Super soft sugar cookies piled with vanilla buttercream frosting and lots of sprinkles! Tastes just like a Lofthouse Sugar cookie, and so easy to bake since they’re in bar form. If you’re a fan of super-soft frosted sugar cookies, these lofthouse sugar cookie bars are about to become your new obsession — and I’m not even sorry about it!

Why These Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars Are Absolutely Everything

I’ve been meaning to make these lofthouse cookie bars forEVER, and now I can honestly say they were worth the wait. I fell in love with Granny B’s sugar cookies back when I was attending college in Utah. If you’re unfamiliar with Granny B’s Frosted Sugar Cookies — the “original” pink cookie — you’ve probably tried a Lofthouse Sugar cookie. They’re basically the same thing, but a Granny B cookie is the size of your face. So… better. Anyway, these bars capture that same dreamy, pillowy magic, and honestly? They might be the easiest cookies I’ve ever pulled together. No lofthouse cookie trademark drama, no dozens of individual cookies to scoop — just one glorious pan of pure happiness. Be still my heart! 🍪💕

What Makes This a Great Recipe — The Secret Ingredients

So, what makes this lofthouse sugar cookie recipe so special? Honestly, you may get different answers depending on who you ask! Some people will tell you it’s all about the super soft cookie base on the bottom. And they are not wrong — cream cheese is the secret ingredient in this cookie dough and totally responsible for the signature softness these cookies are famous for. We’re talking a genuine soft cream cheese cookie situation. You’ll want to use 4 ounces dairy-free cream cheese or regular oz cream cheese, both work beautifully! Others will swear it’s the thick layer of creamy vanilla buttercream piled sky-high with colorful sprinkles. If you ask me? Both camps are absolutely right, and that’s what makes this such a great recipe. I literally can’t even choose a favorite part. 😍

Ingredients You Will Need

The good news is you only need a handful of basic baking ingredients to make these easy sugar cookie bars happen! Here’s what you’re working with: unsalted butter (make sure it’s at room temperature!), cup butter total, cream cheese at room temperature, granulated sugar, a large egg plus an extra egg yolk for richness, teaspoons vanilla extract, a splash of almond extract for that classic lofthouse flavor, and your dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. For the frosting, you’ll need powdered sugar, more unsalted butter, a little heavy cream or whole milk for that dreamy thick consistency, and pink gel food coloring to get that iconic look. And of course — 1-2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles on top, because that’s basically non-negotiable. You can also swap in cup tapioca flour for a slightly different tender texture if you like experimenting! 🌈

How To Make Soft Sugar Cookie Bars Step by Step

Ready? Let’s do this! First, preheat your oven and spray jelly roll pan generously with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl using your stand mixer or handheld mixer with the paddle attachment, let the mixer cream butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy — scraping the sides of the bowl and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add your sugar and beat again on medium speed. Mix in the large egg, extra egg yolk, teaspoons vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then in a second bowl (or medium bowl), whisk together all your dry ingredients, then add the flour mixture gradually into the remaining wet ingredients. The cookie dough will be thick — that’s exactly what you want! Press dough evenly into the prepared pan using an offset spatula or your hands. Bake until the edges are just barely golden brown and the whole thing looks set. Don’t overbake — the least baked cookie is the BEST cookie here, trust me. Let cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting!

Making the Fluffiest Frosting for Your Cookie Sheet Pan

Oh, we need to talk about this frosting. CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT? Using a clean large bowl and your electric mixer, beat powdered sugar, softened unsalted butter, and a splash of whole milk or heavy cream together starting on low, then bumping up to medium-high speed until you get that fluffy, thick consistency you’re dreaming about. Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring and a little tsp vanilla and beat until you’ve got the most beautiful, cloud-like frosting — the fluffiest frosting you’ve ever seen, I promise! Spread it generously over the cooled cookie base with your offset spatula, then shower the whole thing with colorful sprinkles. If you love this kind of dreamy frosting, you’ll also want to check out my Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe for another incredible frosting situation. So. Much. Frosting. (And yes, much frosting is always the right answer. 😂)

Additional Success Tips and Fun Variations

Okay, let me share some of my favorite tricks and additional success tips for making these soft sugar cookie bars absolutely perfect every single time! First — oven temp matters. Don’t crank it too high or you’ll lose that super-soft, almost chewy texture of sprinkle-filled cookie bars that we’re going for. Second, make sure your butter and cream cheese are truly at room temperature before you start — cold butter will give you a lumpy mess instead of a fluffy cookie dough. Third, don’t skip the extra egg yolk! It adds richness and helps keep things moist. If you’re doing these for first time, I’d recommend using a 9×13 jelly roll pan for the ideal thickness. And if you want to get playful — try adding a touch of peppermint flavor for a holiday version, or a little lemon flavor for a bright springtime spin! You could also swap the pink gel food coloring for any color depending on the season. These are incredible for bake sales and school lunch treats too! 🎉

How These Compare to Other Cookie Recipes

I make a lot of recipes around here, and I have to say — these lofthouse sugar cookies land in a completely different category than my usual cookie recipes. They’re nothing like chewy drop sugar cookies, peanut butter crinkles, or even Double Chunk Chocolate Cookies. They’re softer, fluffier, more cake-like. Think big soft cookies in bar form — the chewy texture of sprinkle-filled lofthouse cookies without any of the fuss of scooping dozens of individual cookies. If you love bar-style easy dessert recipes, you’ll also want to check out my Edges Only Caramel Filled Brownies and my favorite Panera Kitchen Sink Cookie Recipe — because clearly I have a type and it is “over-the-top and absolutely worth it.” Ha! And for you chocolate chip cookie bars fans, those are on my list too — but honestly these soft sugar cookie bars are giving chocolate chip cookie bars a serious run for their money this week. 💅

Storing, Serving, and Making Them Ahead

One of the best things about easy sugar cookie bars — and why I think they’re honestly some of the easiest cookies in the game — is how well they store and travel! Once you’ve frosted and sprinkled the whole pan, you can store it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for about a week. The cookie base actually stays super soft even cold, which is kind of magic? I also love making these a day ahead for parties — way less stress than baking dozens of individual cookies the morning of. If you’re taking them to a party or a school bake sale, just cut them into bars after chilling slightly in the fridge for cleaner edges. Pair them with some festive Dirt Cupcakes for a totally ah-mazing dessert spread that’ll have everyone losing their minds. You have to make this — seriously! Go make these lofthouse sugar cookie bars today, friends. You will not regret it! 🎊💕

Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars

Yield: 15 bars

Save this recipe for later: Add to Google

Super soft sugar cookies piled with vanilla buttercream frosting and lots of sprinkles! Tastes just like a Lofthouse Sugar cookie, and so easy to bake since they're in bar form.

Ingredients

For the cookie base:

1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

For the frosting:

3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 9x13 jelly roll pan or baking dish by lining it with parchment paper or foil and lightly spraying with cooking spray.

Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar, and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Mix in the egg and the vanilla.

Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until soft dough forms.

Spread the dough evenly in the pan or dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting (recipe follows) and cutting.

For the Frosting:

Use an electric mixer to whisk the butter until it's smooth.

Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time with 1 tablespoon at a time of the vanilla or the heavy cream until all the ingredients have been added and the frosting is smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.

Frost the cooled cookies and add the sprinkles.