Pin this Easy Santa Hat Cookie Bar Recipe for Later!

Why You’ll Adore These Santa Hat Sugar Cookie Bars

These aren’t just any Christmas cookies; they’re a holiday game-changer! Here’s why these Santa Hat Sugar Cookie Bars will quickly become your new favorite festive treat:

1. Less Work, More Joy: Let’s be honest, the holiday season is busy enough! Traditional cut-out sugar cookies, while charming, can be time-consuming with chilling dough, rolling, cutting, and then decorating each individual cookie. Our Santa Hat Sugar Cookie Bars streamline the process. You simply mix, spread, bake, and then cut into festive shapes – no cookie cutters or lengthy chilling required! This means you can whip up 24 delightful, individual treats in a fraction of the time, leaving you more moments to enjoy with family and friends. It’s the perfect solution for stress-free holiday baking.
2. Unbeatably Soft, Thick & Chewy Texture: The foundation of these incredible bars is truly the best sugar cookie bar recipe. We’re talking about a rich, buttery base that bakes up incredibly soft, thick, and wonderfully chewy – never dry or crumbly. This isn’t just a claim; it’s a family-tested and approved recipe that gets rave reviews every single time. The texture is so irresistible, your loved ones will be begging you to make these Santa Hat bars for every holiday gathering. It’s the kind of cookie bar that melts in your mouth!
3. Baked to Perfection in Your Favorite 9×13 Pan: One of the many beauties of this recipe is its simplicity and reliance on a standard piece of kitchen equipment: the versatile 9×13 baking pan. Not only does this pan size yield a generous batch of 24 cookies, but it also ensures even baking, resulting in consistent texture from edge to edge. If you’re like me, you probably already have a go-to 9×13 pan, and you’ll love how perfectly these bars come out of it. It’s truly a testament to the magic of a good baking pan, and it simplifies cleanup and portioning.

Essential Ingredient Notes & Smart Substitutions

Achieving the perfect Santa Hat Sugar Cookie Bars starts with understanding your ingredients. Here are some key notes to ensure your cookie bars turn out absolutely delicious:

• Unsalted Butter: For most baking, unsalted butter is my preference as it gives you complete control over the total salt content in the recipe. If you only have salted butter on hand, that’s perfectly fine! Simply omit the ½ teaspoon of salt called for in the cookie bar dough to maintain the ideal flavor balance. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for optimal creaming with sugar, which creates a light and airy dough.
• Vanilla & Almond Extracts: The combination of both vanilla and almond extract is what truly elevates these sugar cookie bars, giving them that classic, bakery-style sugar cookie flavor that everyone loves. The almond extract, in particular, adds an incredible depth and richness, making these bars truly special. I highly recommend including it unless you have a nut allergy or a strong aversion to almond flavor. If an allergy is a concern, you can use additional vanilla extract or a different flavor like lemon or butter extract for a slight variation.
• Baking Powder (Not Baking Soda!): Pay close attention here – this recipe specifically calls for baking powder, not baking soda. These leavening agents react differently, and using the wrong one will significantly alter the texture of your bars. Furthermore, always check the freshness of your baking powder. It loses its potency over time, which can result in flat, dense cookies. A good rule of thumb is to replace it every 3-6 months after opening. I often write the date on the canister with a marker when I open it, so I can easily keep track!
• All-Purpose Flour: Standard all-purpose flour is ideal for these chewy cookie bars. While I haven’t personally tested this recipe with gluten-free flour blends, some readers have reported success with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. If you decide to experiment with a gluten-free alternative, please share your results! Most importantly, measure your flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method. Scooping directly from the bag can compact the flour, leading to too much being added, which can result in dry, crumbly, or dense cookie bars.

Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough

1. First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature when your dough is ready.
2. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened unsalted butter (1 cup, or 2 sticks) and granulated sugar (1 cup) on medium speed for about 20-30 seconds. This process incorporates air, making your cookies light and tender. If your butter isn’t perfectly softened, you can microwave it for about 10 seconds to *slightly* soften it, but be careful not to melt it.
3. While the mixer continues on medium speed, add in the large egg (1), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (1 teaspoon). Mix until just combined. The almond extract is key for that classic sugar cookie flavor!
4. Next, reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients: baking powder (1½ teaspoons – remember, *not* baking soda!), salt (½ teaspoon – omit if using salted butter), and all-purpose flour (2¼ cups). Add the flour about ½ cup at a time, mixing until just incorporated after each addition. It’s crucial to measure your flour properly using the spoon & level method (spoon flour into a measuring cup and level with a straight edge) to avoid adding too much, which can lead to dense and dry cookie bars.
5. Continue mixing on low speed only until all of the flour mixture disappears and no dry streaks remain, typically another 20-30 seconds. Avoid overmixing, as this can develop the gluten in the flour too much, resulting in tough cookie bars. The dough, when pinched between your fingers, should have a play-doh like consistency and not be overly sticky.

Step 3: Prepare and Spread the Festive Frosting

1. While your cookie bars are cooling, prepare the delicious buttercream frosting. In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter (½ cup, or 1 stick) on medium speed using your hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes until it becomes light, fluffy, and creamy.
2. Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in the vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), almond extract (½ teaspoon), and powdered sugar (2 cups), starting with just a bit of sugar until it’s incorporated to prevent a sugar cloud. Once combined, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 2 minutes until the frosting is light, airy, and truly fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and beat for another 30 seconds. If the frosting still appears too thick to spread easily, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk, a little at a time, until you reach your desired spreadable consistency.
3. Now for the festive colors! Divide your prepared frosting. Reserve approximately ¼ cup of the white frosting for the “pompoms” and “trim” of Santa’s hat. Dye the remaining, larger portion of frosting red using red gel food coloring. Gel food coloring provides a much more vibrant color without thinning your frosting too much. Remember that red frosting tends to darken as it sits, so don’t feel the need to achieve a super-intense red right away; it will deepen over time.
4. Once your cookie bars are completely cool to the touch, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the red frosting evenly across the entire surface of the cookie bars, creating a smooth, festive canvas for your Santa hats.

Step 4: Master the Art of Cutting Santa Hat Shapes

This is where the magic happens! Follow these steps for perfectly shaped Santa hats without any special cookie cutters.

1. Once the frosting has set a bit (chilling can help with this!), run a sharp knife along any edges of the bars not covered by the parchment paper. Then, carefully use the parchment overhang as a “sling” to lift or slide the entire frosted cookie bar slab out of the pan and onto a cutting board. This allows for much cleaner, straight cuts.
2. Using a large, straight-edged knife, cut the bars in half horizontally first. Then, cut each of those halves in half again, resulting in four equal-sized rectangular sections.
3. Now, starting with one of the bottom quadrants, use your sharp knife to cut each rectangle into triangles. To do this, simply cut diagonally from one corner to the opposite side’s midpoint, and then from the other corner to the same midpoint. Continue this method until all your bars are transformed into festive triangles. You should yield approximately 24 individual cookie triangles. For the cleanest cuts, wipe your knife clean with a warm, damp cloth between each cut (or whenever frosting starts to stick) to prevent smearing and ensure crisp edges.

Step 5: Add the Signature Santa Hat Details

Now for the finishing touches that truly bring these Santa hats to life!

Transfer the reserved white frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip (a Wilton 1M or 21 works wonderfully for this). Pipe a fluffy white “pompom” at the top point of each red triangle. Then, pipe a white “trim” along the bottom edge of each triangle. These simple details instantly transform your frosted triangles into delightful Santa hats, ready to enchant your holiday guests!

Storage & Freezing Instructions for Freshness

Ensuring your Santa Hat Sugar Cookie Bars stay fresh and delicious is simple with these storage tips:

• Storing at Room Temperature: These frosted sugar cookie bars do not strictly require refrigeration, thanks to the high sugar content in the buttercream frosting which acts as a preservative for the small amount of milk. They are, however, incredibly delicious when served chilled! For optimal freshness, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. While they can last a bit longer, they will start to dry out after this period.
• Freezing for Longer Enjoyment: These Santa Hat Sugar Cookie Bars freeze exceptionally well and are actually a delightful treat straight from the freezer on a warm day! To prevent the frosting from smearing or sticking, arrange the frosted bars in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours until solid. Once frozen, you can stack them between pieces of parchment paper and place them in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag. They will keep well for 1-2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, be sure to unstack them before thawing at room temperature so the frosting doesn’t stick together.

Frequently Asked Questions: