There’s just something magical about Christmas, isn’t there? For me, it’s the smells of baking wafting through the house, the cozy gatherings, and of course, the treats! These Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars are a new favorite tradition in our home. They bring all the festive joy of decorated sugar cookies without all the fuss of rolling and cutting. Plus, they’re just so pretty!
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
- They’re incredibly soft and chewy, with that classic sugar cookie flavor we all adore.
- No cookie cutters needed! Just press the dough into a pan, bake, and cut. So easy!
- The royal icing sets beautifully, making them perfect for gifting or holiday parties.
- You can customize the colors and sprinkles to match any holiday theme.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted Butter: Melting the butter here creates that wonderfully chewy texture. Don’t substitute with cold butter!
- Granulated Sugar: This is our main sweetener and contributes to the cookie’s structure.
- Eggs & Vanilla Extract: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature for the best emulsion. Clear vanilla extract in the icing keeps the colors bright!
- All-Purpose Flour & Cornstarch: The cornstarch is a secret weapon for tenderness, making these bars extra melt-in-your-mouth soft.
- Fine Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Powdered Sugar & Meringue Powder: Essential for that perfectly smooth, quick-setting royal icing. Meringue powder helps the icing harden and stabilize.
- Gel Food Coloring: I highly recommend gel food coloring over liquid. It gives vibrant colors without thinning out your icing too much.
How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars Step by Step
First things first, get your oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) and line your 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. This parchment paper is your best friend for easy removal later, trust me! In a big bowl, you’ll whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar until they’re nice and combined. Then, whisk in your room temperature eggs and that lovely vanilla extract. It’s starting to smell good already!
Now for the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the flour, cornstarch, and salt. You don’t want to overmix here, just combine until there are no streaks of flour left. This is where the magic happens! Lightly grease your hands and press that beautiful dough evenly into your prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top – this helps ensure even baking.
Pop the pan into your preheated oven for about 18-25 minutes. You’re looking for the edges to be barely golden brown and the center to be set. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look super dark; you want these bars to stay soft! Once baked, let them cool completely on a wire rack. This is crucial before frosting. Once cool, flip them onto a cutting board and get ready to decorate!
My Top Tips for Success
- I always melt my butter first and let it cool slightly while I gather other ingredients.
- In my experience, using a kitchen scale for flour is a game-changer for consistent results.
- Trust me on this one: don’t overbake! A slightly underbaked bar is a soft bar.
- When making the icing, add water very slowly, just a teaspoon at a time, until you hit that perfect consistency.
- I find it easier to cut the bars before frosting. That way, you get clean edges.
- Let the frosted bars set completely before stacking or packaging. Patience is key here!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overmixing the Dough: This can lead to tough, dense cookie bars. Mix until just combined.
- Overbaking: If you bake them too long, they’ll be crispy instead of soft and chewy. Pull them out when the edges are barely golden.
- Not Lining the Pan: Forgetting the parchment paper makes removal a nightmare. Don’t skip this step!
- Frosting Warm Bars: The icing will melt right off! Always wait until the bars are completely cool.
- Adding Too Much Water to Icing: Royal icing can go from perfect to too runny very quickly. Add water gradually.
How to Store Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
- Room Temperature: Store leftover cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezing Dough: The unbaked cookie dough can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before pressing into the pan and baking.
- Freezing Unfrosted Bars: You can freeze the baked, unfrosted bars in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before decorating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular butter for these bars?
Yes, you can use salted butter, but you might want to reduce the added fine sea salt to 3/4 teaspoon to balance the flavor. Unsalted butter gives you more control over the salt content.
Why is cornstarch used in the cookie dough?
Cornstarch helps tenderize the dough, making the cookie bars incredibly soft and chewy. It’s a fantastic ingredient for achieving that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Can I make the royal icing without meringue powder?
Meringue powder is crucial for true royal icing, helping it set firm and stable. Without it, your icing won’t harden properly. I don’t recommend skipping it for this recipe.
How do I get vibrant colors with the food coloring?
Use gel food coloring! It’s much more concentrated than liquid food coloring, so you need less of it to achieve bright, rich colors without thinning your icing too much.
How long does the icing take to set?
The icing usually takes about 1-2 hours to fully set, depending on the humidity in your kitchen. It’s important to let it set completely before stacking or packaging to avoid smudges.
I hope these Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars bring a little extra sparkle and sweetness to your holiday season! They’re such a simple way to create something beautiful and delicious. If you make them, I’d absolutely love to hear how they turned out in the comments below!
PrintChristmas Sugar Cookie Bars
Soft, chewy sugar cookie bars topped with festive royal icing and sprinkles, perfect for holiday gatherings.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 24 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp meringue powder
- 3-5 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp clear vanilla extract
- Christmas colored sprinkles
- Red and green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Line a metal 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt until just combined.
- Lightly grease your hands.
- Press the sugar cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-25 minutes, or until the cookie dough is set and the edges are barely golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
- Once cool, flip the cookie bars onto a cutting board.
- Cut the bars into desired shapes (rectangles, squares, or triangles).
- Transfer the cut bars to a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath, distributing them among two pans if needed to prevent crowding.
- To make the royal icing, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, 3 tablespoons of water, and clear vanilla extract in a stand mixing bowl.
- Whisk on medium speed for 3 minutes until the icing is fluffy.
- If the icing is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it is thick but pipeable.
- Set aside a few tablespoons of the thick icing for piping intricate designs, if desired.
- Split the remaining icing into thirds, scooping each portion into its own bowl.
- Immediately cover the top of each bowl with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
- Working with one bowl at a time, add about 2-3 teaspoons of water to the icing and mix it in well with a spoon until it has the consistency of runny peanut butter.
- Add red gel food coloring to one bowl of thinned icing.
- Add green gel food coloring to another bowl of thinned icing, leaving the last bowl white.
- Dip the flat side of each cookie bar into the thinned colored icing.
- Use your finger to gently scrape off any excess glaze from the bar.
- Place the frosted bar back onto the wire rack.
- Decorate immediately with Christmas colored sprinkles.
- If using the thick icing, color it as desired or keep it white.
- Fill the thick icing into a piping bag with a very small round tip.
- Use it to pipe designs onto the frosted tops of the bars.
- Allow the decorated cookies to be fully set before boxing or packaging them (this can take 1-2 hours depending on humidity).
- Store leftover cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Notes
Ensure eggs are at room temperature for a smooth dough.
Do not overmix the dough once flour is added to keep bars tender.
Don’t overbake; pull bars when edges are barely golden to maintain softness.
Allow bars to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
Add water to royal icing slowly, one teaspoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency.
