Our easy Sugar Cookie Bars recipe has a soft and chewy cookie bar topped with cream cheese frosting. It's all the flavor you love, without the chilling, rolling, or cutting, so they're perfect for potlucks, parties, and holidays.
Effortless Sugar Cookies Bars
Effortless Sugar Cookies Bars These easy Sugar Cookie Bars are my go-to potluck dessert! They are easy to transport, and easy to serve right out of the same pan. You can color the frosting and coordinate the sprinkles for any holiday or event, and they always disappear fast. I've even made them in advance and frozen them until the day before I want to serve them.
But mostly, I love how quick these are to make! As much as I love classic Sugar Cookies, these have the same great flavor and texture, without having to chill the dough, roll and cut the cookies, and bake multiple batches. Win-win-win!
How to make Sugar Cookie Bars:
Make Cookie Dough: Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until it's light and creamy. Add eggs, mixing after each. Add vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl then pour into the wet mixture and mix until combined.
Bake: Spray a 13×18 half sheet pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray and spread and press the cookie dough into the pan evenly. Bake at 375°F for 12-16 minutes, until they are set and the edges are just lightly golden. They will continue to set up as they cool.
Frost and Serve: Mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla then gradually add the powdered sugar just until it's a good frosting consistency. Mix for a few minutes until very creamy, then spread over cooled sugar cookie bars. Cut frosted sugar cookie bars into squares and enjoy!
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
To Freeze: Let these sheet pan sugar cookies cool completely, but do not cut. They can be frozen frosted or unfrosted, just make sure you wrap them tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Keep in the freezer for up to one month. Let them thaw completely in the fridge before cutting into bars.
More “Bar” Recipes:
- Snickerdoodle Bars
- M&M Cookie Bars
- Magic Bars
- Key Lime Pie Bars
- Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Scotcheroos
- Chocolate Brownies
- Lemon Bars
- Butterscotch Blondies
- S'mores Bars
- Butterfinger Bars
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Recipe
Sugar Cookie Bars
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (227g) *room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (594g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperatire
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar (480g-600g), (more or less depending on how thick you want your frosting)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13×18'' half sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray. (Or, cut the recipe in half if using a 9×13'' pan).
- Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix well until light and creamy. Add eggs, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the batter and mix until combined. Spread and press the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for about 12-16 minutes or until the center is set, and the edges are just starting to be golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled completely, frost and cut into squares.
- Cream cheese frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until, mixing well until smooth. You may not need all of the powdered sugar–just add enough to make a good frosting consistency, and taste it to see if you want to add more.
- Store bars, covered well, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe in April 2015. Updated March 2018 and May 2022 and March 2025.
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I had a really hard time pushing the dough into a 13 x 18 pan so I put it into a a 9 x 13 and they didn’t turn out well. I decided later that if I had rolled it out on a piece of parchment paper then put it in the larger pan it would have worked better. Maybe you should mention that in the directions.
When you say to put these in a jelly roll pan, do you mean an 18×13 inch half sheet pan with sides, or a 10×15 jelly roll pan? I’m wondering because you mention you can do a half batch in a 9×13 pan, which isn’t that far off from the 10×15 jelly roll pan…. Thank you for the help!
Hi Meredith, sorry for the confusion. I use a bakers half sheet pan–13×18”
I mean the picture shows what I mention, the photo above doesn’t match what is used in the video..?
The photos show it baked in a 9×13” pan. You can use either a 9×13” or a half sheet pan.
What size jelly roll pan? 10 x 15 or 12 x 17?
Hi Deb, I use a bakers half sheet pan–13×18”
Sounds good. Will try and make them. The recipe says baking soda and then in a comment I saw someone said something about baking powder. Which do you use in the recipe?
Baking soda 🙂
What size sheet pan do you use?
I use a baker’s half sheet.
Found this on Facebook and then pinned it to my board on Pinterest. These are So Good and Easy! Needed a large dessert for a supper at church and tried the recipe for it. Will definitely be used many more times!
I just made these and I can honestly say they are delicious. My daughter likes those nasty sugar cookies with the neon frosting from the store. …once she gets her hands on these she will lose her mind. Sooooo much better than that store bought crud. I love baking from scratch and I will definitely bake these again.
I couldn’t agree more! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
These may be easy but they don’t taste like sugar cookies at all. Dense and dry. I didn’t over bake them either. Glad I tried them but everyone has different likes. I’ll stick to the cookies.
I made these and they were tasteless and dry – a true waste of a lot of ingredients. I followed the recipe and have been baking for years, so rarely come across something that sounds good, but after making, it wasn’t good at all. They are going in the garbage.
Made these sugar cookie squares, everyone loved them! So easy to make! Why use baking powder instead of baking soda? Is it possible to double the recipe to make a bigger batch with a bigger pan, will they still taste as good? Thanks for sharing your recipe!
These look amazing!! I love those frosted soft sugar cookies from the store and these look even better. I’m not sure if I’m mad at your for sharing this or my new best friend, lol! I’m definitely pinning this to make the next time I need to take a baked good (oooh..actually, that would be next weekend, now that I think about it!) Thank you!!
The frosted sugar cookies look amazing. I am making these for Easter! Thank you!
Thanks Janet! I’d love to hear how you like them!