I love sugar cookies. But the reality is that they take a lot of time and effort to make:
Making the dough
Chilling it for 4+ hours
Rolling it out
Cutting out each individual cookie
Decorating
And soooooo much cleanup after my kitchen table is covered with powdered sugar and sprinkles from decorating.
So if you love sugar cookies, but are short on time, then these Christmas sugar cookie bars are for you. There’s no chilling, no rolling out the dough, and no decorating skills needed.
Instead, you end up with sugar cookie bars that are extra thick, perfectly soft, and topped with a thick layer of frosting. They’re reminiscent of Lofthouse sugar cookies, but completely homemade and very easy to make.
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
holiday sprinkles
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Line a 9×13 inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
Carefully beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture about 1/2 at a time.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and with lightly greased hands press it into the pan to form an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until the top is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the bars completely, leaving them in the pan as they cool.
Frosting
Beat the butter until soft, then mix in the cream cheese.
Add in the salt and vanilla extract
With the mixer on low speed beat in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
Frost the cooled cookie bars, then sprinkle with holiday sprinkles.
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
holiday sprinkles
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Line a 9×13 inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract and eggs.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
Carefully beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture about 1/2 at a time.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and with lightly greased hands press it into the pan to form an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until the top is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the bars completely, leaving them in the pan as they cool.
Frosting
Beat the butter until soft, then mix in the cream cheese.
Add in the salt and vanilla extract
With the mixer on low speed beat in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
Frost the cooled cook