Description
These festive Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars are a delightful holiday treat featuring soft, buttery cookie bars topped with creamy vanilla frosting and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for sharing at holiday parties or as a sweet seasonal snack.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sugar Cookie Bars:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup Christmas jimmies
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 TBS heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3-5 drops food coloring (optional)
- 2 TBS assorted Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract until all ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution.
- Mix Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring slowly until a soft dough forms. Fold in the Christmas jimmies evenly throughout the dough.
- Shape and Bake: Press the dough evenly into the prepared 9x13 baking dish using your hands or a rubber spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 17 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
- Prepare Frosting: While the bars are cooling, beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt until fluffy and creamy. Add food coloring if desired to enhance the festive look.
- Frost Bars: Spread the prepared frosting evenly over the completely cooled cookie bars. Sprinkle the top with assorted Christmas sprinkles or holiday M&M’s for decoration.
- Serve: Cut the frosted cookie bars into 20 squares and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use parchment paper in the pan for easy removal of bars and cleaner slicing.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter and cream cheese with plant-based alternatives and use a non-dairy milk in the frosting.
- Ensure the bars are fully cooled before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- You can customize the sprinkles and food coloring to match any holiday or celebration theme.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approximate)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
