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Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Bars

Christmas tree sugar cookie bars are soft, buttery sugar cookie squares topped with piped green frosting and festive candy ornaments. Bake the dough in a 9x13-inch pan, cool it completely, then decorate each bar with a yellow star and red and green candies.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Total Time 49 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookie bars
  • 1 tsp nonstick cooking spray
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp whole milk
  • green gel food coloring as needed
For decorating
  • 12 yellow star sprinkles
  • 2 tbsp candy-coated chocolates mini, red and green

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan
  • 1 piping bag with a small star tip

Method
 

Bake the cookie bars
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang, and lightly coat the parchment with the cooking spray.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  4. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  5. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  6. Mix in the flour mixture just until combined.
  7. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
  8. Bake for 20–24 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center looks set.
  9. Cool the cookie slab completely in the pan, then lift it out using the parchment and cut it into 12 bars.
Make the frosting
  1. Beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and thick enough to pipe.
  2. Tint the frosting green with gel food coloring.
Decorate the bars
  1. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip, or to a zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off.
  2. Pipe a tapered zigzag tree on each bar.
  3. Add a yellow star at the top and the candy-coated chocolates as ornaments.

Notes

For clean cuts, cool the cookie slab completely before slicing. Store airtight at room temperature for 3 days; freeze undecorated bars for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use dairy-free butter and milk.