These adorable Santa hat sugar cookie bars are baked in a 9×13-inch pan, then cut into festive triangles. No cookie cutters, dough chilling, or complicated decorating required.
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Why You’ll Love These Santa Sugar Cookie Bars
- They are easy to make: These Santa hat sugar cookie bars are one of the simplest ways to make a batch of festive Christmas cookies. Mix the dough, press it into a pan, bake, frost, and cut. There is no rolling, chilling, or cutting individual shapes before baking.
- They are soft, thick, and chewy: The cookie base is tender and buttery with classic sugar cookie flavor. The bars bake up thick enough to hold their shape but stay soft when you remove them from the oven at the right time.
- They are baked in a 9×13 pan: A standard 9×13-inch pan makes this recipe practical for holiday parties, cookie trays, classroom treats, and family baking days. One pan gives you 24 little Santa hat cookies.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter gives you better control over the flavor of the cookie bars and frosting. If you only have salted butter, use it and omit the added salt from the dough.
- Vanilla and almond extracts: Vanilla adds warmth, while almond extract gives these bars that bakery-style sugar cookie flavor. If you have a nut allergy or do not enjoy almond extract, you can leave it out, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Baking powder: Use baking powder, not baking soda. Fresh baking powder helps the bars rise properly and keeps the texture soft instead of dense.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour works best for this sugar cookie bar recipe. Measure it with the spoon-and-level method so you do not accidentally add too much, which can make the bars dry.
- Red food coloring: Gel food coloring is best for a bold red frosting because it adds color without thinning the buttercream too much. Red frosting also deepens as it sits, so it does not need to look extremely dark right away.
love these?
Make my Christmas trees, too!
You can use the same basic cutting method to turn frosted sugar cookie bars into cute Christmas tree shapes.
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How to Make Santa Sugar Cookie Bars
Step 1: Make Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar on medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds. If the butter is still cold, microwave it for about 10 seconds to slightly soften it.
- With the mixer running on medium speed, add 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Mix until combined.
- Add 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour. Add the flour gradually, about ½ cup at a time, on low speed. Measure the flour carefully using the spoon-and-level method to avoid dry cookie bars.
- Mix only until the flour disappears, usually 20 to 30 seconds. Do not overmix the dough, as that can make the bars tougher.
Step 2: Press Into Pan & Bake
- Spray a light-colored metal 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper. Let the parchment hang over the long sides so you can lift the bars out after baking.
- Drop the dough into tablespoon-sized pieces across the pan. Press the dough into an even layer with your hands or a spatula until it reaches the edges.
- Bake at 350°F for 14 to 16 minutes. For soft sugar cookie bars, remove them from the oven as soon as you see the smallest amount of browning around the edges. The center may look slightly underbaked, but it will continue to set as the bars cool in the hot pan.
- Let the bars cool completely before frosting. To speed up cooling, place the pan on a cooling rack in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Make & Spread Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat ½ cup softened unsalted butter for 1 to 2 minutes, until light and creamy.
- Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 2 cups powdered sugar. Mix on medium speed until incorporated, then beat on high for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add 1 tablespoon milk and beat for 30 seconds. If the frosting is too thick to spread, add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk.
- Set aside about ¼ cup of white frosting for the trim and pom-poms. Tint the remaining frosting red with gel food coloring.
- Once the cookie bars are completely cool, spread the red frosting evenly over the top.
Step 4: Cut
- Run a knife around any edges not covered by parchment. Carefully lift or slide the frosted cookie slab out of the pan.
- Use a large, straight-edged knife to cut the bars in half horizontally, then cut each half in half again to create four long sections.
- Starting with one section, cut the bars into triangles. Continue until all sections are cut. You should have 24 triangle-shaped cookies.
- For cleaner cuts, chill the frosted bars until the frosting is firm and wipe the knife with a warm, damp cloth between cuts.
Step 5: Add Hat Details
Transfer the reserved white frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a small pom-pom at the tip of each triangle and a white border along the bottom edge to make each cookie look like a Santa hat.
Tips & Variations
- Do not overbake: The most important tip for soft Santa sugar cookie bars is to pull them from the oven when the edges are barely golden. The center will finish setting as it cools.
- Use a parchment sling: A parchment overhang makes it easy to remove the entire slab from the pan, which helps you cut neat triangles without the pan getting in the way.
- Try other holiday colors: You can use this same sugar cookie bar method with green frosting for Christmas trees or other colors for different celebrations.
- Use canned frosting if needed: Homemade buttercream has the best flavor, but canned frosting can work when you need a quicker option. Warm it briefly until spreadable, making sure all foil from the seal has been removed before microwaving.
- Try cream cheese frosting: If you prefer a tangier frosting, use cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream. Make enough to cover the full 9×13-inch pan and to pipe the white details.
Storage & Freezing
- Storing: These Christmas sugar cookie bars do not need to be refrigerated, but they taste delicious chilled. Store them in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days for the best texture.
- Freezing: These frosted sugar cookie bars freeze well. Freeze the decorated bars in a single layer for 1 to 2 hours so the frosting firms up. Once frozen, stack them between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container. Before thawing, separate the layers so the frosting does not smear.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I make red frosting?
Use red gel food coloring for the easiest, brightest color. Add a little at a time and mix well. Red frosting usually darkens as it sits, so avoid adding too much color at the beginning.
What type of pan should I use for these cookie bars?
A parchment-lined, light-colored metal 9×13-inch pan is the best choice. Light metal helps the bars bake evenly and reduces the risk of over-browning, which can happen more easily in dark metal or glass pans.
How do I get clean cuts?
Chill the frosted bars until the frosting is firm, lift them out with the parchment sling, and use a large sharp knife. Wipe the blade with a warm, damp cloth between cuts to prevent frosting smears and crumbs.
Looking for more easy Christmas cookie recipes?
- Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Bars
- Easy Christmas Tree Cookies
- Santa Face Sugar Cookies
- Easy Wreath Sugar Cookies
Did you make this recipe? If so, leave a review and rating to let me know how you liked these Santa hat sugar cookie bars.
Santa Sugar Cookie Bars
Makes: 24 hats
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Soft Santa hat sugar cookie bars baked in a 9×13-inch pan, frosted red, and decorated with simple white buttercream details.
Recipe by Melissa Rose
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Topping:
- Red gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream the butter and granulated sugar for 20 to 30 seconds. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then mix until smooth.
- Add baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix on low just until the flour disappears.
- Press dough evenly into a greased and parchment-lined 9×13-inch metal pan.
- Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, removing the bars when the edges are barely golden. Cool completely.
To Make Frosting:
- Beat the butter until creamy. Add vanilla, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy.
- Add milk as needed until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
- Reserve ¼ cup white frosting. Tint the rest red and spread it over the cooled bars.
Cutting:
- Lift the frosted bars from the pan using the parchment sling.
- Cut into four sections, then cut each section into triangles to make 24 hats.
- Pipe white frosting along the bottom and at the tip of each triangle to finish the Santa hats.
Notes from Melissa
Storing: Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. These bars are also delicious chilled.
Freezing: Freeze decorated bars in a single layer until firm, then stack with parchment between layers in an airtight container. Unstack before thawing to protect the frosting.
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients used.
Freezing: Freeze decorated bars in a single layer until firm, then stack with parchment between layers in an airtight container. Unstack before thawing to protect the frosting.
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients used.
Nutrition
Calories: 221kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g