🎄❤️🎁 These Cream Cheese Snickerdoodle Bars are so much FASTER AND EASIER than making snickerdoodle cookies! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting will put everyone in the holiday spirit!
Why You’ll Love These Snickerdoodle Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Much easier than snickerdoodle cookies, these bars are soft and chewy with the right amount of cinnamon and sugar for that classic snickerdoodle flavor.
- The bars are as easy as using a box of Krusteaz Snickerdoodle Cookie mix, and I spiked the dough with extra cinnamon, plus there is a handy cinnamon-and-sugar packet included in the box, which is so convenient.
- The bars are perfect for holiday parties and events because they are such a cinch to make and super festive.
- One batch makes a large pan, which is perfect for sharing and holiday parties.
Love snickerdoodles?
Add my plain snickerdoodle cookie bars, snickerdoodle bread, chai snickerdoodle cookies, snickerdoodle poke cake, snickerdoodle bundt cake, and snickerdoodle mini muffins to your must-bake list. You can enjoy the warm flavors all season long!
Ingredients and Notes
Thanks to a mix, these cream cheese snickerdoodle bars come together with just a handful of ingredients. You can even skip making the frosting and use a store-bought frosting, if preferred!
- Krusteaz Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix
- Egg – This adds structure, helping the bars hold their shape.
- Unsalted Butter
- Cinnamon
- Krusteaz Cinnamon-and-Sugar packet
Frosting
- Whipped cream cheese frosting – Substitute brick-style cream cheese if you can’t find frosting. Lite is okay, but full-fat will have the best taste. Let it soften at room temperature for easy mixing
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- Vanilla extract
- Salt – Don’t skip this! It may seem unnecessary, but it balances the sweetness nicely
- Holiday sprinkles – I like to add red, green, and white sprinkles for a festive touch
Mix-Ins and Topping Substitutions
Not a fan of cream cheese frosting? Swap it out for a drizzle of melted white chocolate or powdered sugar instead. You can also fold mix-ins like white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or cheesecake pieces into the batter before baking.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cream Cheese Snickerdoodle Bars
- Add the wet and dry ingredients for the cookie bars to a large bowl, and mix until the dough is dense and stiff.
- Turn the dough into a prepared baking dish, smoothing the top.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the bars, and bake until the bars are lightly golden brown, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- In the meantime, beat the frosting ingredients, starting on low speed, in a second large bowl until smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the bars, top with sprinkles, and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Snickerdoodle Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- 1 Hand Mixer
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 package Krusteaz Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste
- 1 Krusteaz Cinnamon-and-Sugar packet
Frosting
- 1 (14-ounce) tub store bought whipped cream cheese frosting OR 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (lite okay)
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened (lite okay)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- about 3 to 4 tablespoons red, green, and white holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Bars – Heat oven to 350F, line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large bowl add all the cookie mix, egg, butter, cinnamon, and mix with a handheld electric mixer until combined; dough is dense and stiff.
- Turn dough out into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula as necessary.
- Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-and-sugar over the top and bake for about 23 to 25 minutes, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow bars to cool completely in pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- Frosting – To a large bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, and beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
- Turn frosting out over the bars and evenly sprinkle with sprinkles before serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I am comfortable storing frosted items at room temp but if you’re not, store in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Favorite Holiday Recipes:
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- Holiday Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – Sugar cookies in bar form with sprinkles baked in and on top! So much faster than making cookies and a great holiday baking shortcut!
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Related Recipes
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Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – Gingerbread bars are so much faster and easier than making gingerbread cookies! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting will put everyone in a festive mood!
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Post is brought to you by Krusteaz. The recipe, images, text, video, and opinions expressed are my own.
Nice post
I made your Snickerdoodle Bars, but didn’t frost them. I used colored sugar on top of the cinnamon sugar mixture and they looked festive. They were so good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they turned out so well! The colored sugar idea sounds like a great holiday idea!
I made your Snickerdoodle Bars, but didn’t frost them. I used colored sugar on top of the cinnamon sugar mixture and they looked festive. They were so good!
These look so festive! I love how quickly I can make a pan for a last minute holiday treat. Love it!
Exactly! So fast and festive!
These look so festive! I love how quickly I can make a pan for a last minute holiday treat. Love it!
Good idea I love it and I think I will replicate your recipe but without cookie mix I do it myself. Your pictures are also beautiful, very good job ! Sorry my english is very bad i am a frenchblogger :) :)
Your English is perfect and thanks for the compliments on my photography!
Your holiday recipes all look so amazing and these do too! Bars are so convenient and cream cheese frosting sounds perfect!
The cream cheese frosting was absolutely perfect for these. Have a wonderful weekend!