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These sugar cookie bars are a game changer! All the deliciousness of a sugar cookie, but without all the cookie cutters. These are the very best sugar cookie bars I have ever had. They are unique with their 3 extracts and the combination of butter and shortening. Making a buttery, soft and delicious treat.
The Chemistry of Sugar Cookie Bars
The magic in these lie in the balance of ingredients and the chemistry of baking. The creaming of butter, shortening, and sugar introduces air into the batter, making the bars light and tender. Eggs and yolks add richness and help bind the mixture, while the combination of baking powder and cornstarch ensures a perfect rise and fine crumb. The frosting, a blend of cream cheese, butter and extracts, not only adds a creamy layer of flavor but also complements the texture of the bar, creating a harmonious bite every time.
What makes sugar cookie bars different from regular cookies?
The primary difference lies in the form and convenience. Bars are quicker to prepare, easier to serve, and offer the same delightful taste as traditional sugar cookies.
Can you customize the frosting on these?
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with different extracts or food colorings to create a frosting that suits your taste and occasion. Remember to add the sprinkles.
Best way to store these?
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Can you freeze these?
Yes, they freeze well. Store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
How to cream your butter & sugar
First, combine your butter & sugar in a standing mixer. Then, turn the mixer on high for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl every 30 seconds. When the mixture is creamed it will be lighter in color and texture. Here is a visual example of how the ingredients look when just combined vs. creamed:
What is in Sugar Cookie Bars?
Unsalted Butter
It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your dough or batter and it will result in an overly salted treat.
Butter adds fats to your dough or batter which helps with moistness, flavor and texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.
When baking with butter, the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm, your treat will melt too fast and overspread in the oven, leaving you with a greasy, flat mess. If your butter is too cold, it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your treat too thick.
Shortening
Being 100% fat, it provides a flakier texture and prevents spreading because it does not melt down in the oven.
Granulated Sugar
Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.
Almond Extract
Adds a unique sweet and nutty flavor to your dough.
Vanilla Extract
When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.
Eggs
Adds both a protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because, when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the egg white mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking, which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick treats. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters and doughs together and help them from collapsing. Unless otherwise specified, always use large eggs.
Egg Yolks
Adding extra egg yolks to your batter will add extra richness and chewiness to your cookie or brownie.
Fine Sea Salt
Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt, it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your treat, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand.
Baking Powder
Puffs up your batter or dough instead of spreading it out. Baking powder contains a little bit of baking soda, an acid & cornstarch. Because of this, it only needs a liquid to react. It also consists of two different acids, so it’s double reacting. It reacts as soon as it’s mixed with a moisture and then again when it’s heated up.
Cornstarch
Helps create a crumbly tender texture to toppings. Softens cookies, brownies and cakes. And it can also thicken sauces and fillings.
All-purpose Flour
Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.
Cream cheese
Provides a unique, tangy flavor. When baked it adds moisture to your treat.
Unsalted butter
Often the main ingredient of frosting, it adds structure to your buttercream. It also adds a smooth and velvety texture. Butter melts at body temperature, so it will make your frosting have a melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
Powdered Sugar
Is just finely ground granulated sugar. It will absorb moisture in your batter or dough. It dissolves easily, ensuring a smooth texture without grittiness. Because it is so fine, it can melt quickly in the oven and spread cookies out more. Powdered sugar also stabilizes and thickens the frosting, thanks to the small amount of cornstarch it contains.
Coconut Extract
Adds a sweet tropical flavor to your treats.
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container for 3 days for peak freshness. Refrigerate them for up to 1 week. Freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw the cookies at room temperature before enjoying.
Making Ahead
These a great make-ahead option for busy days. Bake the bars in advance and frost them on the day of serving for the best texture and flavor.
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a standing mixer cream your butter, shortening and sugar together until lighter in color and texture. This takes about 2 full minutes of whipping on high, scrapping down the bowl down every 30 seconds.
- Add the extracts and stir until combined
- Add the eggs and egg yolks, stir until just combined
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt
- Turn the standing mixer on low, slowly pour the dry ingredients in. As soon as the cookie dough comes together, stop the mixer.
- Pour the dough into a greased 9×13 pan or a 12×12 Candy Pan
- Flatten the dough into the pan with a small roller or your hands
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before frosting.
Frosting
- In a standing mixer, add the cream cheese and butter. Mix on low until the two are combined and slightly softened.
- Add the sugar and extracts, mix on low until the frosting is combined.
- Slowly increase the speed until your mixer is on high. Whip the frosting on high for 1-2 minutes until lighter in color and texture.
- Add food coloring if you desire.
- Scoop the frosting out on top of the cooled bars and spread until its in an even layer.
- Cut and enjoy!
Nutrition
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