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Home » Recipe Index » Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars

Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars

November 2, 2018 by Kara Cook 12 Comments

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pistachio cookie bars
Pistachio sugar cookie bars recipe collage

Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars are easy to make, and so pretty! Pistachio pudding in the dough makes them extra soft, and cream cheese frosting and chopped pistachios make them extra yummy!

I’ve made regular sugar cookie bars and cherry cookie bars, and now I’m sharing a pistachio version. They are so yummy!

stack of pistachio sugar cookie bars on a platePistachio Sugar Cookie Bars

If you’ve never made sugar cookie bars, you are really missing out. You get all the flavor of a sugar cookie in about half the time! No dragging out cookie cutters and a rolling pin. No flouring the counter. Just bake all the dough in one pan, frost, and cut into squares. So easy!

Pistachio pudding mix gives these bars an unbeatable flavor, and makes them extra soft. And of course the pistachios add a yummy crunch.

pistachio sugar cookie bar with cream cheese frosting on a piece of waxed paper

How to you make pistachio sugar cookie bars?

Start by creaming the butter, dry pudding mix, and sugar. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Then just stir in the dry ingredients.

Press the dough into a greased 9×13″ pan and bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or till golden brown around the edges.

cooled pan of pistachio sugar cookie bars

After the bars have cooled, whip up a simple cream cheese frosting and spread it on top. Garnish with chopped pistachios if desired.

pan of pistachio sugar cookie bars with cream cheese frosting and chopped pistachios

Cut into squares, serve, then stand back and wait for all the compliments. 🙂

pistachio sugar cookie bars on a cake stand

These bars aren’t overly sweet, so the cream cheese frosting is a perfect addition. Chopped pistachios add a little bit of salt, and I love the depth of flavor they add. The almond extract really does boost the flavor, so I highly recommend using it. If you’re really opposed to it, you can just add more vanilla.

The green color of these bars make them perfect for both Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day. Of course they are so scrumptious that you can make them any time of year and everyone will rave over them.

I hope you’ll give them a try!

 

Here are a few more tasty bar cookies to try:

  • Toffee Almond Bars
  • Churro Cheesecake Bars
  • Oatmeal Caramel Bars
  • Golden Graham Bars
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Cherry Bars
  • Chocolate Chip Blondies
  • Nut Bar Recipe
  • Butterscotch Bars
  • Snickerdoodle Blondies

Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

 
Yield: 2 dozen

Pistachio Cookie Bars

Pistachio Cookie Bars

Pistachio Sugar Cookie Bars with cream cheese frosting and chopped pistachios.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 (3.4oz) boxes of instant pistachio pudding (just the dry mix)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • dash of salt
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/4 cup soft butter
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • dash of salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cream butter, dry pudding mix, and sugar in a large mixing bowl till creamy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Press dough into the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes, or till lightly browned on the edges.
  3. Cool completely, then frost. Garnish with chopped pistachios.
  4. For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in a small mixing bowl till smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat till smooth and creamy.
  5. Spread frosting over cooled bars and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top.

Notes

-Recipe inspired by Moma Food.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 113mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
© Kara Cook
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert: Brownies and Bars

Pistachio bars are a fun and festive twist on traditional sugar cookie bars. They are perfect for Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day, but so tasty you will want to make them all year long!

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ENJOY!

Soft and chewy pistachio sugar cookie bars with cream cheese frosting. These bars are easy to make, and taste simply amazing!

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas Recipes, Dessert: Brownies and Bars, Recipe Index, St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day Recipes Tagged With: butter, cream cheese, pistachios, pudding mix

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. husna gee

    November 28, 2020 at 2:10 am

    I loved this recipe!!

    Reply
  2. Debbie J Fode

    October 17, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    Are these bars good to freeze?

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      October 18, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      I think they would freeze just fine before you add the frosting.

      Reply
  3. Amy Huntley

    November 6, 2018 at 9:31 am

    I love Sugar Cookie Bars! I can’t wait to try this new recipe!

    Reply
    • Kara Cook

      November 9, 2018 at 11:58 am

      Same here – they are so easy, but so tasty! Hope you like this version. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Becca

    November 5, 2018 at 3:39 pm

    Love the green color- so festive for Christmas parties!

    Reply
  5. Heather Luckhurst

    November 5, 2018 at 7:30 am

    These look so yummy!! We love pistachios!

    Reply
  6. Amy Locurto

    November 4, 2018 at 9:34 am

    These bars look fabulous!!

    Reply
  7. Cheryl Sousan

    November 4, 2018 at 8:46 am

    I love pistachio anything!! can’t wait to make these!

    Reply
  8. Erin

    November 3, 2018 at 6:35 am

    I need one of these! Yum!

    Reply
  9. Andie Thueson

    November 2, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    My father in law loves pistachios, I’ll need to make this for him, next time they come to visit. He’ll be in heaven!

    Reply
  10. Anna

    November 2, 2018 at 11:16 am

    These bars are so buttery and delicious! Perfect for the holidays!

    Reply

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Hi. I’m Kara, and I love to create! I share recipes, DIY tutorials, craft projects, and thrifty home decor. I hope that I can inspire you to create something! Read More…

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