Super fun, festive and delicious these Grinch Sugar Cookie Bars are a favorite to make around the holidays. A soft bar layered with frosting, this one is always a winner.

Ok I love the Grinch, always have and always will. So we love making themed desserts at times and I couldn’t go without making these Grinch Sugar Cookie Bars.

These are soooooo irresistible and it’s hard to just stop at one. It’s your favorite cookie but in bar form, so much easier than making singular cookies.

Now I do love myself a good cookie but I also love a good bar. Heck you know me – I love all desserts. But there is something about these Sugar Cookie Bars that I adore.

You can make these all year round by switching up some simple ingredients in the recipe like the sprinkles and frosting color, so that is another reason that these are amazing.

My kids absolutely adore these, they grew up watching the Grinch and they can’t wait until I make these! They don’t last long in this house that is for sure.

They are also great to bring to holiday gatherings or bake sales too! I can’t think of any reason that you shouldn’t make these Sugar Cookie Bars!

Some of my other favorite bar recipes we have on our site include: Carmelitas, Cranberry Bliss Bars and Hello Dolly Bars.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

With easily available ingredients, these come together in a breeze.
You can halve this recipe for a smaller crowd.
These are great for any season simply by switching up a few things.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM):

All-purpose flour
Cornstarch
Baking powder
Salt
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Green jimmie sprinkles
Powdered sugar
Whole milk
Green gel food coloring
Yellow gel food coloring
Red gel food coloring

HOW TO MAKE GRINCH SUGAR COOKIE BARS, STEP BY STEP:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray, set it aside. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or the body is a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, letting the first egg mix all the way in before adding the next. Add the vanilla and mix it in until combined.
Next add the flour mixture and stir it in until combined, scrape down the sides, and mix it in a few more times until fully mixed in.
Lastly add the sprinkles and stir them in.
Press the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish until even. I like to wet my hands slightly and press it in, it makes it easier. Bake for 25-28 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
While the bars cool, make the frosting by placing the butter into a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer, add in the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed. Add the salt, vanilla, and milk, stir it in until combined then place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Place about ½ cup of the frosting in a small bowl. Color the larger amount of frosting with the green and yellow food coloring until it reaches your desired color.
Add red food coloring to the smaller bowl of frosting.
Once the bars are cool, take them out of the baking dish and frost the top with the green frosting.
Place the red frosting into a piping bag fitted with a number 12 round tip. You can cut the bars first then pipe on the hearts or you can cut after, I prefer cutting before so I don’t mess up any of the heart decorations accidentally. Add the hearts and serve.

WHAT DOES THE CORNSTARCH DO FOR THESE BARS?

We love baking with cornstarch in our bars and cookies. The main purpose for using cornstarch in this recipe is it helps them stay soft and chewy, just what we want.

Also for baked goods like cookies it helps keep them thick! A lot of batters will spread, even bar recipes will. The cornstarch helps in keeping them plump and thick!

DO I HAVE TO USE A BUTTERCREAM FROSTING?

If you are not a fan of buttercream, no worries you can absolutely substitute a cream cheese frosting instead. They both taste great with this recipe.

Of course if you use a cream cheese frosting these will have to remain refrigerated, but they still are absolutely amazing chilled.

CAN I MAKE THESE AHEAD OF TIME?

If you are a busy person like most of us are these days you can make these and the frosting 24 hours in advance. I would cover in plastic wrap or airtight containers, the frosting is best kept in the refrigerator.

The next day you will have everything ready to go and all you have to do is frost and decorate your bars and serve!

HOW TO STORE:

These Grinch Sugar Cookie Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature where they will last for up to 5 days.

These can also be frozen, to do that I would place bars on a sheet tray and freeze solid. Then place in a freezer safe container separated by parchment paper where they will last up to 3 months.

To defrost, remove from the freezer and let defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then enjoy!

TIPS AND TRICKS:

This recipe can be halved to serve a smaller crowd.
These are great all year round by switching up the frosting colors and sprinkles.
If you are not a fan of buttercream you can use a cream cheese frosting.
These can be frozen, see my tips above.
Add different flavored extracts like mint, almond, or cake batter for a fun flavor twist! I would add this in addition to the vanilla.
We use jimmie style sprinkles, they tend to bleed less into the batter.

If you want a fun and tasty holiday recipe that the kids will LOVE then you need to make these Grinch Sugar Cookie Bars.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

If you’ve tried these GRINCH SUGAR COOKIE BARS or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

Grinch Sugar Cookie Bars