Description

These Holiday Sugar Cookie Bars are a delightful and festive treat perfect for the holiday season. Soft, buttery sugar cookie bars are topped with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting and colorful sprinkles, making them ideal for gatherings or gift giving. The recipe is simple and straightforward, yielding rich, delicious bars with a perfect balance of sweetness and texture.

Ingredients

For the Sugar Cookie Bars:

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened well (not melted)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup festive sprinkles

For the Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Additional sprinkles for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9″x9″ baking pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal later.
Make the sugar cookie dough: In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well. Gradually incorporate the flour and baking powder into the wet ingredients, stirring carefully until you have a thick dough. Finally, fold in the festive sprinkles gently.
Spread and bake the dough: Spread the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. It will be thick, so take care to spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cookie bars: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookie bars to cool completely. Once cooled, carefully lift the parchment paper to remove the entire cookie slab from the pan for easier frosting.
Prepare the frosting: In a bowl, blend together the powdered sugar, softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and creamy. Adjust milk quantity if needed to achieve desired consistency.
Frost the cookie bars: Spread the prepared frosting generously over the cooled cookie bars. Sprinkle additional festive sprinkles evenly on top for decoration.
Serve or set the frosting: Cut the frosted cookie into squares and serve immediately for a soft frosting texture, or let the frosting set for a firmer, more stable topping before slicing and serving.

Notes

Ensure the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature for smooth batter and frosting.
Use parchment paper for easy removal and cleaner edges on your cookie bars.
You can substitute sprinkles with your favorite holiday-themed decorations or colored sugar.
For a firmer frosting, refrigerate the frosted bars for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
The recipe can be doubled to fit a larger pan if desired.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American