Description
Christmas Cookie Bars are a festive easy dessert that brings all the buttery flavor of a classic sugar cookie into one soft, frosted bar. Perfect for holiday dessert trays, Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and easy baking days at home, these bars are topped with creamy frosting and cheerful sprinkles for a fun holiday finish. If you need easy recipe ideas, dessert ideas, holiday food ideas, or a simple make-ahead sweet treat, these Christmas Cookie Bars are a delicious choice.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red and green sprinkles
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles for topping
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it well.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
6. Fold in the red and green sprinkles gently.
7. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
8. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.
9. Let the bars cool completely before frosting.
10. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
11. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, then beat until creamy and spreadable.
12. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and top with the extra sprinkles.
13. Slice into bars and serve.
Notes
Do not overbake the bars or they may lose their soft sugar-cookie texture.
Let the bars cool fully before frosting so the topping stays thick and neat.
Chill the frosted bars for 20 minutes before slicing if you want extra clean edges.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 42mg
Keywords: Christmas Cookie Bars, holiday dessert bars, easy Christmas desserts, frosted cookie bars, sugar cookie bars, festive dessert ideas, easy recipe, holiday food ideas