Description
Holiday Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Bars — layered, gooey, and sparkling with a crunchy sugar top. Buttery cookie layers sandwich a caramelized cinnamon-sugar ribbon for a nostalgic, cozy dessert perfect for holidays, gifting, and Pinterest-worthy photos.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (for filling)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for filling)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)
- Optional: 1–2 tbsp brown sugar, pinch of nutmeg, diced apple, mini white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in vanilla and egg.
- Mix in flour until dough forms and divide dough into two equal portions.
- Press half the dough into the pan for the bottom layer.
- Combine cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar; sprinkle evenly over the bottom layer.
- Gently press remaining dough over the cinnamon filling.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar on top.
- Bake 20–22 minutes until lightly golden.
- Cool completely before slicing so the layered cinnamon filling sets properly.
Notes
- Avoid overbaking to keep bars soft.
- Use parchment for clean slicing.
- For extra gooey filling, mix 1 tbsp melted butter into cinnamon sugar.
- Chill before slicing for perfect edges.
- Store airtight up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert, Holiday
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: cinnamon sugar bars, holiday cookie bars, layered cookie bars, snickerdoodle bars, cinnamon dessert, gooey cinnamon bars, Christmas cookies, cookie exchange