Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 32 bars
Calories: 202.9kcal
These simple and decadent sugar cookie bars are easy to make, soft and chewy, and loaded with frosting - basically a crowd pleaser!
Print Recipe
Cookie Bars
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- Red food dye optional if you'd like to make the frosting pink
- Sprinkles optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 9 x 13 inch glass or metal pan with parchment paper (or tin foil, but spray foil with nonstick cooking spray).
Beat softened butter in a medium bowl for a couple minutes until fluffy.
Add softened cream cheese and beat until well combined.
Add sugar and beat until well combined and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla and beat. Scrape down sides once everything is combined.
Add salt, flour, and cornstarch and beat until just combined.
Transfer dough to the pan and spread evenly on parchment paper or tin foil. Use your hands (get them a little wet but make sure they’re not too wet) to evenly press dough into pan. (If hands are too wet they will stick to the dough).
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Be careful to not over bake them (will not be as soft). Remove from oven when a toothpick comes out clean.
Hold the edges of parchment paper and lift bars out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before adding frosting.
While bars are cooling, make the frosting.
Frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and food dye, if using. Beat until creamy.
Once bars are completely cooled, trim the edges (about 1 inch on each side) so the sides are clean and even.
Evenly spread frosting over the bars and top with sprinkles.
Cut into 32 bars. Store in refrigerator or freezer. If storing bars directly on top of each other, add parchment paper between layers.
- Soften both the butter and cream cheese. I like to take the butter out the day before and the cream cheese out about 45 minutes prior to making these.
- Slightly underbake the cookie bars so they are soft and chewy.
- If you want a thinner layer of frosting, halve the frosting recipe.
- Cool the cookie bars completely before spreading the frosting on top. If not cooled, the frosting will melt.
- Store cookie bars in both the refrigerator and freezer in air tight containers. Personally, I store mine in Pyrex Glass Storage Containers. Layer the cookie bars with parchment paper and to unthaw, simply take them out of the freezer a few hours before you'd like to have one.
Calories: 202.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.2g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 11.15g