Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars combine a tasty sugar cookie base with luscious frosting. They are topped with sprinkles and cut into easy to eat bars.

Everything you love about sugar cookies is packed into these decadent bars. The yummy sugar cookie dough has a generous layer of frosting. It is absolutely delicious.

The entire dessert is so festive with Christmas sprinkles. These bars come together quick and easy for a fabulous treat.

We love sugar cookies and these bars really take it up a level. They are soft and thick. I can’t wait for you to make these.

Our family enjoys Sugar Cookie bars year round and we also make Strawberry Lemonade Sugar Cookie Bars. This holiday version is so pretty and does not disappoint. Try Grinch Cookie Bars along with 73 Cookie Bar Recipes.

Why We Love This Recipe
- Cookie Bars
- Frosting
Additions and Substitutions
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Frequently Asked Questions
Pro Tips
More Christmas Desserts

Why We Love This Recipe

These bars taste amazing and take less work than making individual sugar cookies. It is such an easy treat, and they look absolutely fabulous on the dessert table.

Get started making these today. You can change the sprinkles to make these for any occasion. We love to make these year-round.

Each bite is so tasty and decadent. Everyone always asks for the recipe because they are so yummy. Plus, they look festive and gorgeous.

Once you try these bars, they might just become an annual tradition.

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter. Use real butter and soften at room temperature.
Egg. I used a large egg. Make sure it is room temperature.
Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla is the best to use in baking.
All Purpose Flour. It’s easy to pack too much flour when scooping into a cup. Spoon the flour instead.

Frosting

Powdered Sugar. I highly recommend sifting the flour, so the texture is smooth.
Milk. Whole milk is what I prefer but you can use reduced fat milk.
Christmas Sprinkles. Choose your favorite sprinkles.

Get all of the ingredients at the bottom of the page.

Additions and Substitutions

Food coloring. You can use any color you prefer to dye the icing. Red or green would be pretty for Christmas.
Sprinkles. Feel free to use different types of sprinkles. You can use other types of Christmas sprinkles or change them entirely for another holiday.
Christmas M&M. Top the bars with red and green M&M’s for an extra special festive touch. You can use this instead of sprinkles or combine both.
Almond extract. Try adding this for a variation in flavor.
Cream Cheese frosting. Substitute cream cheese icing for an easy change in flavor.
Store-bought frosting. It really is so quick and easy to make homemade icing. However, you can opt to use store-bought if you prefer.

Step 1. Preheat the oven. It should be set to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9X13 baking pan.

Butter and sugar mixed together in a bowl until fluffy.

Step 2. Combine the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add in the eggs and the vanilla extract.

Dry ingredients mixed into butter mixture.

Step 3. Next, mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined but don’t over-mix.

Step 4. Spread the dough into a baking dish. Bake for 10-13 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Butter creamed together with powdered sugar until fluffy.

Step 5. While it cools, make the frosting. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until combined. Then add in the milk and vanilla extract.

Step 6. Top the cooled bars with frosting.

Step 7. Add sprinkles and enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Store Sugar Cookie Bars?

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week. I recommend separating the bars with parchment paper.

This will prevent the frosting from sticking to the other bars.

How to freeze?

These are best frozen without frosting. Either freeze the entire sheet of bars or individual bars are fine too.

When ready to enjoy, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then frost as normal and top with holiday sprinkles.

No one will ever guess they were frozen before serving. This is such a time saver during the busy holiday season.

Can you make this recipe in advance?

Yes, this recipe is perfect to make in advance. I would make the bars and frosting. Store until ready to use.

Then when ready to serve, frost the bars and cut. We do this a lot for Christmas parties and it helps to save time on the day of the gathering.

Pro Tips

Butter. The recipe calls for real butter. Make sure that you are not using margarine.
Room temperature ingredients. The butter needs to be softened at room temperature. However, it should not be melted. The bars and frosting will blend easier if softened.
Flour. Make sure to measure this precisely as too much will result in dry cookie bars.
Try a different pan. If you want to make a smaller batch, half the ingredients. Then use an 8×8 baking pan. The baking time is the same but I would keep an eye on them as it may take a few minutes less.

For thinner bars, use the regular amount the recipe calls for and spread it into a sheet pan. Don’t forget to reduce the baking time.
Completely cool before frosting. The sugar cookie bars need to be fully cooled before topping with the icing.

More Christmas Desserts

I am so excited for you to try these decadent cookie bars. Make sure to leave a comment after you try them.