Sugar Cookie Bars in a 9x13 Pan

Sugar cookie bars in a 9×13 pan are made from a soft dough of 3/4 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 2 1/4 cups flour, pressed into the pan and baked at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Once cool, they get a thick layer of vanilla frosting and sprinkles and are cut into about 2 dozen bars.

You get the flavor of frosted sugar cookies without rolling, cutting or baking sheet after sheet, which makes them ideal for class parties and holiday trays.

Why Bake Sugar Cookies in a 9×13 Pan

A 9×13 turns one batch of dough into a single soft layer about 3/4 inch thick after baking. The pan walls keep the edges tender instead of crisp, so the bars stay soft like bakery cookies. It also takes one 20-minute bake instead of four or five trays of cutouts.

Ingredients for 9×13 Sugar Cookie Bars

Cookie Base

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring and sprinkles, as you like

How to Make Sugar Cookie Bars in a 9×13 Pan

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 pan or line it with parchment.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and almond extract.
Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt and mix them in on low speed just until no flour shows.

Press into the pan. The dough is sticky; flour your fingers or use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the corners.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are light golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. The center should look pale and set, not browned.
Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.
Frost. Beat the butter until creamy, add the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Tint if you like, spread over the bars and add sprinkles right away so they stick.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F
Cool and frost: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: about 2 dozen bars

Keeping the Bars Soft

The biggest mistake is overbaking. Take the pan out as soon as the edges turn golden, even if the middle looks underdone; it finishes setting as it cools. Measuring flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, not scooping, also keeps the bars from turning dry and cakey.

Changing the Pan Size

Half sheet pan (13×18): double the recipe and bake 18 to 22 minutes. The bars are thinner, closer to a classic cookie.
8×8 or 9×9 pan: halve everything (use 1 egg) and bake 18 to 22 minutes.

Storage

Store frosted bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Unfrosted bars freeze for up to 3 months; thaw before frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use cream cheese frosting?

Yes. Beat 4 ounces of cream cheese with 1/4 cup butter and 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Keep cream cheese-frosted bars in the refrigerator.

Can I decorate them for holidays?

Tint the frosting to match the season, or press holiday sprinkles into it. For Christmas, half red and half green frosting swirled together looks festive with no piping.

Can I use store-bought cookie dough?

Two 16-ounce packages of refrigerated sugar cookie dough fill a 9×13; bake about 20 to 25 minutes.

For more bar recipes, try our millionaire shortbread in an 8×8 pan.

Sugar Cookie Bars in a 9×13 Pan