Sugar Cookie Bars delivers rich sweetness and craveable texture—slice, share, and try not to snag one early.
Slice-and-Share Sugar Cookie Squares
All the buttery, vanilla-forward comfort of a sugar cookie, baked in one pan for an easy, crowd-friendly dessert.
When you want the familiar comfort of a sugar cookie without shaping a dozen rounds, these bars are the answer: an even, tender crumb with crisp, buttery edges and a soft, nearly melt-in-your-mouth center. They come together in about 15 minutes of hands-on work and bake in a single 8×8 pan, so they’re the kind of recipe you reach for when you need dessert fast or want something simple for a coffee tray or casual get-together.
A few small choices make the texture shine: sour cream keeps the middle tender and slightly tangy, while creaming the butter with granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes traps air so the bars lift lightly in the oven. Baking powder gives a gentle rise and pure vanilla finishes things with that classic sugar-cookie aroma. Once cooled, a thin powdered-sugar glaze brushed on top adds a glossy sweetness that’s the perfect backdrop for a scattering of rainbow sprinkles if you’re feeling festive.
Practical notes: line the pan with a parchment overhang so the whole slab lifts out cleanly, and resist overbaking—the edges should be golden and the center set but still soft. Cool completely before glazing, then chill briefly for the neatest slices; a sharp knife wiped between cuts keeps the glaze tidy. If you’d like cleaner bars for packaging or gifts, pop the pan in the fridge for 20–30 minutes before slicing.
These bars travel and store well: keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or freeze the unglazed slab for longer storage and glaze after thawing. They’re simple, sharable, and exactly the kind of comfort-food classic you’ll want to make again when a sugar-cookie craving strikes.
Ingredients
How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment leaving an overhang for easy removal; lightly spray or butter the parchment.
- Whisk together the dry base: in a bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder and fine salt until evenly mixed.
- In a separate large bowl, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Beat the large egg into the butter-sugar mixture until combined, then add the sour cream and pure vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Fold the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients with a spatula until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain; do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared 8x8 pan and use an offset spatula or greased fingers to press it into an even layer, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- While the bars cool for 10–15 minutes in the pan, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk and 1/4 tsp vanilla (from the 1.5 tsp used total) to make a pourable glaze; add milk 1/2 tsp at a time if you need to thin it further.
- Drizzle or spread the glaze over the warm-but-not-hot bars, scatter the rainbow sprinkles immediately so they stick, then cool fully in the pan on a rack (about 30 minutes) before lifting out on the parchment and cutting into 6 equal bars.
Recipe Card
Sugar Cookie Bars
Sugar Cookie Bars delivers rich sweetness and craveable texture—slice, share, and try not to snag one early.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment leaving an overhang for easy removal; lightly spray or butter the parchment.
- Whisk together the dry base: in a bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder and fine salt until evenly mixed.
- In a separate large bowl, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Beat the large egg into the butter-sugar mixture until combined, then add the sour cream and pure vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Fold the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients with a spatula until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain; do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared 8x8 pan and use an offset spatula or greased fingers to press it into an even layer, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- While the bars cool for 10–15 minutes in the pan, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk and 1/4 tsp vanilla (from the 1.5 tsp used total) to make a pourable glaze; add milk 1/2 tsp at a time if you need to thin it further.
- Drizzle or spread the glaze over the warm-but-not-hot bars, scatter the rainbow sprinkles immediately so they stick, then cool fully in the pan on a rack (about 30 minutes) before lifting out on the parchment and cutting into 6 equal bars.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 70.4
- Saturated Fat
- 10.6
- Sodium
- 159
- Fiber
- 1
- Unsaturated Fat
- 6.6
- Protein
- 4.4
- Fat
- 17.3
- Cholesterol
- 84
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 461
- Sugar
- 47.2