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Soft Baked Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Soft Baked Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

I still remember the first time I made a batch of these soft baked sugar cookie bars I was tired of rolling out dough, cutting shapes, and babysitting a dozen trays of individual cookies. So I pressed the whole batch into one pan instead, and honestly, it changed everything for me
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled — too much flour is the #1 reason these bars turn out dry
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder — gives the bars a little lift without making them cakey
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda — helps the bars spread evenly in the pan
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch — my secret for a soft tender crumb instead of a cakey one
  • ¼ teaspoon salt — balances out all that sweetness
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened — use true room-temperature butter, not melted or cold
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar — creamed with the butter for that classic sugar cookie flavor
  • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature — the extra yolk is what keeps these bars soft for days
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract — for warm bakery-style flavor
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional — adds that nostalgic bakery sugar cookie taste
  • 6 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles jimmies, not nonpareils — jimmies hold their color better inside the dough
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened — the base of a rich, fluffy frosting
  • 2 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar — sweetens and thickens the buttercream
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half — adjust slightly to control thickness
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract — rounds out the frosting flavor
  • Pinch of salt — cuts through the sweetness if needed
  • Optional: gel food coloring and extra sprinkles for decorating

Method
 

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line your 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides so you can lift the bars out easily later. This little step saves a lot of hassle when it's time to slice.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Whisking first makes sure the leaveners are distributed evenly, so you don't end up with bars that rise unevenly or taste bitter in spots.
  3. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This step builds air into the dough, which is part of what keeps these bars from turning dense.
  4. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract if you're using it. Scrape down the bowl as you go so everything blends evenly. The mixture should look smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened at this point.
  5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, then bump up to medium-high for a few seconds. The dough will be noticeably thick and sticky that's exactly what you want here.
  6. Gently mix in the rainbow sprinkles until they're evenly scattered through the dough. I like to save a few extra sprinkles to press on top before baking for a prettier finish.
  7. Since the dough is sticky, lightly flour your hands or use a spatula to press it evenly into the prepared pan. It will look like a thin layer, but it puffs up nicely in the oven.
  8. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edges turn lightly golden but the center still looks a touch underdone. That soft center is the key to a chewy bar instead of a dry one, so resist the urge to leave it in longer.
  9. Let the bars cool fully in the pan on a wire rack. The middle will sink slightly as it cools, which is completely normal and actually helps create that soft, brownie-like texture.
  10. While the bars cool, beat the butter until creamy, then add the confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low first, then medium-high for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add a pinch of salt if it tastes too sweet.
  11. Lift the cooled bars out using the parchment overhang, spread on a generous layer of frosting, and top with extra sprinkles. Use a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts, for neat, bakery-style squares.

Notes

  • I always weigh my flour instead of scooping straight from the bag it stops the bars from turning out dry.
  • I press the edges down gently with a spoon right after baking so the bars sit level once cooled.
  • I let the bars cool completely before frosting, or the buttercream slides right off.
  • I go heavy-handed with the frosting because that thick layer is genuinely the best part.
  • I use jimmies in the dough and save the tiny nonpareils for decorating on top, since nonpareils bleed color into the batter.