Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars – Soft, chewy cookie bars made with browned butter and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Today’s recipe is a game-changer—brown butter sugar cookie bars that are soft, chewy, and packed with a rich, nutty aroma. If you love sugar cookies but want something even easier, this bar form recipe is the best way to get that classic flavor with less effort. Made with browned butter, a touch of cream cheese for a soft texture, and a smooth cream cheese frosting, these delicious bars are perfect for any occasion.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No chilling required – Unlike many cookie recipes, these bars go straight from bowl to oven.
- One bowl, simple process – Everything comes together in a large mixing bowl, making cleanup easy.
- Rich, buttery flavor – The browned butter adds a deep golden brown color and a nutty aroma that elevates this sugar cookie recipe.
- Chewy texture with a soft bite – Thanks to a little cream cheese, these bars stay tender for days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These browned butter sugar cookie bars use pantry staples you probably already have!
- Unsalted butter – Browning the butter adds a rich, caramelized flavor.
- Brown sugar & granulated sugar – The mix of sugars creates the perfect chewy texture.
- Eggs & cream cheese – Room-temperature eggs blend smoothly, while cream cheese gives the bars their soft texture.
- Vanilla bean paste – Adds depth to the flavor, but vanilla extract works too!
- Purpose flour – The base of these cookie bars for the perfect structure.
- Baking soda & cornstarch – Helps with the chewy cookie texture.
- Salt – The right amount of salt balances the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar, butter, and cream cheese – The essentials for a rich, creamy frosting.
How to Make Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars
Step 1: Brown the Butter
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring frequently. It will start to sizzle and foam. As it cooks, you’ll see milk solids forming at the bottom of the pan and turning golden. Once the butter is a deep golden brown and smells nutty, immediately pour it into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Mix the Dough: in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Add the eggs and cream cheese, whisking until the mixture lightens in color. Stir in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and fold together with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix—you want the best results with a chewy texture!
Step 3: Bake the Bars. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it with cooking spray. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Bake at 325°F for 25-28 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If your oven runs hot, check at 25 minutes to avoid overbaking.
Let the bars cool completely in the baking dish before frosting. To speed up the process, cool them for 15 minutes, then transfer to the freezer for another 15 minutes while making the frosting.
Step 4: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 2 minutes until smooth.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. If you’re adding food coloring, mix it in at this stage. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. For a smooth texture, stir by hand with a rubber spatula to remove air bubbles.
Step 5: Frost & Serve
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cookie bars, making sure to get all the way to the edges. If you want extra flavor, sprinkle a little sea salt on top. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes to help set the frosting.
Use a sharp knife to slice into 9 or 16 pieces for clean cuts. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container. These bars stay fresh for a couple of weeks in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tips for Making the Best Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars
- Read the recipe through before starting – This helps you know what to expect and makes the process smoother. Since you’ll be browning butter, mixing wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, and preparing a baking dish, having everything ready will make things much easier.
- Take your time browning the butter – The best results come from properly browning the butter over medium-low heat. Watch for the color turn—it should be deep golden brown with a nutty aroma.
- Let the butter cool – Hot butter can scramble the eggs if added too soon. Let it cool in a heatproof bowl for about 10 minutes before mixing with the sugar.
- Use room temperature ingredients – Cream cheese, eggs, and butter should all be at room temperature for the best texture. Cold ingredients can make the batter lumpy and harder to mix.
- Don’t overmix the dough – Once you add the dry ingredients, fold just until there are no more flour streaks.
- Cool before frosting – If the bars are too warm, the frosting will melt. To speed up cooling, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer them to the freezer for another 15 minutes.
- Chill before cutting for clean cuts – After frosting, place the bars in the freezer for 10 minutes before slicing. Use a sharp knife, wiping it with a paper towel between cuts for perfect, clean cuts.
FAQs
- Can I make these bars ahead of time?Yes! These brown butter sugar cookie bars store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you want to keep them fresh for longer, store them in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks or freeze them for up to three months.
- Do I have to brown the butter? Browning the butter adds a deep golden brown color and a nutty aroma that gives these bars their signature flavor. If you skip this step and use melted butter.
- What’s the best way to get clean cuts? For clean cuts, chill the bars in the freezer for 10 minutes after frosting. Then, use a sharp knife, wiping it with a paper towel between cuts.
- Can I use a different pan size? If you don’t have an 8×8-inch square pan, you can use a 9×9-inch baking dish for slightly thinner bars, but reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
Equipment Used
- 8×8-inch square baking pan – Ensures even baking and the perfect bar thickness.
- Parchment paper – Makes for easy removal and clean-up.
- Medium saucepan – Used for browning the butter over medium-low heat.
- Heatproof bowl – To cool the browned butter before mixing.
- Large mixing bowl – For mixing the cookie dough.
- Medium bowl – Useful for whisking together wet ingredients before adding them to the dough.
- Whisk – Helps combine melted butter, sugars, and eggs smoothly.
- Spatula – Essential for folding in the dry ingredients without overmixing.
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer – For making the cream cheese frosting.
- Paddle attachment – If using a stand mixer, this helps create smooth, fluffy frosting.
- Measuring cups and spoons – For accurately measuring ingredients like purpose flour and granulated sugar.
- Offset spatula – Makes spreading the frosting evenly over the bars easier.
- Cooling rack – Helps the bars cool evenly before frosting.
- Sharp knife – For cutting clean slices after chilling.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
To store, keep these chewy cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, place them in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to a couple of weeks.
To freeze, wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Recipe
Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookie Bars
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ white sugar packed
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 4 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
For the cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: pink food coloring
- Optional: sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and line an 8×8-inch metal baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Use metal binder clips to secure the parchment to the pan if needed. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. As it melts, it will start to bubble and sizzle. After a few minutes, the bubbles will turn foamy, and you’ll see small golden brown specks forming at the bottom of the pan. Swirl the pan occasionally and watch closely—once the butter turns a deep amber color and gives off a nutty aroma, it’s done. Immediately remove from heat to prevent burning and pour it into a large heatproof bowl. Let it cool to room temperature for about 10 minutes.¾ cup unsalted butter
- Once the butter has cooled, whisk in the brown sugar and white sugar until fully incorporated, about 30-45 seconds.½ cup brown sugar, ½ white sugar packed
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and cream cheese together until smooth. Add this mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar, whisking vigorously until the batter starts to lighten in color, about 1 minute. The mixture may look thick and slightly lumpy at first due to the cream cheese, but that’s okay! Once the dry ingredients are added, it will smooth out. Whisk in the vanilla extract until combined.2 eggs, 4 ounce cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Add the cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and flour to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold everything together until just combined—be careful not to overmix. Overmixing can develop gluten in the flour, leading to a denser texture instead of soft, tender bars. Stop as soon as there are no visible streaks of flour.1 teaspoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, making sure it reaches the edges. Since the batter is thick, use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press and smooth it out. Spreading it evenly helps ensure an even bake.
- Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If your oven runs hot, check at 25 minutes to prevent overbaking.
- Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan before frosting. If you want to speed up the cooling process, let them cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the freezer for another 15 minutes while making the frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat for another 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low until just combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. If adding food coloring, mix it in at this stage.3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Increase the speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. If the frosting feels too thick, add an extra teaspoon of cream until it reaches a spreadable consistency. If it’s too thin, beat in a little more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time. The frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape but soft enough to spread easily.
- Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to beat out any air pockets by hand for a silky, smooth texture.
- Keep the bars in the pan and evenly spread the frosting over the top. Sprinkle with sprinkles if using. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to help the frosting set.
- Once set, slice into 9 or 16 pieces and enjoy!
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