Cut-out sugar cookies are beautiful, but they take time: chilling, rolling, cutting, baking in batches, and decorating one by one. Christmas sugar cookie bars skip all of that and keep the best part — a soft, buttery sugar cookie base with sweet frosting and festive sprinkles. You press the dough into one pan, bake it once, frost it, and cut it into bars. The whole tray is ready in under an hour.
That simplicity makes these bars perfect for busy December weeks. They are ideal for a cookie exchange, a school party, a potluck, or a last-minute dessert when guests are on their way. They look cheerful on a platter, they slice neatly, and they taste like the classic sugar cookies everyone expects at Christmas, only softer in the middle.
Why Bars Beat Cut-Out Cookies
The bar format changes the texture in a good way. Because the dough bakes as one thick slab, the center stays soft and slightly chewy while the edges turn just golden. Cut-out cookies, by contrast, dry out more easily because they are thin and baked in small pieces. Bars give you that soft middle in every piece, not just a lucky few.
What You Need
For the bars, you will need half a cup of unsalted butter at room temperature, three quarters of a cup of granulated sugar, one large egg, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, half a teaspoon of almond extract, one and three quarters cups of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, and a quarter teaspoon of salt. For the frosting, you will need a quarter cup of unsalted butter at room temperature, two cups of powdered sugar, two tablespoons of milk or cream, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Red and green sprinkles finish the bars.
Almond extract is optional but recommended; it gives the bars that classic bakery sugar-cookie flavor that vanilla alone does not quite reach. If you dislike almond flavor, simply leave it out and add an extra half teaspoon of vanilla. Use a nine-by-thirteen-inch pan lined with parchment, leaving an overhang so you can lift the whole slab out for clean slicing.
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about two to three minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix, or the bars will be tough.
Press the dough evenly into a parchment-lined nine-by-thirteen-inch pan, using damp fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for eighteen to twenty-two minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks set but still pale. Cool completely in the pan before frosting; warm bars will melt the frosting into a puddle.
For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until creamy and spreadable. Add milk a teaspoon at a time if it is too thick. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars, scatter generously with red and green sprinkles, and chill for twenty minutes so the frosting sets. Lift out using the parchment overhang and cut into twenty-four bars.
Recipe Card
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe, holiday dessert, sugar cookie bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, for frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, for frosting
- Pinch of salt, for frosting
- Red and green sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low just until a soft dough forms.
- Press the dough evenly into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan and smooth the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 22 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and the center is set but pale. Cool completely in the pan.
- Beat the frosting butter until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until creamy and spreadable.
- Spread frosting over the cooled bars, scatter with red and green sprinkles, chill for 20 minutes, lift out, and cut into 24 bars.
Tips for the Best Sugar Cookie Bars
Do not overbake. The center should look just set and still pale when you take the pan out; it will firm up as it cools, and that is what keeps the bars soft. If the edges brown too much, the bars turn crisp instead of tender, so check a minute or two early, especially if your oven runs hot.
Cool completely before frosting, and chill briefly before cutting. Warm bars melt frosting, and soft frosting smears when sliced. A short chill firms the frosting just enough for clean cuts. For the neatest slices, wipe the knife clean between cuts and use a long, straight-down motion rather than sawing back and forth.
Variations to Try
For a peppermint version, add half a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the frosting and top with crushed candy canes instead of sprinkles. For a chocolate twist, drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over the frosted bars before adding sprinkles. For a citrus holiday bar, add a teaspoon of orange zest to the dough and use orange-tinted frosting.
Make-Ahead and Storage
These bars are excellent for make-ahead holiday baking. Store frosted bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, with parchment between layers so the frosting does not stick. They also refrigerate well for up to a week; bring them to room temperature for twenty minutes before serving so the frosting softens.
Unfrosted bars freeze beautifully for up to three months. Wrap the cooled slab tightly, freeze, thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost fresh on the day you serve them. You can also freeze frosted bars, though the sprinkles may soften slightly after thawing. For a party, bake the bars a day ahead and frost them the morning of the event for the freshest look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my bars hard instead of soft?
Overbaking or overmixing is usually the cause. Bake only until the center is just set and still pale, and mix the dough just until the flour disappears. Measuring flour by spooning it into the cup, rather than scooping, also prevents a dry, tough bar.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes, but reduce the added salt in the dough and frosting to a tiny pinch, or omit it. Unsalted butter gives you more control, but salted butter works fine with that small adjustment and will not ruin the bars.
Do I need almond extract?
No, it is optional. Almond extract gives a classic bakery flavor, but the bars are still very good with vanilla alone. If you skip it, add an extra half teaspoon of vanilla to the dough to keep the flavor full.
Can I make these bars ahead for a party?
Absolutely. Bake the base a day or two ahead, store it unfrosted, and frost it the morning of the party. Or freeze the unfrosted slab for weeks and frost after thawing. Either way, the bars taste fresh and look festive.
How do I get clean cuts?
Chill the frosted slab for about twenty minutes, lift it out with the parchment overhang, and cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Cut straight down without sawing, and you will get neat, bakery-style bars.
These Christmas sugar cookie bars are the shortcut every busy holiday baker needs: soft, sweet, frosted, and sprinkled, all from one pan and in under an hour. Bake a tray for the party, keep a few for
the cookie tin, and enjoy a classic Christmas cookie without the rolling pin.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Classic Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
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