially since you can easily adjust the frosting thickness to manage the sugar if you’re watching that aspect closely. It’s all about balance, right?

Easy Frosted Soft Sugar Cookie Bars

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You can make these soft, sweet sugar cookie bars easily. They have the classic flavor of cut-out sugar cookies but bake in a pan, meaning no rolling or cutting is required. Top them with fluffy vanilla buttercream for a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert.

• Author: purejoyalex
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Total Time: 45 min
• Yield: 24 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• For the Frosting:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2–4 tablespoons milk
• Optional: Sprinkles for decoration

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch pan.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The center should look set.
8. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This step is important before frosting.
9. To make the frosting, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating well after each addition.
10. Mix in the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
11. Spread the buttercream frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bars.
12. Decorate immediately with sprinkles, if using.
13. Once frosted, cut the bars into squares.

Notes

• For the best soft sugar cookie bars texture, do not overbake. They should be slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven.
• You can easily adapt these for holidays by using colored sprinkles or food coloring in the frosting.
• These bake and store well, making them a great make ahead cookie bars option for parties.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 310
• Sugar: 35
• Sodium: 150
• Fat: 16
• Saturated Fat: 10
• Unsaturated Fat: 6
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 40
• Fiber: 0
• Protein: 3
• Cholesterol: 55