Peppermint sugar cookie bars feature a soft sugar cookie base that is topped with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes! These bars are easy-to-make, completely festive, and insanely addictive! Serve them at any wintertime get-together for a popular dessert that everyone will love!
Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
If you're looking for a simple and shareable dessert recipe for Christmas, these peppermint sugar cookie bars are just the thing! A thick and chewy sugar cookie base coated in cool peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes for extra crunch.
These dessert bars slice beautifully, and they are plenty festive with the red and white candy cane sprinkled on top. They are perfect for potlucks, parties, or any sort of holiday gathering!
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🥘 Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars Ingredients
If you like to bake you may have everything at home other than the candy canes. You could make this without them, but they add a delightful crunch that's hard to resist!
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Butter - 1 cup of butter (softened at room temperature).
- Sugar - 1 cup of granulated white sugar.
- Eggs - 2 large room-temperature eggs.
- Vanilla Extract - 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Use 100% vanilla for the best flavor.
- Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Cornstarch - 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
- Butter - ½ cup butter (softened at room temperature).
- Peppermint Extract - ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract (or vanilla extract if you don't like peppermint)
- Heavy Whipping Cream - ¼ cup heavy whipping cream.
- Confectioners Sugar -2¼ cups of powdered sugar, aka confectioner's sugar.
- Candy Canes - ¼ cup candy canes (crushed).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
First, you will make the bars, then let them cool and make the frosting. Nothing too hard! You will need measuring utensils, a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, parchment paper, and a 9x13 baking pan.
I usually cut my cookie bars into 16 servings, but you could cut the bars larger or smaller if you'd like to.
Sugar Cookie Bars
- Prep. To get started, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. Then, lightly spritz it with some non-stick cooking spray.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy and smooth.
- Beat. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Then, mix in 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
- Mix in flour. Gently mix in 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour until just combined. Then, pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.
- Bake until golden. Place the sugar cookie dough on the center of the middle rack in your oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 14-16 minutes, or until the bars have begun to rise and barely darkened. These bars should still be very pale in color, as they will finish baking in the pan as they cool off.
- Cool. Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
- Cream butter. To prepare the frosting, cream together a cup of ½ room-temperature butter and ½ a teaspoon of peppermint extract (or vanilla extract) in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
- Add cream and sugar. Alternate between adding small increments of the ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream and 2¼ cups of powdered sugar, mixing well in between each addition. Continue until you have incorporated all of the sugar and cream and the frosting is fluffy.
- Frost. Once your cookie bars have cooled, spread the buttercream frosting over the tops of the bars in an even layer. Sprinkle ¼ cup of crushed candy canes over the top before cutting them into squares and serving.
These peppermint sugar cookie bars are one of my go-to easy Christmas desserts that I make year after year. I hope your family loves them just as much as mine does! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you want to use vanilla extract instead of peppermint in the frosting, up the amount to 2 teaspoons.
- 1 cup of butter is the equivalent of 2 sticks.
- You can easily crush your candy canes by placing them into a Ziploc bag and using a skillet, rolling pin, or meat mallet to break them.
🥡 Storing
Place your cookie bars into a sealed storage container and keep them at room temperature for up to 4 days. Use parchment paper or wax paper to place in between the bars to prevent them from sticking to one another.
Freezing Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
These bars can be frozen before or after they have been frosted. Place them into a sealed container or a freezer-safe storage bag, using parchment paper to keep them from sticking to one another.
They can be frozen for up to 1 month. Simply allow the bars to thaw out in the fridge overnight before enjoying them.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
If you aren't a fan of peppermint, give my Christmas sugar cookie bars a try. They are vanilla with sprinkles!
Sugar cookie bars will still be light in color when they are ready but the top will be just ever-so-slightly golden. Stick a toothpick in the center, it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Sure! For the best flavor only make them 1-2 days in advance. Keep them in the refrigerator until 30 minutes to an hour before serving because of the buttercream frosting.
😋 More Easy Dessert Bars
- Pumpkin Streusel Bars - Creamy pumpkin filling with warm fall spices and a brown sugar streusel topping!
- Pineapple Pie Bars - Bright and refreshing citrus flavor in a soft and sweet dessert bar.
- Chocolate Revel Bars - These 7-layer bars have many names, but no matter what you call them, they're delicious!
- 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars - A 30-minute lemon bar you can make with only 2 ingredients!
- Chocolate Chip Maraschino Cherry Almond Bars - These dense, chewy bars are loaded with chocolate chips and juicy Maraschino cherries!
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars - All your favorite elements of a pecan pie but with a rich chocolate filling and in bar form!
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📖 Recipe Card
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 1 cup butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup butter (softened at room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract (or vanilla extract)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2¼ cups confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup candy canes (crushed)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Bars
- To get started, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. Then, lightly spritz it with some non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Then, mix in the vanilla extract, baking powder, and cornstarch, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
- Gently mix in the all-purpose flour until just combined. Then, pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.
- Bake the batter in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 14-16 minutes, or until the bars have begun to rise and barely darkened. These bars should still be very pale in color, as they will finish baking as they cool off. Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
- To prepare the frosting, cream together the room-temperature butter and peppermint extract (or vanilla extract) in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
- Alternate between adding small increments of the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar, mixing well in between each addition. Continue until you have incorporated all of the sugar and cream and the frosting is fluffy.
- Once your cookie bars have cooled, spread the buttercream frosting over the tops of the bars in an even layer. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top before cutting them into squares and serving.
Notes
- If you want to use vanilla extract instead of peppermint in the frosting, increase the amount of extract to 2 teaspoons.
- 1 cup of butter is the equivalent of 2 sticks (or 16 tablespoons).
- You can easily crush your candy canes by placing them into a Ziploc bag and using a skillet, rolling pin, or a meat mallet to break them.
- To store: Place your cookie bars into a sealed storage container and keep them at room temperature for up to 4 days. Use parchment paper or wax paper to place in between the bars to prevent them from sticking to one another.
- To freeze: These bars can be frozen before or after they have been frosted. Place them into a sealed container or a freezer-safe storage bag, using parchment paper to keep them from sticking to one another. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. Simply allow the bars to thaw out in the fridge overnight before enjoying them.
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