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These sugar cookie bars are a simple no bake dessert recipe featuring a soft and chewy bar base topped with a creamy sugar cookie frosting!
If you love sugar cookies and dessert bars, merge the two to make these incredible sugar cookie bars. They are perfect for Christmas and need just a few minutes to assemble.
Now, my sugar cookie bar recipe is a little bit different because I skipped the baking process completely, but I promise you- it does NOT compromise any taste, flavor, or texture.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Perfect texture. They have a perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture- soft and chewy and so irresistible.
- Easy to make. Like oatmeal bars, all you do is mix up the ingredients and refrigerate. No baking is required!
- Versatile. You can decorate them with sprinkles or icing or enjoy them plain. I personally love a combination of frosting followed by some sprinkles. Besides, they look better that way too.
- Relatively healthy. No white flour, no wheat flour, and no granulated sugar, these bars make a wholesome dessert idea…but I promise you, it won’t taste healthy.
Ingredients needed
The recipe uses simple pantry staples. Here is what you’ll need:
- Almond butter. Provides a rich, nutty flavor and binds the ingredients together. It’s also a healthier alternative to butter or oil.
- Coconut flour. Gives the bars a chewy texture and helps to absorb moisture.
- Maple syrup. Sweetens the bars and helps keep them soft. You can also use honey or agave syrup.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any cookie-inspired recipe!
- Almond extract. The secret ingredient that makes this dessert something special.
Sugar cookie buttercream frosting
- Unsalted butter. Room temperature. If you prefer sweet and salty desserts, you can use salted butter.
- Confectioners sugar (Powdered sugar). Sift your sugar if the clumps are noticeable.
- Vanilla extract. Just a touch for that subtle vanilla flavor.
- Milk. Thins out the frosting and makes it easier to spread.
- Sprinkles. Optional, but highly recommended!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make sugar cookie bars
Prep. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
Make cookie batter. Mix almond butter and maple syrup in a mixing bowl until combined. Add vanilla and almond extract, and coconut flour and knead everything together until a smooth dough forms.
Refrigerate. Transfer the dough into the lined pan and press down firmly, before refrigerating them.
Prepare frosting. Cream the butter until fluffy. Add remaining frosting ingredients and beat on low speed. Once everything is combined, increase the speed to medium. Fold through the sprinkles, then spread on the sugar cookie base.
Refrigerate then slice. Refrigerate the bars for an hour for the frosting to firm up. Once firm, slice into bars.
Recipe tips and variations
- Sift the coconut flour. My #1 tip when working with this grain-free and gluten-free flour. It’s often a little clumpy, so sift it well to ensure the cookie base will be smooth.
- Cut with a warm knife. Before slicing the chilled bars, run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and then cut the bars. The warm knife will create cleaner cuts and prevent the bars from sticking to the knife.
- Use another flour. I prefer using coconut flour because it is thicker than other kinds, but oat flour and almond flour will also work. The only catch is that you’ll need to double the amount to compensate.
- Add mix-ins. While I prefer these dessert bars as is, you can fold through some chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even homemade candy to amp up the flavor.
- Use a cream cheese frosting. Swap out the frosting for a cream cheese frosting instread.
Storage instructions
To store. Place leftover cookie bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
To freeze. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or foil then place them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fruits, candy, chocolate ganache, and frostings are delicious and appealing ways to decorate these cookie bars.
Pair these dessert bars with a hot or cold beverage or with a scoop of ice cream.
More cookie recipes to try
- Chocolate chip cookie bars– Always a classic and ZERO flour needed.
- Cookie dough bars– Your excuse to eat edible cookie dough.
- Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars– For all the peanut butter lovers out there.
- Oatmeal chocolate chip bars– 5 ingredients and wholesome ingredients.
- Raisin bars– Almost like an oatmeal raisin cookie!
Sugar Cookie Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Sugar cookie frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the almond butter with maple syrup until combined. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Add the coconut flour and knead everything together until a smooth dough remains.
- Transfer the dough to the lined pan and press down firmly into place. Place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the sugar cookie frosting.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and milk and beat on low speed. Once combined, increase the speed to medium. Fold through the sprinkles, then spread on top of the sugar cookie base.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally published November 2018 but updated to include new information, new photos, and a recipe video for your benefit.
This recipe was so delicious!
I went exactly by the recipe
The only difference was, I used powdered Erythritol for powdered sugar to keep it low-carb.
I’ve been cooking low-carb for over 20 years now and have tasted many low-carb treats.
This treat like all the ones I’ve tried by Arman never disappoint!
Thank you for sharing these.
Thank you, Pam!
Milk is of your choosing. Any milk. Choose your milk.
Where is the note regarding “milk of choice”? I did not see any note. Please specify. Thanks
Hello! Im new to the Keto way and was searching for recipes to try out for Christmas. BINGO! I’ve started doing party trays around the holidays like my grandma did and wanted a Keto Friendly version so I could enjoy too. Looking forward to trying many MANY more of your recipes!
cheers Kari!
If I wanted to make these sugar free (I’m type one diabetic) could I omit the liquid sweetener and use a few stevia drops in place of the liquid sweetener and the granulated sweetener or do I need those to hold the base together?
Hi Julian! You could technically do that, but I’d add some extra milk to hold it in place. IT will be quite crumbly though 🙂
Hello! I just made macarons, so I’m all out of almond flour. Can I sub all- purpose GF flour? It’s a rice, brown rice, sorghum flour, and tapioca, potato starch mix. (The usual mix).
I haven’t tried, feel free to experiment and see!
Would ground almonds work instead of almond flour for this recipe? If not would a different flour work?
Hi Adam- Sure, just re-blend until as close to a flour consistency as possible.
You mentioned making a nut free version with the sunbutter, but how would you make this without the almond flour? Use all coconut flour?
Use the coconut flour option, don’t sub cup for cup though!
You use monks fruit for sweetener in a lot of your recipes. I didn’t think this was an alternative for the KETO diet? Can you sub swerve and if so how much? thanks
Hi Patti! You sure can, it’s the same as monk fruit sweetener 🙂
Arman, I made mine, they were brown and not yellow like yours, and gritty. Don’t know what I did wrong…I used sunflower butter ( no nuts for me) microwaved it so I could stir it. Please advise……
For sugar cookies..how can I just use coconut flour? Will it work?
I haven’t tried!
What is the protein powder you use?
I love using casein protein powder 🙂
Oh mu gosh Arman!!!!! My mouth is watering, can’t wait to make these…thank you so much!!!!!
Your recipies are the bomb??????????????????
You are so sweet, Maryann!
I made these tonight and can’t wait to try them tomorrow!! However, all I had on hand was whey protein, and it was sticky in the frosting and definitely didn’t look fluffy like yours. :-/ Hoping it still tastes delicious. Do you use the Casein protein listed on your product page for this recipe? I noticed casein protein is thicker and takes longer to digest so I am guessing maybe you used that since your frosting looks thicker. Thanks!!
Hi there! Yes, I never recommend whey protein, it just doesn’t work out the same! Casein is my favorite for that very reason!
Thank you for this recipe! It was a winner in my house. I used 34g/scoop for protein powder and a maple syrup/honey blend because I din not have enough maple! Oh, and I added a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients.
How big of a protein scoop do you use, since size might vary depending on brand…
Hi Hope, my scoops are 32-34 grams 🙂
Hi Arman! If I used white sugar instead of the stevia blend, no butter extract(but maybe a tbsp of real butter) almond butter, vanilla whey protein powder, and honey for the other sweetener- would it still taste like a sugar cookie bar?
Hi Evelyn! That sounds fine- I would omit the butter completely, but I’d be wary of the whey protein powder- whey tends to be incredibly sticky and hard to form 🙂
Thanks! Do you think if I still used whey(since that’s all I have on hand right now) but put the bars in the freezer, that they would firm up alright and taste good too?
What does the nut butter replace in this recipe?
Is it possible to use it instead of eggs and oil (?) in other recipes I use? Thanks!
Hey there! I am new to using protein powder in recipes and I have a bag of Jay Robb unflavored protein isolate. Should I add extra vanilla flavoring to the recipe, just use what I have, or is the vanilla flavored powder a must for this recipe? Thanks for your tips!
Hi Laurie! Unflavored protein powder should be fine, you may want to add some granulated sweetener, as the protein powders I used were all sweetened 🙂
I now have a HUGE hankering for your treats, Arman. Wow. I blame you for all my midnight snacking. Have you ever tried the Lofthouse soft sugar cookies?? Those are my sugar cookies of choice. Or the Pillsbury ones with the holiday pictures on them that you literally just throw into the oven to bake.
But these are healthy, so I guess I’ll eat these instead (and have the others for dessert).
Omg. Lofthouse. Stop. I love the ones that come in those rectangular paper packages too.
Oh, you can’t leave me hangin’ like that, Arman! Did the tooth fairy ever come back from vacation?? Inquiring minds (like mine…and Niki’s…) need to know! Also, these sugar cookie bars look delicious. I love sugar cookies…they’re probably my favorite cookie. And frosted sugar cookies? Yes, please! I rarely indulge in them now, but I used to love ’em when I was a kid!
Sugar cookies have always been one of my favorites with loads of soft, sweet frosting. Team frosting all the way.
Frosting + spoon = Go to town.
Or cream cheese tub + sugar. lol
I can not wait to make these (minus the coconut flour, I’ll let you know how it works out). Also this post cracked me up as always. Especially the “sugar sugar how you look so fine” 🙂 Thanks for another yummy recipe, brother!!
That song is in my head now. Kt smallzz and kt cakes and sister cakes.
Sugar cookies used to be my least prefered Christmas cookies because I never liked the frosting. When I started to get into the Christmas cookie baking aka took it over because my mum hates to bake (I can’t blame her) I discovered how delicious they are pre-frosting. So I always put aside some for me. Double win as nobody but me liked them that ‘boring’ 🙂
When I make those bars I will definitely omit the frosting again. The only frosting I ever really liked was cream cheese frosting. Now I think you actually know all of this anyway and I wonder why I even bother writing this comment 😛
Ohhhh these would be so good with a thick, cream cheese frosting!!!
Sugar cookies without any sugar? I don’t believe you. Actually, these look delicious. I bought a bag of truvia baking blend over the weekend so I could make brownies. Then I forgot to make them…..
if sugar-less sugar cookies are wrong, I don’t ever wanna be right! Lol i’m picturing you and Nikki fighting over who gets to eat their part of the cookie first haha.
LOL! We shared well because she liked the gross frosting!