Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars

I am all about simplifying recipes.  I have seen recipes for these all over blog world and have finally decided to try them out for myself!  This is really an incredible recipe.  Sugar cookies are amazing but they are still probably the least baked cookie in my home because of all the work they take.  Rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, carefully removing the shapes, and repeat.  Then on top of all the work you have already done, there is still endless baking and frosting.  I tire myself out before I even begin.That being said, I was curious if this recipe was as easy as it looked.  I can with full confidence tell you these are just about one of the easiest cookies to make.  You just mix up the batter, pour and spread it in a cookie sheet pan and bake.  Once cooled, frost the whole thing and then cut it into squares for serving.  How simple is that?!

LOFTHOUSE SUGAR COOKIE BARS
(recipe from: Cookies and Cups)

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray jelly roll pan (15x10x1) with cooking spray.
In your mixer cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
With mixer on low, add in your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Mix until just combined.
Press dough evenly into your prepared pan. (dough will be sticky)
Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden.
Cool completely before frosting.

Enjoy!

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
16 oz. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Adjust milk and powdered sugar to get to desired consistency.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #chefintraining and/or #chefintrainingblog. I would love to see how these recipes take shape in your kitchens.

Filed under: cookies, dessert, easy, frosting, sweet, treat

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe

Comments

  1. Jenny@daysofchalkandchocolate

    These look delicious! And your photo is so pretty. The colors are beautiful. These are my nieces favorite cookie so I will have to try these out!

  2. Julie

    I like this, I may be more likely to make these as bars. I would love it if you shared your recipe here:http://juliejewels1.blogspot.com/2012/01/show-your-stuff-5.html

  3. Leslie

    These sugar cookies bars look delicious! I'm with you--too often than not I avoid sugar cookies because of all the steps--this recipe seems to eliminate all that! I can't wait to try these out sometime! Blessings,Leslie

  4. Barb

    I have been trying to figure out what I was to make for my church fellowship snack tomorrow. These sound so easy and delicious! This is what I'll be taking. :)

  5. Antonella

    Yummy! I love sugar cookies, but like you tend to avoid all the work (I must admit to just dropping the batter and baking without shaping and icing - lol).... I will try this out for some guests tomorrow.Hugs,Antonella :-)

  6. Kim McCallie

    Butter and cream cheese are softening as I type...They will be mine, of yes, they will be mine!

  7. Francesca

    Sugar Cookie bars? That sounds to die for! I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Anonymous

    These look great! Is it possible to substitute neufchatel or light cream cheese to make it a little bit healthier?

  10. Kay-M

    So much easier than rolling out dough! Your directions don't mention the purpose of lining the sheet with foil? Would it work just as well to spray the sheet with Pam - or are you supposed to lift the bars out of the pan in order to cut them?

  11. Chef in Training

    @Kay-M Yes you can totally spray just the cookie sheet with Pam! That is what I did. I edited the directions just to do that. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.@Anonymous I know sometimes the lighter stuff works and tastes differently in recipes, but if you try it out, you will have to let me know how it turns out for you! I would love to know!

  13. Paige @ The Crunchy Mamacita

    I make a lot of cookie recipes into bars. I can only bake one sheet at a time in my old oven so it does make things so much easier. Thanks for this recipe!

  15. Kristin

    That picture looks good enough to eat! I see these bars everywhere, and I keep saying I'll make them. I will try these someday :)

  16. Penny

    I can't believe what a simple solution this is to hours in the kitchen when I want to bake sugar cookies! Thank you, your blog is seriously the BEST!

  19. peanutbutterandpeppers.com

    I've seen these in cookie form throughout the month of December but never in a bar form. I love it! They look amazing!!! I need to try this recipe! Thanks!

  22. Stacy Salmon

    Thanks again for the great, easy recipe!! shared again on www.facebook.com/fishsticksandkidsense :D

  23. Sarah

    I'm completely in love with your blog. Seriously. All of it. And these cookies are just the icing on the cake (pun kind of intended ;)Anyway,I'm happy to be your newest follower, and I'm hoping you'll stop by my BRAND NEW blog and follow me back!!Thanks a million :)Sarah @ Dotted Line Crafts

  24. Anonymous

    I made these this weekend for some friends and family and they were a huge hit! I can't wait to make them for other get togethers. So easy. Love your website! Shannon in Wisconsin.

  25. Anonymous

    Good idea, but the cookies ended up more like cake. I don't like cakey cookies.

  26. Anonymous

    I saw this on Pinterest. I made these last night. They weren't bad, but they're nowhere close to Lofthouse. They're more like regular sugar cookies. They lack the fluffiness of true Lofthouse.

  27. Leigh

    I just made these & they might be even better than Lofthouse! Thank you!

  28. Lila

    I just made these and they are good but the center is doughie and I baked 20 minutes until edges were browned!!

  29. Anonymous

    Lila, maybe your oven temp isn't accurate, happens all the time, all you have to do is bake them a bit longer. This is why a lot of recipes will say, "ovens vary". I found these cookies to be fabulous! My kids Like them much more than Lofthouse cookies, which tend to be bready and have way too much frosting. Great recipe and fabulous Blog! Thanks for all you do!

  30. Anonymous

    Just made these! So yummy and all easy! They are a big hit in my house!

  31. Tiffanie

    You can definitely make sugar cookies without all of the rolling and cutting. Just drop balls of dough on pan and you'll have circle cookies. But I LOVE this cute and easy idea! Fun, Fun, Fun!

  32. Anonymous

    I made these this weekend, they were awesome. And made a TON! I used lemon extract instead of vanilla in the frosting, since that's what I had for a clear flavoring. The cookies took some patience to spread out perfectly, but the beautiful, uniform end result was so worth it.

  33. Anonymous

    What sized cookie sheet did you use? I used a 9 x 13 jelly roll and I think they are too thick and didn't cook all the way through :(

  35. Anonymous

    I was just about to type this, I was disappointed in the consistency. I thought they would taste more like a cookie.

  36. Amy

    I loved these when I made them, but people were shocked that I brought treats to work that had NO chocolate in them. :) Any suggestions on how to make them chocolatey?

  37. Leia Hahn

    I made these and they are amazing!! A hit with everyone who ate them, I will no longer have to painstakingly make individual sugar cookies!!

  38. MissM

    Great recipe, but this font/layout make it really hard to read.

  39. keisha

    not sure what went wrong but turned up discusting

  40. Lola

    Bars turned out great and we're very popular at Superbowl party. Yes, they are super sticky when you were trying to spread them in the pan. I am glad you gave me the warning but it was well worth the effort. I add a little lemon flavor in the batter. At first I thought it was a bit strong, but others seem to enjoy it.keep up with more delicious recipes.

Recently

Chef on Instagram

@nikki_chefintraining

  • This Skillet S’more Brownie is so simple and so delicious! It is gooey and absolutely heavenly. It is a hit wherever it’s served. (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/skillet-smore-brownie/ #chefintrainingblog #chefintraining #dessert #brownie
  • These Italian Zucchini Boats are the perfect combination of flavors and textures. It is perfectly cooked juicy zucchini stuffed with Italian sausage, cheese and a perfect blend of herbs and spices. (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/italian-zucchini-boats/ #chefintraining #chefintrainingblog #dinner
  • These Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffed Shells are rich and divine. Each shell is filled with a creamy chicken, bacon, ham mixture and topped with a cream cheese sauce and garnished with Swiss cheese. (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/chicken-cordon-bleu-stuffed-shells/ #chefintraining #chefintrainingblog #huffposttaste #buzzfeedfood #thekitchn
  • This Chocolate Swirl Banana Zucchini Bread is beyond delicious. Two key ingredients help to create one of the most moist and delicious quick breads. Swirled traditional and chocolate batter bring an exciting flavor combination to life. This will become a new regular! (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/chocolate-swirl-banana-zucchini-bread/ #chefintraining #chefintrainingblog #dessert#bananabread #buzzfeedfood #huffposttaste #thekitchn
  • This Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding is an excellent breakfast or dessert. It is sweet and a beautiful blend of flavors. (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/peaches-and-cream-bread-pudding/ #chefintraining #chefintrainingblog #huffposttaste #buzzfeedfood #thekitchn #breakfast
  • These White Chicken Enchiladas are so simple and loaded with delicious flavor. The velvety white sauce contains both cream cheese and sour cream and is heavenly over the top of the creamy filled enchiladas. (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/white-chicken-enchiladas/ #chefintrainingblog #chefintraining #huffposttaste #buzzfeedfood
  • These SPICY HONEY CRISPY CHICKEN TENDERS are spectacular. The sauce has the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors and provides a sticky coating over the crispy and crunchy chicken strips. This recipe is sure to become a staple! (Direct link in profile) RECIPE HERE: https://www.chef-in-training.com/spicy-honey-crispy-chicken-tenders/ #chefintraining #chefintrainingblog #huffposttaste #buzzfeedfood
  • This CHERRY CRISP is sweet, juicy and the perfect blend of textures. The crumb topping provides a crisp and buttery flavor to pair with the cherry base. It tastes delightful while its warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top. (Direct link in profile) RECIPE HERE: https://www.chef-in-training.com/cherry-crisp/ #chefintrainingblog #chefintraining #huffposttaste #buzzfeedfood
  • These Monkey Bread Muffins are made from scratch. They are perfectly coated in butter, cinnamon and sugar. These are individually sized and perfect for breakfasts or brunch. (Direct link in profile) https://www.chef-in-training.com/monkey-bread-muffins/ #chefintrainingblog #chefintraining #huffposttaste