Grinch Cookie Bars are soft and delicious sugar cookie bars. They are topped with green frosting and a heart for the cutest Grinch theme.
Enjoy all the flavor of Sugar Cookies in this delectable Grinch Cookie bars Recipe. These bars capture the essence of sugar cookies, while the frosting and red hearts add a festive touch.
You will love this recipe for a Grinch movie night or party. I also love to make Grinch Cake Balls.
What's in this post: Grinch Cookie Bars
Why We Love This
They are ideal for any celebration during the holiday season and the perfect Christmas Recipe. Grinch Desserts are always so fun to make, and these Grinch Chocolate Covered Oreos and No Bake Grinch Pie are just some of our favorites.
Everyone loves the Grinch, and these bars are easy and delicious.
Ingredients
Cookie Bars
- Unsalted Butter. The dough will be easier to combine if you soften the butter first.
- Large Eggs. Room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is always best.
- All Purpose Flour. I recommend spooning the flour into the measuring cup. This will help to prevent excess flour being packed into the cup.
- Green Jimmie Sprinkles. If you use jimmies, they don’t bleed into the frosting like other types of sprinkles.
Frosting
- Powdered Sugar. Sift the powdered sugar before making the frosting. This will remove any lumps and make the frosting smooth.
- Milk. Whole milk is best.
- Bright Green Gel Food Coloring and Red Gel Food Coloring. Gel food coloring is the most vibrant.
For the full recipe and ingredients, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.
Variations
- Candy hearts. You can opt for candy hearts instead of piping hearts on the bars.
- Store bought icing. Save time and purchase store bought icing. You can buy white icing and color it green for the cookie bars.
- Flavored Extracts. Try adding various types of flavored extracts to the batter for a different taste. Some ideas include mint, vanilla and more.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1. Preheat the oven and grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 375 or 350 depending on your oven. Lightly grease a 9X13 baking pan.
Step 2 – In a spacious mixing bowl, blend the butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed and airy.
Step 3 – Next, incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir for 1-2 minutes until they are fully combined.
Step 4 – Next, gently mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt by hand. Stir until the ingredients are just combined, being cautious not to overmix.
Step 5 – Add the sprinkles and gently stir them into the cookie dough.
Step 6 – Press the dough firmly into the 9X13 baking dish and gently press it down.
Step 7 – Cook for approximately 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle emerges without residue. Move the pan to a wire rack to allow the bars to cool completely.
Step 8 – Make the frosting while the bars cool. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until combined and smooth with an electric hand mixer. Then add in the milk and vanilla extract and mix for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 9 – Place approximately ½ cup of the frosting in a separate bowl. Dye the large bowl of frosting a vibrant green color and dry the smaller bowl a vibrant red color.
Step 10 – Spread the green frosting on top of the cooled cookie bars.
Step 11 – Cut the bars into 15 even pieces. Then pipe a small heart onto the center of each of the cookie bars with a round decorating tip. Then the bars are ready to serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Green and Yellow Food Coloring. You may need to add yellow food coloring with the green food coloring to get a nice vibrant green color. Try this for the best and prettiest cookie bars.
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper. This will make clean up easy and you can also easily lift from the pan.
- Measure the flour accurately. To achieve better accuracy, utilize a spoon when transferring flour into the measuring cup instead of directly scooping it. By doing so, you can avoid inadvertently packing excessive amounts of flour, which may adversely affect the taste of the bars.
- Jimmy Sprinkles. This type is recommended so that it does not bleed. Other types of sprinkles often bleed into the other ingredients.
Storage
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Separate the layers with wax paper to they don’t stick to each other.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze these cookie bars. Place inside a freezer container. Separate the layers with parchment paper.
Freeze up to 3 months. Let the bars thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to serve.
Try More Grinch Themed Dessert Recipes
- Grinch Puppy Chow
- The Best Grinch Truffles
- Grinch Brownies
- Grinch Puppy Chow
- Grinch Hot Chocolate Bombs
We love hearing from you. If you make these Grinch Sugar Cookie Bars, make sure to leave us a comment or a star review.
Grinch Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Bars:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 4 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Green Jimmie Sprinkles
For the Frosting:
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 2 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Bright Green Gel Food Coloring
- Red Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
For the Cookie Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9X13 baking pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined and light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix for 1-2 minutes until they are incorporated.
- Then hand stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Add the sprinkles and gently stir them into the cookie dough.
- Press the dough into the 9X13 pan and press the dough down slightly. Bake for 25-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Move the pan to a wire rack to allow the bars to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until combined and smooth.
- Then add in the milk and vanilla extract and mix for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Place approximately ½ cup of the frosting in a separate bowl.
- Dye the large bowl of frosting a vibrant green color and dry the smaller bowl a vibrant red color.
- Spread the green frosting on top of the cooled cookie bars.
- Cut the bars into 15 even pieces and then pipe a small heart onto the center of each of the cookie bars with a round decorating tip.
- Then the bars are ready to serve and enjoy!
