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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Cookies

    One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars | Tara Teaspoon

    Published: Jul 8, 2017 · Updated: Aug 20, 2022 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Pinterest image for One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars with text

    One pan sugar cookie bars are a game-changer! Leave the rolling pin and cookie cutters in the drawer and turn your dough into this bar-cookie dream.


    One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars on green and white background.

    The draw of a soft, frosted sugar cookie is strong. But the thought of rolling out dough, cutting it, gathering the scraps and doing it again–then baking tray after tray, usually doesn't sound appealing.

    It's a labor of love for sure!

    Well I promise I love you just the same, even when I make one pan sugar cookie bars. Same delicious ingredients, same great taste and texture, but a mere fraction of my time and energy. I love that!!

    Keep reading to find out how easy it is to make One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars! You'll have so much extra time, you can get creative with the frosting.

    It really is just as simple as pulling out your butter, sugar and eggs. Mixing them together. And pressing the dough into a pan. Everything you dreamed.

    One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars. Square cut in baking sheet, close cropped.

    I'll admit, I had so much extra time on my hands I opted to play around with my frosting. It only took a minute to mix some food coloring into a few bowls of extra frosting and pipe lines on the top. Lines! I'm not asking for anything fancy here.

    Piping lines of colorful frosting is a cinch. Or you can take it easy and use colorful sprinkles to decorate these sugar cookie bars.

    I used plain tips for the lines, number 3 for the tiny lines, number 5 for the chubby ones  – the two flat lines were made with the plain side of basket weave tip number 47 and ribbon tip number 44 for the thinner stripe.

    Can't you just see these striking designs in every color? For every holiday or occasion? I do get carried away. Here are just a few of the plaid designs I played around with.

    One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars Instructions.

    What I will tell you about the technique of a bar cookie, is this: It's very important (only to make your life easier) to line the bottom of the sheet pan with parchment. Cut it so it fits just inside the bottom of the pan and lays flat. Then allow the ends to hang over the pan a bit. This will allow you to remove the sugar cookie bars in one piece to frost and cut easily outside of the pan.

    One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars on green background.
    Quarter sheet pan.


    I also just love my quarter sheet pans! They are genius for these bar cookies because they aren't very deep. Of course a 9-by-13-inch pan is the exact same size, and works well. It's just deeper.

    This 9-by-13 pan has straight sides and nice sharp corners. It's great for cookies and brownies because you get perfect squares even from the end pieces!

    Share your One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars creations by tagging me on Instagram! @tarateaspoon

    📖 Recipe

    Close up recipe image of One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars

    One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars | Tara Teaspoon

    Tara Teaspoon
    Get creative and decorate these One Pan Sugar Cookie Bars in a plaid pattern. You can also ice them in a solid color and add sprinkles.
    3.50 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 45 minutes mins
    Cook Time 19 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Servings 20 Bars

    Ingredients
      

    • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 large egg white
    • 2 tablespoon sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Vanilla Frosting (recipe below)

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with a strip of parchment, allowing edges to hang over opposite sides. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
    • In another bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in egg, egg white, sour cream and vanilla and mix until blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
    • With greased hands, gently press dough into pan. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, 17 to 19 min. Cool completely, then frost and decorate. Use the parchment overhang to lift from pan; slice and serve.

    Vanilla Frosting-- Beat together 6 tablespoon softened, unsalted butter, 2½ cups confectioners' sugar and 3 to 4 tablespoon milk until fluffy. Stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Tint with food coloring.

      Notes

      What I will tell you about the technique of a bar cookie, is this: It's very important (only to make your life easier) to line the bottom of the sheet pan with parchment. Cut it so it fits just inside the bottom of the pan and lays flat. Then allow the ends to hang over the pan a bit. This will allow you to remove the sugar cookie bars in one piece to frost and cut easily outside of the pan.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 34mgSugar: 10gVitamin A: 160IUCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.8mg
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      I love baking, and I know you do too! Here's another favorite of mine: Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies. They have a secret ingredient!

      Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies on sheet pan.

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      Tara in kitchen making salad

      Tara Teaspoon

      I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

      More about Tara

      Recipe Tara Teaspoon. Photography William Brinson. Props Penelope Bouklas. Originally published in LHJ 03/14.

      Comments

        3.50 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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      1. Mary Bench says

        July 16, 2018 at 6:07 pm

        You are so creative!

        Reply
      2. Brittany Smart says

        July 19, 2018 at 2:14 pm

        So much easier than cutting out all the cookies, but still the yummy goodness! Great designs too

        Reply
      3. Rabya says

        November 07, 2019 at 4:47 am

        Hi, this looks great. Just curious that how will the baked product be as smooth as it is right now, or did you take it out and cut the upper layer. Thanks for a great looking recipe 🙂

        Reply
        • Tara Teaspoon says

          November 08, 2019 at 10:33 am

          Hi Rabya,
          Do you mean the cookie bar itself? When you press the dough into the pan you can smooth it as much as you like. To get it extra smooth you can lay a piece of parchment paper over the top and rub it with your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup. Then peel the parchment paper off the top before you bake it.
          That should help a lot. Tara

          Reply
      4. Jeanne Haddad says

        April 18, 2025 at 10:35 am

        I made these and they were very dry. Maybe I did something wrong. I might’ve baked them a couple minutes more because they didn’t seem like the edges were very golden brown. That could’ve dried them out I guess. if that’s the case, the one star is my fault ha ha!

        Reply
        • Tara Teaspoon says

          May 06, 2025 at 3:57 pm

          Hi Jeanne, yes overcooking these sugar cookie bars will definitely dry them out. I encourage you to try them again and take them out earlier! They are really delicious. Also make sure when you measure your flour you lightly spoon the flour into your cups instead of scooping so the cup of flour is nice and light, rather than heavy and packed. That will help too. In the future, the star rating really affects my business, and I don't take the ratings lightly! I test and retest my recipes so they work in any kitchen, and I appreciate feedback. If you end up making them again with success, please leave 5 stars! Thanks!

          Reply

      Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

      I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

      Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

      More about me →

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