Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe with Frosting

These Christmas sugar cookie bars are a festive twist on classic sugar cookies!

We’re taking the sugar cookie flavor we love and baking it into soft, chewy bars. Then, we’re slathering them with a generous topping of tangy cream cheese frosting.

Best of all, you can make them in a baking pan instead of rolling out dough and cutting individual cookies, making this an easy recipe for the busy holiday season.

Whether you’re preparing cookie trays for cookie exchanges, bringing a sweet treat to holiday parties or filling your dessert table with Christmas desserts, these frosted sugar cookie bars are sure to be a hit!

Why We Love This Recipe

• Easy to make: Forget rolling pins and cookie cutters! These easy sugar cookie bars are baked in a single baking pan and sliced into squares, saving time during the busy holiday season.
• Soft and chewy: The sugar cookie base has a tender, chewy texture with lightly golden brown edges and a soft center.
• Classic sugar cookie flavor: Real butter, fresh eggs, sugar and pure vanilla give these bars the familiar flavor of traditional sugar cookies.
• Festive and customizable: Decorate with Christmas sprinkles or other festive decorations.
• Perfect for sharing: Ideal for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, family gatherings and Christmas celebrations.
• Make-ahead friendly: Bake the bars in advance, then frost and decorate them when you’re ready to serve.
• Easy to customize: Change the frosting colors and sprinkles to make these bars suitable for birthday parties, baby showers or other special occasions.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Baking powder
• Salt

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How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars

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Combine the Wet Ingredients

​In a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. 

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Combine the Dry Ingredients

​In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

Make the Cookie Bar Batter

With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until the cookie batter comes together.

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Bake the Bars

​Now, pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake it. Allow it to cool completely and then frost it with the cream cheese frosting. 

​Cut the Bars

​Once your cookie dough has baked, cooled and been frosted and decorated, go ahead and cut it into squares for serving.

Variations

• The frosting: Use classic buttercream frosting for a traditional finish as an alternative to the cream cheese frosting.
• Add almond flavor: If you love the flavor of bakery-style sugar cookies, add a little almond extract to the dough or frosting. A small amount goes a long way, so start with a little and adjust to taste.
• Make it sparkle: Instead of traditional red and green, try decorating with silver and gold sprinkles for a sparkly presentation.
• Try different toppings: Instead of sprinkles, try crushed candy canes, pistachios or different colored sanding sugars. 
• Make them for other occasions: Swap the Christmas decorations for pastel sprinkles for baby showers, pink and red sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, or colorful decorations for birthday celebrations.
• Cut different shapes: Use a sharp knife to cut the finished bars into triangles, rectangles or small bite-size pieces.

Storage Instructions

Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.

You can also freeze unfrosted cookie bars for up to 2–3 months. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap the entire bar or individual portions tightly in plastic wrap. Add a layer of aluminum foil or place the wrapped bars in a freezer-safe airtight container.

Thaw frozen bars in the refrigerator or at room temperature. For the neatest presentation, frost and decorate the bars after thawing.

Make-ahead tip: Bake the sugar cookie base a day ahead, let it cool completely, and store it covered. Add the frosting and festive sprinkles shortly before serving for a fresh, colorful finish.

Tips for Success

• Measure the flour correctly: Too much flour can make the bars dry and crumbly instead of soft and chewy. Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurements, or gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off. 
• Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature unsalted butter and eggs blend more evenly into the wet mixture, creating a smooth, consistent dough. Allow refrigerated ingredients to sit out until they are no longer cold to the touch.
• Don’t overmix the dough: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix on low speed just until everything is combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten and make the finished bars less tender.
• Use parchment paper: Lining your baking pan with parchment paper allows you to easily lift the baked cookie out of the pan in one move. 
• Spread the dough evenly: Press the sugar cookie dough into the baking pan in an even layer. This helps the bars bake consistently and prevents thin edges from overbaking before the center is done.
• Watch the edges: Because the cookie bars will still be pale in color, watch for the edges to turn slightly golden brown. That’s how you’ll know they are done. 
• Cool completely before frosting: Allow the cookie base to cool completely in the baking pan before adding frosting. Warm bars can melt the frosting and cause the sprinkles to slide off.

When you make these Christmas sugar cookie bars, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy! 

For more Christmas baking recipes, try these:

• Eggnog Cut Out Cookies
• Peppermint Mocha Sandwich Cookies
• Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies