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A white frosted with sprinkles yummy sugar cookie bar on a white plate with gold forks in the background.
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Frosted Sugar Cookie Bar

Soft and decadent, this 9x13-inch Frosted Sugar Cookie Bar recipe is surprisingly easy to make and better than store-bought sugar cookies! The biggest tip: do NOT overbake! These melt-in-your-mouth cookie bars are very tender and simply sweet, but with a slight tang. Delicious!!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Frosting 10 minutes
Servings 20

Ingredients

For the Bars

  • 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) softened at room temperature
  • 2¾ cups flour
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (1 block) softened at room temperature
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extact

For the Frosting

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter softened at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon whole milk more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • food coloring and sprinkles optional and as preffered

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the 9x13-inch baking dish.

For the Bars

  • In a stand mixer(or larger bowl with an electric mixer), cream together the butter and cream cheese for about one minute. Then mix in the sugar.
  • Add the egg and vanilla. Mix that in for about one minute on low speed. Scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Gradually mix in the flour until it's just completely blended. Scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Evenly spread the completed dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the sides are a light golden brown. Do NOT overbake! A few crumbs should cling to the toothpick when inserted into the middle of the cookie bar. The bars should have a slightly underbaked appearance. Now, thoroughly cool the sugar cookie bars on a wire rack.

For the Frosting

  • In a stand mixer or bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Then add one cup of powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Repeat for the second cup of powdered sugar until all sugar is combined into a fine crumble.
  • Mix in the milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and food coloring if preferred. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat the frosting for about 4 minutes or until it is light and fluffy. Scraping down the bowl as needed. If necessary, add milk to thin the frosting.
  • Frost the completely cooled sugar cookie bars and add any sprinkles if desired. Cut and serve! Enjoy!