Why You’ll Adore These Easy Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Bars

During the busy holiday season, time is precious. That’s why these Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Bars have become a family favorite and a staple on our festive dessert tables. They offer all the charm of traditional decorated cookies without any of the stress. Here’s why they stand out as one of the best holiday treats:

1. No Cookie Cutters Needed: While I cherish the tradition of decorating cut-out sugar cookies when time permits, some holiday moments call for minimal effort and maximum deliciousness. These bars eliminate the need for any special cookie cutters, saving you valuable time and clean-up. You simply bake one large sheet, frost it, and slice!
2. Zero Decorating Skills Required: You don’t need to be a pastry artist to create these adorable holiday cookie bars. If you can spread frosting with an offset spatula and scatter some sprinkles, you possess all the decorating expertise required. They’re perfect for involving kids or anyone looking for a fun, stress-free baking project.
3. Perfect Size for Holiday Cookie Platters! After a few simple cuts, you’ll have 24 uniformly sized and beautifully festive tree-shaped cookies. Their compact size makes them ideal for sharing on platters, adding to cookie exchanges, or packing into thoughtful holiday gifts.
4. Incredibly Soft & Thick Sugar Cookie Bars: The foundation of this recipe is my all-time favorite thick and soft sugar cookie bar recipe. These aren’t just pretty; they’re incredibly delicious, with a tender, chewy texture that melts in your mouth. My family practically begs me to make them every time I visit, and I’m confident yours will too!

P.S. These cookie bars utilize the same clever cutting method as my popular Cosmic Christmas Tree Brownies, which are equally charming! Triangle Christmas bars are truly a winning holiday concept!

Ingredient Notes & Expert Tips for Perfect Christmas Cookie Bars

Understanding your ingredients is key to successful baking. Below are some important notes and tips for the components of these delicious Christmas tree sugar cookie bars. For exact measurements and a condensed recipe, please jump down to the full recipe card.

• Unsalted Butter: I consistently opt for unsalted butter in most of my baking, about 95% of the time. This allows me precise control over the overall salt content in the recipe. If salted butter is what you have on hand, that’s perfectly fine! Simply omit the ½ teaspoon of salt from the sugar cookie bar recipe to balance the flavors. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for optimal creaming.
• Almond Extract: This extract is a secret weapon that truly elevates these sugar cookie bars, infusing them with a uniquely delicious and classic sugar cookie flavor. If you’re not a fan of almond extract, you can easily omit it entirely or substitute it with an equal amount of additional vanilla extract for a more traditional taste.
• Sprinkles: Get creative with your toppings! I love using a mix of vibrant nonpareil sprinkles to mimic tiny, colorful ornaments on the Christmas trees. However, any festive sprinkles you have on hand will work wonderfully. Consider adding a small yellow star sprinkle to the top of each tree for an extra touch of magic!
• 9×13 Pan: The choice of baking pan significantly impacts the final product. I highly recommend using a parchment-lined, light-metal 9×13 pan for these bars. Light-colored metal pans promote more even baking and help prevent the edges from over-browning, which can sometimes occur with darker metal or glass pans. The parchment paper lining is essential for easy removal and clean cuts!
• Green Food Coloring: To achieve that perfect festive Christmas tree green, use a gel food coloring. Gel colors are more concentrated than liquid food coloring, meaning you’ll need less to get a vibrant hue, and they won’t thin out your frosting. Add it gradually until you reach your desired shade.

Make it Gluten-Free! For those with dietary restrictions, these Christmas tree cookie bars can easily be made gluten-free. Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour blend. My preferred brand for consistent results is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

Step 1: Prepare and Bake the Sugar Cookie Bars

Begin by following the instructions in the recipe card to mix your sugar cookie dough. The key to successful sugar cookie bars is a dough with a thick, yet soft consistency. When you pinch a piece of dough between your fingers, it should feel similar to fresh play-doh and shouldn’t be overly sticky. Don’t worry if your dough looks slightly less solid than the photo below if you’re using a handheld mixer; that’s perfectly normal.

Don’t Skip the Parchment Sling! This step is absolutely crucial for achieving those beautifully clean cuts later on. Lining your 9×13 pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides, creates a “sling.” This sling will allow you to easily lift the entire baked and cooled cookie bar out of the pan, making it much simpler to cut. Attempting to cut them directly in the pan without parchment will be very difficult and result in uneven edges.

Step 2: Prepare the Frosting and Decorate

While your sugar cookie bars are baking and then cooling, it’s the perfect time to whip up the homemade buttercream frosting. Once the bars are completely cooled (this is critical to prevent the frosting from melting!), dye your buttercream a festive green using gel food coloring. Spread an even layer of the vibrant green frosting over the entire surface of the cooled bars.

If you’re using sprinkles, make sure to add them immediately after spreading the frosting. Buttercream frosting starts to set fairly quickly, and if you wait too long, the sprinkles won’t adhere properly, and you’ll end up having to press each one in by hand – a task that can become quite tedious!

Fun Tip for a Star Topper! To add a charming little frosting star to the top of your Christmas trees (like the ones I’ve shown on TikTok), simply reserve about 2 tablespoons of the plain white buttercream frosting before you dye the rest green. You can then color this small portion yellow, pipe small stars, and place them on your cut cookie trees!

Step 3: Precision Cutting into Festive Triangles

Once your frosted bars have been chilled (this firms up the frosting and makes for cleaner cuts!), run a sharp knife along the edges of the bars that are not covered by the parchment paper. Carefully lift or slide the entire cookie slab out of the pan using the parchment paper overhangs. Now, use the detailed instructions and photo references below to guide you in cutting perfect Christmas tree shapes.

1. First Cuts: Use a large, straight-edged knife to cut the entire slab of cookie bars in half horizontally. Then, cut each of those halves in half again. You should now have four equal quadrants.
2. Triangle Time: Starting with one of the bottom quadrants, position your sharp knife to cut diagonally, creating your first triangle. Continue cutting triangles from each quadrant. To maintain incredibly clean edges and prevent frosting smears, wipe your knife clean with a warm, damp cloth between each cut (or whenever you notice frosting sticking to the blade). This small step makes a huge difference in the final appearance of your Christmas tree cookies.
3. Repeat & Enjoy: Continue this cutting method until all the quadrants have been transformed into festive triangles. You should yield approximately 24 perfectly-shaped Christmas tree cookies. The small edge pieces that are left over are a baker’s bonus – perfect for a little snack!

Extra Tips, Storage, & Creative Variations for Your Christmas Cookie Bars

Maximize your baking success and holiday cheer with these additional tips and creative ideas:

• Avoid Overbaking for Ultimate Softness! The golden rule for achieving perfectly soft and chewy sugar cookie bars is to remove them from the oven just as you see the absolute tiniest hint of brown developing around the edges. The center may still appear slightly underdone or jiggly, and that’s exactly what you want! The residual heat from the pan will continue to bake the bars as they cool, resulting in that wonderfully soft texture.
• Always Use a Parchment Sling: We can’t stress this enough! Lining your 9×13 pan with parchment paper, ensuring a generous overhang on the two longer sides, is a game-changer. This “parchment sling” allows you to effortlessly lift the cooled cookie bars directly out of the pan. This freedom from the pan is what enables you to use a large, straight knife to make those clean, precise, and even cuts for your beautiful Christmas trees.
• Experiment with Frosting Colors & Themes! While vibrant green frosting with sprinkles is classic for Christmas trees, don’t limit your creativity! These bars would look absolutely stunning frosted in white for a whimsical winter wonderland theme, perhaps with silver or blue sprinkles. Or, imagine them frosted in red and strategically cut to resemble charming little Santa hat cookies! There are countless creative avenues to explore with these easy holiday cookie bars.
• Short on Time? Use Canned Frosting: While the homemade buttercream recipe provided is incredibly delicious and highly recommended for its superior flavor and texture, we understand that sometimes you need a shortcut during the busy holiday season. In such cases, store-bought canned frosting can absolutely be used! A helpful tip for canned frosting: microwave it for 15-20 seconds (ensure all foil is removed from the lid first!) to make it smoother and easier to spread evenly.
• Add a “Trunk”: For an extra detail, after cutting your tree shapes, you can press a small piece of a pretzel stick or a mini chocolate bar into the bottom of each tree to create a “trunk.”
• Make it Minty: Add a few drops of peppermint extract to your buttercream frosting for a festive mint-chocolate flavor, or use peppermint-flavored sprinkles.

Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Tree Sugar Cookie Bars:

How do you store these sugar cookie bars to keep them fresh?

These delicious Christmas tree sugar cookie bars are quite versatile when it comes to storage. They do not strictly require refrigeration, though many people, myself included, find them incredibly delicious when chilled! To maintain optimal freshness, store your frosted bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. While they can technically last longer, you might notice them starting to dry out past this point. For longer-term storage options, please refer to the next question regarding freezing instructions.

Can you freeze these sugar cookie bars, or make them ahead of time?

Absolutely! These sugar cookie bars are fantastic for making ahead and freeze exceptionally well – in fact, they’re surprisingly delightful eaten straight from the freezer as a frosty treat! To prevent the frosting from smearing or sticking, arrange the freshly frosted bars in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for 1-2 hours until solid. Once frozen, you can stack them between sheets of parchment paper and transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. They will keep beautifully in the freezer for 1-2 months. When you’re ready to thaw them, be sure to unstack the bars before letting them come to room temperature to ensure the frosting remains pristine.

How do you achieve such clean and perfect cuts for the tree shapes?

Achieving those beautifully clean-cut Christmas tree shapes is a combination of a few simple yet crucial tricks:

(a) Chill the Frosting: Ensure your frosted sugar cookie bars are thoroughly chilled. This firms up the buttercream, making it less prone to smearing during cutting.

(b) Use a Parchment Sling: As mentioned in the steps, lining your pan with a parchment sling (leaving an overhang) is non-negotiable. This allows you to easily lift the entire baked and frosted slab out of the pan. Cutting on a flat surface, free from the pan’s edges, makes it much easier to use a large, straight-edged knife for precise cuts.

(c) Wipe Your Knife Between Cuts: This is a key secret! Keep a warm, damp cloth handy and wipe your knife blade clean between each cut (or whenever you notice frosting accumulating). This removes any sticky frosting and crumbs, preventing them from transferring to the next cut and ensuring crisp, clean edges on every single Christmas tree cookie.

You can also use the parchment sling overhang to gently press down the edges of the dough before baking, which helps to create a uniform, non-crispy edge on your bars.