Nothing quite fills the kitchen with warmth and festive cheer like my beloved Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe. These bars are soft, buttery, and topped with a dreamy frosting that’s just begging to be a part of your holiday traditions.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’m genuinely excited about this recipe because it captures all the magic of holiday baking in an easy-to-make bar. No fiddling with chilling dough or rolling out cookies—just simple steps that yield festive flavor and tender texture.
- Simple prep: The dough comes together quickly and skips the usual time-consuming cookie shaping, perfect for busy holiday days.
- Soft and buttery texture: Thanks to the cream cheese in the batter, these bars stay delightfully tender—something I look for in sugar cookies.
- Customizable decoration: You can swap out sprinkles, add food coloring, or top with festive candies to suit your style and occasion.
- Great for gifting or parties: Cut into neat squares, these bars are easy to package and share, always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in this Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe plays a special role in creating a balance of flavor, texture, and that iconic sugar cookie sweetness. Here’s why I trust these staples:
- Unsalted butter: Using softened unsalted butter lets you control salt levels and adds rich, creamy flavor that’s essential in any sugar cookie base.
- Granulated sugar: It sweetens the dough and helps achieve that tender crumb when creamed with butter.
- Eggs: They bind everything together and add moisture for a soft texture.
- Cream cheese: My secret weapon for extra moist and tender bars; it makes a noticeable difference without overpowering flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla pulls all the flavors together and offers that cozy, warm note we love in holiday treats.
- Flour: Spoon and level your flour for accuracy—too much means dry bars, too little and they might spread too much.
- Baking powder: Just enough to give a slight lift without losing that classic sugar cookie feel.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Christmas jimmies/sprinkles: Adds festive color and a sugary crunch that make these bars feel truly special.
- Powdered sugar (for frosting): Provides that smooth, creamy sweetness for an irresistible topping.
- Heavy cream: Adjusts frosting consistency for spreading—plus, a bit of richness that makes the frosting dreamy.
- Food coloring (optional): Play with festive colors if you want to add visual flair to your frosting.
- Assorted sprinkles (for topping): Fun textured finishing touch that always brings smiles.
Make It Your Way
I love experimenting with this Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe—sometimes swapping sprinkles for mini chocolate chips or adding a dash of almond extract for a different twist. Don’t hesitate to make these bars your own!
- Variation: One winter, I replaced half the sprinkles with crushed peppermint candies, giving the bars a refreshing minty crunch that was a big hit at my family’s cookie exchange.
- Dietary tweaks: You can try using dairy-free cream cheese and butter substitutes if you need a vegan or dairy-free option, but be sure to test the texture since it can vary.
- Colorful frosting: Adding red and green food coloring to the frosting is an easy way to inject some holiday spirit—my kids love helping me swirl the colors together.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
Step 1: Prepping the Base Cookie Dough
First, I preheat my oven to 375°F and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper—this makes lifting the bars out later super easy. Then, I beat softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mix is light and fluffy; this part takes about 3 minutes with a hand mixer. It’s important because it traps air, helping create tender bars rather than dense ones.
Step 2: Adding the Wet Ingredients
Next up, I mix in the eggs one at a time, then toss in the softened cream cheese and vanilla. The cream cheese might sound unusual, but trust me—it’s what keeps these bars so moist. Just make sure your cream cheese is room temperature to blend smoothly.
Step 3: Combining the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, I whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Then, slowly stir these into the wet mixture. I’ve learned it’s best to add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until just combined—overmixing can make the bars tough.
Step 4: Folding in the Festive Sprinkles
This is the fun part—gently folding in the Christmas sprinkles (or jimmies) without crushing them ensures colorful speckles throughout the dough and a little crunch in every bite.
Step 5: Baking to Perfection
After pressing the dough evenly into the pan, I bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Watch the edges—they should just start to turn golden while the center remains soft. This balance is the key to bars that are perfectly set but not dry.
Step 6: Crafting the Creamy Frosting
While the bars cool, I whip together the frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy. Sometimes I swap vanilla extract for imitation vanilla—it gives a whiter frosting which looks beautiful for the holidays. Adding a few drops of food coloring helps set the festive tone.
Step 7: Decorating and Serving
Once the bars are completely cooled, I spread the frosting evenly over the top, then sprinkle with more festive jimmies or colorful Christmas M&Ms. After a little chill to set the frosting, I cut into squares and enjoy (or package for gifting!).
Top Tip
After making these bars a dozen times, I’ve picked up some tips that help guarantee success and the best flavor every time:
- Room temperature ingredients: Let the butter and cream cheese sit out so they mix smoothly, avoiding lumps in your dough and frosting.
- Don’t overbake: Pull your bars out as soon as the edges gently turn golden; they’ll continue to set as they cool and stay soft and tender.
- Use parchment paper: This helps lift bars out cleanly from the pan, making slicing easy and mess-free.
- Mix frosting thoroughly: Whip frosting until fluffy for perfect spreadability and that gorgeous creamy finish on top.
How to Serve Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
Garnishes
I’m a huge fan of topping the frosted bars with classic red and green sprinkles and sometimes a few tiny edible pearls. During one holiday season, I added crushed candy canes on half the pan for a peppermint twist that was a total crowd-pleaser.
Side Dishes
These bars pair beautifully with a cup of hot cocoa or spiced tea—perfect for a cozy afternoon snack or dessert after a festive meal. I like setting up a little cookie and drink station for guests during the holidays.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday parties, I like arranging these bars on a festive platter and adding sprigs of fresh rosemary or holly around them—it instantly elevates the presentation. Wrapping individual squares in clear cellophane tied with ribbon also makes them wonderful homemade gifts.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the frosting fresh, and they stay soft for up to a week. I like separating layers with parchment paper to keep the sprinkles intact.
Freezing
These bars freeze wonderfully! I wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. Sometimes I frost them after thawing for the freshest look and taste.
Reheating
If you want to enjoy bars a bit warm, I pop a single piece in the microwave for about 10 seconds. This softens the frosting just enough and boosts those delicious buttery flavors without melting the decorations.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can try substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour blend. Just be aware that the texture might be slightly different, and sometimes a little xanthan gum helps maintain chewiness.
Cream cheese adds moisture and makes the sugar cookie bars extra tender and soft, giving them a texture that’s richer than traditional sugar cookies. It’s an easy way to elevate the bars without changing the classic flavor.
Absolutely! Store-bought frosting works fine if you’re short on time, but homemade frosting tends to taste fresher and lets you customize the sweetness and color.
For the cleanest cut, chill the bars completely after frosting and use a sharp knife wiped clean between each cut. Using parchment paper as a liner helps lift out the entire slab, so you can trim edges and slice precisely.
Final Thoughts
This Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe has become my go-to during the holidays because it strikes the perfect balance of ease, festive cheer, and deliciousness. Whether you’re new to holiday baking or looking for a fresh twist on sugar cookies, I’m confident you’ll find these bars charming and satisfying enough to make year after year. So, grab your mixer, sprinkle some joy, and enjoy every bite!
Print
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These festive Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars are buttery, soft, and topped with creamy vanilla frosting and colorful holiday sprinkles, perfect for holiday gatherings and celebrations.
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Bars:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup Christmas jimmies
For The Frosting:
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3-5 drops food coloring (optional)
- 2 tablespoon assorted Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the eggs, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in Sprinkles: Gently fold the Christmas jimmies into the batter evenly.
- Press Batter into Pan: Transfer the dough into the prepared 9x13 baking dish and press it evenly using your hands or a rubber spatula.
- Bake: Bake the bars for 17 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until creamy and fluffy. Add food coloring if desired and mix well.
- Frost Bars: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bars.
- Decorate and Serve: Sprinkle with assorted Christmas sprinkles or M&Ms, cut into squares, and serve.
Notes
- Ensure butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature for easier mixing and smoother texture.
- Do not overbake the bars to keep them soft; edges should just turn golden.
- Use parchment paper to make removal and cleanup easier.
- For a whiter frosting, imitation vanilla extract can be used instead of pure vanilla extract.
- Add food coloring to the frosting for festive color variations.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
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