Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars taste just like cutouts but are ready in a fraction of the time. Soft, chewy and topped with buttercream frosting, these cookie bars let you bypass the rolling pin for a spatula.

Christmas songs are all the same. If I hear one more slow-paced tune about a brooding man missing pumpkin pie and their better halves, I’m gonna lose it. Want a window into the soul of the male species? Listen to a holiday record. In three seconds you’ll find out that men only care about two things: food and women who can make them food.

Even Nat King Cole, a crooner with one of the most extraordinary voices in history, recorded a song about chestnuts. I’m supposed to believe there wasn’t anything better for a hall of famer to sing about than an overpriced nut you can’t even peel open unless it’s on a flaming fire for 15 minutes?

There’s been 74 years of musical hype about roasting chestnuts on an open fire yet I had no freaking clue what the fuss was for. Nostalgia was my guess, but the answer was actually a near-death experience. I’m satisfied with that outcome; my sister, not so much.

Long (yet seemingly hilarious) story short, I finally tried my hand at roasting chestnuts. Evidently my hand did something wrong because chestnuts started exploding in a frenzy then one flew across the room like a missile-guided rocket and hit its intended target: my sister’s neck.

On the positive side, she had enough Captain Morgan in her system to offset the pain of a 500 degree nut searing her skin. Plus I had the foresight to get her a new turtleneck for Christmas. Basically, it’s like the nutty incident never even happened. My sister doesn’t agree with my logic so, to smooth over her blistering burns, I’m making her a batch of sugar cookie bars.

All things considered, buttercream frosted sugar cookie bars are a great peace offering. They’re soft, chewy and the fastest way to make amends with my sailor-cussing sis. For the taste of sugar cookie cutouts with only a fraction of the work, this yummy recipe is a tried-and-true favorite of chestnut-maimed siblings.

Before sharing the Sugar Cookie Bars recipe, here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

Gel dye for coloring the buttercream frosting because gel is more vibrant and less diluting than liquid dye.

This recipe calls for heavy cream for the buttercream frosting. Whole milk passes as a substitute but may result in less fluffy frosting.

Preparation Tips

For best results be sure egg, butter and cream cheese are at room temperature before beginning.

How to Store Sugar Cookie Bars

Place sugar cookie bars in an airtight container then store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Layer frosted cookie bars in an airtight container between pieces of parchment paper then freeze up to 3 weeks.

Unfrosted cookie bars can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting with buttercream.

I hope you enjoy these Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like sugar cookie bars you’ll love my recipe for Sugar Cookie Donuts. Delicious, fluffy and filled with holiday flavors, these baked donuts are coated in a sugar cookie glaze then decorated with candy sprinkles. 

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

Heather Wolf

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars taste just like cutouts but are ready in a fraction of the time. Soft, chewy and topped with buttercream frosting, these cookie bars let you bypass the rolling pin for a spatula.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chill 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Cookies and Bars

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Equipment

• 8 x 8 metal baking pan

Ingredients

  

Sugar Cookie Bars

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla pure
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt fine

Buttercream Frosting

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 drops gel food coloring
• decorative sprinkles

Instructions

 

Sugar Cookie Bars

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 metal baking pan with parchment paper then set aside.
• Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy, approximately 1 minute.
• Beat in sugar until combined, scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Add egg and vanilla, beat until well mixed. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Reduce mixer speed to low then gradually add dry ingredients to wet until a soft dough forms. Take care to avoid overmixing.
• Spoon cookie dough into baking pan then smooth with a spatula. Note: dough will be thick.
• Bake cookie bars for 20 – 23 minutes or until center is set and the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Avoid overbaking or cookies will be dry.
• Place pan on a wire baking rack and cool cookies completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

• Cream butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Color frosting with 2 drops of gel food coloring, mixing until color is evenly distributed.
• Frost bars with buttercream then top with decorative sprinkles.
• Place cookie bars in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before slicing and serving.
• Store cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Keyword bars, cookie, frosting, sugar