Description
The best ever Christmas sugar cookie bars! These super soft and perfectly buttery sugar cookie bars are the perfect last minute holiday dessert to feed a crowd. Topped with a generous layer of vanilla buttercream and festive sprinkles, these one pan wonders are as easy as they are delicious.
Ingredients
Units
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Sugar Cookie Bars
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (94 g) bread flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 TBSP cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (228 g) confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1–2 TBSP heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees and spray a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with non stick baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until just barely combined. Do not over mix.
- Transfer the sugar cookie dough to the prepared pan and use your hands or a spatula to press the cookie dough into an even layer, pressing into the corners.
- Bake the sugar cookie dough for 20-25 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown. The center of the bars should look slightly under baked. Do not over bake.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting with the vanilla cream cheese buttercream. To speed up the process, place the sugar cookie pan in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
Vanilla Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. About 1 minute.
- Add the confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla and salt and beat for one minute more on medium high speed.
- Add the heavy cream and beat for an additional minute.
- If frosting is to thin, add more confectioner’s sugar. If too thick, add more heavy cream.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cookie bars.
- Top with sprinkles.
- Chill before cutting into 16 squares. Serve chilled.
Notes
Recipe may be doubled and baked in a 13 x 9 inch pan.
Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Sugar cookie bars may be frozen before frosting. Defrost at room temperature before adding frosting and sprinkles.