It’s a Saturday, the kitchen is already doing its Saturday thing — the kettle, the radio, someone’s homework on the table — and you’ve promised dessert. Rolling, cutting, and decorating dozens of tiny cookies sounds lovely in theory. In practice, it’s a very long afternoon and a flour-covered counter.
These sugar cookie bars are my answer to that promise. Same bakery-style flavor, same thick vanilla buttercream, same rainbow sprinkles — but you press one pan of sticky dough, bake it for about 25 minutes, and frost it. No chilling the dough, no rolling pin, no cutters. It’s everything I love about sugar cookies with almost none of the fuss.
I’ve been making a version of these since 2014 — I updated the recipe in 2026 after years of testing, so the numbers below are the ones I actually trust now.
Why I keep making these
They’re the dessert I reach for when I want something that feels special without the effort. A few reasons they’ve stuck around:
- No dough chilling required — you bake right after mixing.
- Thick, soft, and chewy centers that stay fresh for days.
- Rich, buttery sugar cookie flavor, with a thick layer of fluffy vanilla buttercream on top.
- Easy to customize — swap the frosting flavor or the sprinkle colors for any holiday.
- Freezes beautifully, so you can bake ahead without stress.
A reader, S, once told me: “After years of making cupcakes, pies, cookies etc. for my friends, this is unanimously the favorite recipe of anything I’ve made. Each bite transports me back to being a child and having those youthful first experiences of sweets and birthday parties.” That’s the whole point of these.
Ingredients (and three small tricks)
You only need a handful of basics, and you probably have all of them:
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 6 Tablespoons (60g) rainbow sprinkles — jimmies, not nonpareils
For the vanilla buttercream:
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 and 1/4 cups (270g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt, to taste
- optional: 1 drop of red gel food coloring (I used it to tint the frosting pink) and extra sprinkles
These aren’t simply sugar cookies baked in a pan. Each ingredient has a job. Three of them are the difference between chewy bars and dry, crumbly ones:
- Cornstarch. Just a small amount keeps the bars tender and soft without making them cakey. It does the same job in chewy chocolate chip cookies. Don’t have any? You can simply leave it out.
- Extra egg yolk. The egg binds everything together; the extra yolk adds richness, moisture, and chewiness. It’s one of my favorite tricks whenever I want cookies to stay soft for several days. I don’t skip it.
- The right sprinkles in the dough. Use jimmies — the strand-style sprinkles — in the dough. Nonpareils (the tiny balls) tend to bleed their color while baking. Save nonpareils or confetti quins (the flat discs) for decorating the frosted bars.
5 simple steps
This is a beginner-friendly recipe. Mix the dry, cream the butter and sugar, combine, press, bake. Here’s the whole thing.
For the bars — preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9-inch square pan (or an 8-inch pan) with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to lift the bars out later.
Step 1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer (handheld or stand, paddle attachment), beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract if using. Scrape again.
Step 3. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until mostly combined, then on medium-high until fully combined. The dough is thick and very sticky — that’s normal. Beat in the rainbow sprinkles.
Step 4. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. It will look like a thin layer; that’s how it’s meant to look. A spatula or lightly floured hands both work — flouring your hands is my favorite trick for sticky dough.
Step 5. Bake for 25–26 minutes, until the edges are very lightly golden. The center will still look soft — that’s OK, and it’s actually the key. The bars keep setting as they cool, which is how you end up soft and chewy instead of dry. Cool completely in the pan on a rack; the center will sink down a little, and that’s expected.
While they cool, make the frosting: beat the butter until creamy (about 2 minutes), then add the confectioners’ sugar, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then on medium-high for 3 full minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Thin it with more cream or thicken with more sugar, and add a pinch of salt if it’s too sweet. I tinted mine pink with 1 drop of red gel food coloring — completely optional.
Lift the cooled bars out by the parchment overhang, spread that frosting on with a heavy hand (the recipe makes a ton — those thick-frosted bites were the best), top with extra sprinkles, and cut into squares. Wipe your knife between each cut for neat slices.
Make it your own
- Want a bigger batch? Double all the amounts and bake in a lined 9×13-inch pan for about 35–40 minutes.
- Skip the almond extract? Yes — it adds that classic bakery-style flavor, but the bars are still delicious without it.
- Match a theme. Change the frosting color and sprinkle colors for birthdays, baby showers, holidays, bake sales, or classroom parties.
Storing and freezing. Keep cut bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can freeze frosted or unfrosted bars for up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the refrigerator, frost if needed, cut, and serve. Unfrosted bars also stay soft for a full day at room temperature before frosting, so you can bake one day and frost the next.
Recommended tools
Nothing fancy is required. What makes the job easier:
- A 9-inch square baking pan (my preference for this recipe)
- An electric mixer, handheld or stand, for the thick dough and the frosting
- A wire whisk and a silicone spatula
- Parchment paper and a cooling rack
- A sharp knife — and a bit of patience between cuts
FAQ
Why did my bars turn out dry? The two usual culprits: too much flour, or baking a few minutes too long. Spoon and level your flour (or weigh it), and pull the bars out while the center still looks underbaked.
Do I have to chill the dough? No. It’s designed to bake immediately, which is what makes these much faster than traditional cut-out sugar cookies.
Can I make them ahead? Yes. Unfrosted bars stay soft for a full day at room temperature before frosting. Refrigerate frosted bars for up to 5 days, freeze unfrosted for up to 3 months, or freeze individual frosted bars for quick treats.
Start today
- ✓ Line your 9-inch pan with parchment and leave the overhang.
- ✓ Get butter and eggs out of the fridge to reach room temperature before you start.
- ✓ Measure flour by spooning and leveling — or weigh it.
One pan, about an hour and a half including cooling, 16 bars. And no rolling pin in sight.
Today’s tiny step: get your butter out of the fridge this afternoon. That’s the whole head start — everything else happens when you’re ready to bake.
— E, your habit neighbor