The Best Easy Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Bar Recipe
Makes: 12 Servings
Per Serving: 11g Protein | 185 Cal
If you’ve been craving a classic Christmas sugar cookie, but want something softer, thicker, more satisfying, and packed with high-quality protein, these High-Protein Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars are about to be your new holiday staple.
Most sugar cookie bars are buttery, dense, and loaded with sugar. Delicious? Of course. But great for women trying to hit their protein goals, support muscle, or stay on track during the holidays? Not really.
This version gives you everything you love about soft, bakery-style sugar cookies—the moist crumb, subtle vanilla-almond flavor, melt-in-your-mouth texture—without the heavy macros. Each bar delivers more protein, far fewer calories, and that perfect festive sweetness.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe
Soft, bakery-style texture: The blend of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and cream cheese means super moist, soft cookie bars without a ton of butter and oil.
More protein than other sugar cookies: This recipe includes a whey-casein protein powder blend to help create the texture of a classic bakery sugar cookie while also keeping you fuller for longer.
Gluten-free and lower in sugar: This gluten-free baking recipe uses almond flour instead of all-purpose flour for added nutty flavor and a delicious treat you’ll love. Plus, these cookies are lower in sugar than traditional holiday cookies, making them a great addition to your cookie plate this year.
Quick and easy: These easy sugar cookie bars come together in just two bowls, and don't require any time for chilling the dough or rolling anything out (unlike regular sugar cookies).
Great for gifting: Make a batch, package, and gift for a sweet treat that tastes indulgent without derailing anyone’s health and wellness goals.
Ingredients
⅓ cup low-fat cottage cheese
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (fat-free or low-fat)
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled (either unsalted butter or salted butter is fine!)
1 tablespoon milk
1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract (don't skip this—it adds to the festive flavors)
⅓ cup of brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups almond flour
½ cup vanilla whey-casein protein powder blend or 45g vanilla whey protein powder + 15g casein protein powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Optional: Festive sprinkles (Supernatural makes great artificial color-free sprinkles if that's important to you)
Sugar Cookie Bar Frosting Recipe
3 oz cream cheese
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ scoop vanilla protein powder
2-4 tablespoons powdered monk fruit
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven and prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set the pan aside.
Blend the wet ingredients: Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla, and brown sugar to a blender, food processor, or bowl. Blend until completely smooth (make sure all of the cottage cheese curds are blended out). If you’re using a bowl, use an immersion blender to blend.
Add the eggs: Transfer the mixture to a bowl (if you didn’t blend in one) and add the eggs. Whisk well to combine.
Mix the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt to a separate bowl. Whisk to combine.
Mix the cookie dough: Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Don’t overmix.
Transfer to the pan: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula or butter knife.
Bake the sugar cookie base: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the bar cookies are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. If you use an 8x8 pan, you may need to bake the bars for slightly longer than if you use a 9x9 pan. The edges of the cookie bars should be set complete and the center will look slightly underbaked, but will finish setting as they cool.
Make the frosting: Add the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, protein powder, monk fruit, vanilla, and salt to a small bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Cool the bars: Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or enjoying. Decorate with sprinkles, slice, and enjoy!
Nutrition Info (Per Square - Makes 12 Servings)
Calories: 185
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 10g
Fat: 11g
Nutrition Benefits of These Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies (Why These Bars Support Your Goals)
These gluten-free cookies aren’t just a lighter dessert, they actually align with many people’s holiday nutrition goals:
Higher protein = better fullness + muscle retention
Protein enhances satiety and helps stabilize blood sugar, which reduces overeating, the #1 struggle this time of year.
Lower sugar than traditional sugar cookies
A modest amount of brown sugar creates the classic flavor without sending calories sky-high.
Greek yogurt and cottage cheese add volume and protein
These create moistness without a ton of heavy fats.
Almond flour keeps them gluten free
This makes the bars naturally lower in carbs and higher in healthy fats, which can help slow digestion and improve fullness.
Tips for Perfect Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Whatever you do, don’t overbake them. Pull them out of the oven when they look slightly underdone.
Use a whey–casein blend for the best soft cookie texture.
Chill before slicing if you want clean edges.
Swap brown sugar for monk fruit brown to lower sugar even more.
Use 8×8 for extra thick and soft bars (highly recommended).
Swaps & Substitutions
Make it dairy-free: Use dairy-free cream cheese, plant-based yogurt, use a plant-based protein powder, and coconut oil instead of butter.
Make them chocolate: Use a chocolate protein powder instead of a vanilla version and add a little cocoa powder. If you’d like, you could add peppermint extract instead of vanilla and almond.
Serving & Storage Tips
In the fridge: Transfer the cooled and frosted sugar cookie bars to an airtight container and then pop them in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can serve these right out of the fridge, or let them sit on the counter for a bit and serve them at room temperature.
In the freezer: Place the cooled (but not frosted) cookie bars in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve them, pull them out of the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge. Frost (if you’d like) and decorate. Enjoy!
FAQs
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They can be. These bars have more protein and fewer calories than traditional sugar cookies, making them more filling and easier to fit into a calorie-conscious holiday plan.
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Casein helps create a soft, chewy texture. Whey alone can make baked goods dry or rubbery.
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It’s optional, but it's what gives these bars that classic bakery-style sugar cookie flavor.
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You won’t notice it in this recipe, but if you really don’t want to use it, you can skip the cottage cheese and use ½ cup of Greek yogurt and 2 (instead of 1) tablespoons of milk.
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You can try gluten-free flour blends to see which one you like best, but I’d recommend just sticking with almond flour if you can tolerate it. If you're not worried about making these cookies gluten-free, you could also try using regular flour in this recipe (but I haven't tested that!).
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Absolutely! Instead of the holiday sprinkles, try pink, red, and white for Valentine's Day, your favorite sprinkles for birthdays, or rainbow sprinkles for any day. It's sure to become a family favorite.
Whether you're gearing up to bake tons of cookies this holiday season or you're just looking for one or two gluten-free holiday cookies to help you feel festive while still sticking to your goals, this recipe is for you. Great for special occasions, easy to make, packed with protein, and lower in sugar than traditional Christmas cookies, it'll be a huge hit.
Try These Free Christmas Cookies Recipes Next
Soft + Moist High-Protein Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars (Lower Calorie, Gluten Free, and Holiday-Ready)
These Soft + Moist High-Protein Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars taste like classic bakery sugar cookies—soft, thick, buttery, and perfectly sweet—but with lighter ingredients and a boost of protein to support your goals during the holidays. Made with almond flour, Greek yogurt, and a whey–casein blend, these gluten-free sugar cookie bars deliver a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture without the heavy calories of traditional recipes. They’re easy to make, macro-friendly, and ideal for anyone looking for a healthier holiday dessert that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. Perfect for Christmas parties, gifting, or a high-protein treat that fits seamlessly into a weight-loss or muscle-building routine.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup low-fat cottage cheese (blended smooth)
- Shortcut: Skip the cottage cheese and use ½ cup Greek yogurt + increase milk to 2 tbsp
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (0–2%)
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk of choice
- Optional: ⅛ tsp almond extract (this is what makes them taste like true bakery sugar cookies)
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup (45–60g) vanilla whey–casein blend
- or 45g vanilla whey + 15g casein
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Optional: Christmas jimmies/sprinkles
- 3 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2–4 tbsp powdered monk fruit
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8×8 (thicker bars) or 9×9 (slightly thinner) pan with parchment.
- Lightly spray the pan.
- In a blender, bowl, or with an immersion blender, mix until completely smooth: Greek yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla, milk, butter, brown sugar. Make sure all curds are blended out.
- Pour the blended mixture into a bowl (if you didn’t blend in one), and whisk in 2 eggs. Whisk until just combined—don’t overmix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together: almond flour, whey–casein protein, baking powder, and salt
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter should be thick, smooth, and similar to brownie batter.
- Spread evenly inside the pan.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes. (8×8 pan = slightly longer, 9×9 pan = slightly shorter)
- In a small bowl combine all of the frosting ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Once the edges are set and the center looks slightly underbaked, you can remove it from the oven. This is exactly what gives you that ultra-soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. They will finish setting as they cool.
- Cool completely! This is important. Warm bars will seem too soft, but once cooled, they become perfectly moist and tender.
- Spread the frosting over the top and top with Christmas jimmies!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
185Fat
11 gCarbs
10 gProtein
11 g