Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
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These homemade, soft and thick Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars are so festive and tasty! Enjoy peppermint candy bits in our sugar cookie bar base frosted with a creamy, fluffy frosting with more sprinkles of peppermint candy bits on top!
It’s so much fun for serving up a crowd, Christmas potluck desserts, and more, like these 13 Holiday Peppermint Desserts, these 60 Easy No Bake Christmas Treats and this Peppermint Tres Leches Cake!
What I love about these bars are how colorful and fun these Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars look with the stunning red and white!
Peppermint lovers are going to go wild over these flavors! Even if you aren’t a peppermint lover, you will be surprised how good this peppermint sugar cookie bars recipe tastes!
They will definitely bring on the Christmas joy!
About Peppermint for Peppermint Cookie Bars
There are several kinds of peppermint candies you can use for this peppermint sugar cookie bars recipe.
You can buy peppermint already crushed
or you can buy some peppermint sticks or candy and crush them yourself. The more candy you add to the tops of the these bars, the more peppermint flavor!
How to Crush Peppermint Candies or Candy Canes
What you need to make 1 cup of crushed candies
- 50 peppermint candies
or candy canes - resealable zip-lock bag
- rolling pin, mallet, hammer, coffee grinder or food processor
or 
To make 1 cup of crushed peppermint candies
- Place peppermint candies in a large resealable zip-lock bag. Close bag and place on sturdy, flat surface.
- Pound with rolling pin, mallet or hammer until coarsely crushed or finely crushed. For coffee grinder or food processer use on/off pulsing action.
Ingredients Needed for Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
Thick Sugar Cookie Bars
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- peppermint candies, crushed
, crushedButtercream Frosting with Crushed Peppermint Candies
- powdered sugar
- unsalted butter
- salt
- vanilla extract or peppermint extract
- milk of choice or heavy cream
- peppermint candies, crushed
, crushed
How to Make Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy for about a minute.
- Mix in egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add flour, salt and baking powder gradually until combined well to get a thick batter.
- Add in the crushed peppermint and mix throughout batter, without overmixing.
- Spread batter into an even layer into a prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, without overbaking bars.
- Let cookie bars cool.
- Once it is cooled, carefully lift the sides of the parchment paper to pull the whole cookie bar out of the baking pan.
- To make the frosting, using mixer, mix together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and milk.
- Spread frosting on top of cookie bars and sprinkle with crushed candy canes or sprinkles.
- Let frosting firm up a little, then cut into squares and serve!
This peppermint sugar cookie bars recipe is also great after Christmas, if you have leftover candy canes or peppermint candies! Enjoy these Candy Cane Frosted Cookies and this Peppermint Candy Brownie Trifle!
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More Peppermint Desserts For Ya!
- Peppermint Chocolate Fudge Brownies
- 3 White Chocolate No-Bake Festive Candy Recipes
- Peppermint Crunch Marshmallow Brownies
- Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge
- Christmas Peppermint M&M Fudge Cookies
- Holiday White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Mousse Pie
- Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Cookies
- Holiday White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Mousse Pie
- Christmas Peppermint Oreo Truffles
Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Thick Sugar Cookie Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: ¼ cup crushed peppermint candy
Frosting with Crushed Peppermint
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice or heavy cream
- additional crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
Thick Sugar Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy for about a minute.
- Mix in egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add flour, salt and baking powder gradually until combined well to get a thick batter.
- Add in the crushed peppermint and mix throughout batter, without overmixing.
- Spread batter into an even layer into a prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, without overbaking bars.
- Let cookie bars cool.
- Once it is cooled, carefully lift the sides of the parchment paper to pull the whole cookie bar out of the baking pan.
Frosting with Crushed Peppermint
- To make the frosting, using mixer, mix together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and milk.
- Spread frosting on top of cookie bars and sprinkle with candy cane sprinkles.
- Let frosting firm up a little, then cut into squares and serve!
Notes
- Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 3 tablespoons cream cheese to frosting when mixing.
- Peppermint White Chocolate Frosting: Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate and let it cool down to room temperature. Add to frosting when mixing.
Awesome! I love the sound of the tinted of deep pink color! Pink is my favorite color and with the sanding sugar I’m sure it looked so pretty! Thank you so much Cat for trying the recipe!
I made a double batch on the weekend but without the crushed candy. I used a tablespoon of peppermint extract in both the cookie batter and the frosting. I tinted the frosting a festive deep pink along with some sanding sugar I sprinkled on the frosting before it set up. Delicious! Definitely a keeper.
Peppermint / candy cane is definitely one of my favourite holiday flavours, and these cookie bars look fantastic, so festive and delicious.
Thank you so much! Peppermint rules! ha!
Peppermint is the flavor of the season! These cookie bars look scrumptious Kim. A great addition to any holiday cookie box!!