These sugar cookie bars are soft and tender, finished with a creamy vanilla frosting and fresh berries. The recipe yields a large tray, ideal for summer potlucks, cookouts, and BBQs.
If you want an easy dessert that’s always a crowd-pleaser, try these sugar cookie bars topped with vanilla buttercream and berries. The dough is quick to mix and bakes into thick, tender bars with a soft, cakey texture. A fluffy layer of frosting and your choice of fresh berries finishes them beautifully — arrange the fruit in a pattern or scatter it casually on top.
Think of these as a fruit pizza in bar form: they feed more people and are even softer and more tender than many traditional cookies.
For the Sugar Cookie Bars
The base is incredibly soft and tender, similar to Lofthouse-style sugar cookies but baked as a sheet. Start by creaming butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar — the cream cheese keeps the bars extra soft and adds a subtle tang. Add an egg, vanilla, and a touch of almond extract for classic sugar cookie flavor. Fold in sifted flour with baking powder and salt until the dough is smooth.
Spread the dough evenly in a prepared 9×13 inch pan and bake about 22–25 minutes. The top should appear set and the edges just beginning to turn golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the bars moist and tender.
Key Ingredients
Cream cheese is the secret to exceptionally tender bars. It makes the dough slightly sticky, which is normal and desirable for this texture.
Vanilla and almond extracts together produce that ideal sugar cookie aroma and flavor. Almond extract is optional but highly recommended for authentic taste.
For the Frosting
The frosting is a whipped vanilla buttercream that’s thick, creamy, and easy to adjust for sweetness. It complements the tang of the cream cheese and the brightness of the berries.
Beat softened butter until fluffy, then add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Pour in cold whipping cream and whip for about three minutes until light and smooth. If the frosting tastes too sweet, stir in 1/2 teaspoon vinegar to balance the sweetness.
Spread the frosting over fully cooled bars, then top with fresh berries.
Serving Tips
To serve directly from the pan, grease and lightly flour it before pressing in the dough.
To remove the bars from the pan for presentation, line the pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. After the bars are completely cool, lift them out using the paper and transfer to a cutting board or platter before peeling the paper away.
Make Ahead Tips
You can bake the bars up to one day before serving. Cool them completely, then cover and keep at room temperature overnight. The frosting can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored airtight in the refrigerator.
On the day you serve, bring the frosting to room temperature for 30–60 minutes. If it needs smoothing, re-whip it briefly in a bowl before spreading on the cooled bars and adding berries.
More Summer Berry Desserts
- No Bake Fruit Tart
- Berries and Cream Sheet Cake
- Brownie Fruit Pizza
Sugar Cookie Bars with Berries
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened
- 8 ounce brick-style cream cheese (226 grams), softened slightly
- 1½ cup granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but recommended)
- 2¾ cup all-purpose flour (344 grams), sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (168 grams), softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar (330 grams), sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup whipping cream (60 ml), cold
- ½ teaspoon distilled or white vinegar (optional, to cut sweetness)
- 2–3 cups fresh berries, for decorating
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan or line it with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth. Scrape the bowl to remove any lumps.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix to combine.
- On low speed, beat in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined and no dry flour remains.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press into an even layer.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 22–25 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan.
Frosting
- Beat softened butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add sifted powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Start on low speed, then increase to medium until smooth.
- Pour in cold whipping cream and whip for about 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy. If too sweet, stir in ½ teaspoon vinegar. Add more powdered sugar if needed to reach desired consistency.
Decorate & Serve
- If lined with parchment, lift the cooled bars from the pan using the overhang, peel back the paper, and place the slab on a cutting board. If the pan was greased, leave the bars in the pan.
- Spread the frosting over fully cooled bars with an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then arrange berries on top.
- Cut into bars with a sharp, thin knife and serve.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese — not low-fat or spreadable varieties.
- Storage: Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make Ahead: Bake the bars the day before and store at room temperature once cooled. Make the frosting ahead and refrigerate; bring it to room temperature and re-whip if necessary before frosting and decorating.
- Nutrition: Nutrition facts are estimates based on 15 servings.
Nutrition
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