Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookie Bars

A layer of peppermint buttercream frosting and candy bars add a festive touch to these Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookie Bars. This easy cookie bar recipe will disappear in a hurry from your Christmas cookie trays.

It's official.  I am in full blown "peppermint all the things" mode!  Every year about this time I get the urge to add peppermint to every thing I make.  Something about cooler weather and Christmas music does it to me.

Peppermint and eggnog are my two favorite holiday flavors for Christmas, so I hope you are ready for a month of recipes using those flavors.

Of course, I will add a few other things here and there because my family will revolt if I try to peppermint every single treat.  They like peppermint, but they are not as nuts over it as I am.  Yes, I'm aware that I might be living with aliens.  

I made these Eggnog Sugar Cookie Bars a few years ago, and since then my poor cookie cutters have been neglected. Call me lazy, but I love that these cookie bars are baked and frosted in the same pan.

I am all about easy holiday treats when things get busy with parties and events. Recently, I made these Salted Caramel Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars, and I thought they would make a delicious holiday treat with a few changes.

The cookie layer stayed the same, but I added peppermint to the frosting and sprinkled these chopped peppermint bark candy bars to the top.

Pink and red sprinkles would have added more color, but my family frowns upon sprinkles. I say sprinkle everything, but since they will brush them off, I left them out this time.

I do not know what is wrong with them.  Clearly, they are aliens!

How to make Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookie Bars:

1. Beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk and beat again.
2. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. This may take more time if you are using a hand mixer.
3. Press the chocolate cookie dough evenly into the bottom of a lined 9x13 pan. Bake and cool.
4. Beat together the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy. Spread on cooled chocolate cookie bars.
5. Add chopped peppermint bark candy bars to the top.

Tips for making cookie bars:

• Set the butter out ahead of time. Soft butter is so much easier to beat the sugar into.
• Slowly add the flour mixture until dough forms.  It will look crumbly, but keep mixing. A stand mixer does make this easier.
• Press the dough evenly into the pan.  I like to line my baking dish with foil because it makes it easier to lift out for cutting.
• Chop the candy bars into small pieces while the cookies are baking. Resist the urge to eat them all!
• Add the peppermint extract very carefully.  Too much will make your frosting taste like toothpaste, and no one will eat them.
• Make sure your cookie bars are completely cool before spreading the peppermint frosting on top.  If they are warm, it will melt the frosting.
• Store the bars in a tightly sealed container, so that they stay soft for days.

Other peppermint recipes to make for Christmas cookie trays:

• Peppermint Chip Brownies
• Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies
• Peppermint Bark Oreo Thins
• Chocolate Peppermint Fluff Cookie Cups
• Peppermint Brownie Truffles
• Peppermint Cookies and Cream Fudge

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Recipe

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookie Bars

Yield: 24 cookie bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes

A layer of peppermint buttercream frosting and candy bars add a festive touch to these Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookie Bars. This easy cookie bar recipe will disappear in a hurry from your Christmas cookie trays.

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Ingredients

For the Cookie Bars

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 6 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chopped peppermint bark candy bars

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk and beat again.
3. Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the butter mixture until a dough forms. (if you are using a hand mixer, this will take some time)
4. Press the cookie dough evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 13-14 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
5. Beat the butter, salt, and peppermint extract until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and whipping cream until it is mixed in. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
6. Spread the frosting on top of cooled cookie bars. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar pieces. Store in a sealed container.

Recommended Products

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• 
  KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
• 
  9 x 13 Pyrex Dish with Lid

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 283Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 3g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

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**The post for Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookie Bars was first published November 30, 2016. The photos and post were updated and republished December 1, 2020.