These Grinch cookies are a deliciously wicked way to brighten up your holiday baking!
Vibrant green and adorned with little red hearts, they capture the spirit of everyone’s favorite holiday grump.
And just like the Grinch’s heart, they’ll expand in the oven, creating beautiful cracks in their snowy coating.
They’re soft, pillowy, and perfectly sweet. Guaranteed to make even the grumpiest Grinch grin.
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Why You’ll Love These Grinch Cookies
Festive Appearance: You’ll love their vibrant green color and adorable red heart. They’re a big hit at holiday gatherings and perfect for themed parties.
Perfectly Sweet: These cookies look, smell, and taste phenomenal. So much so, you might have a few mini Grinches asking, “What's that stench? It's fantastic!”
Time-Saving Treats: Using cake mix as the base helps these cookies come together in just minutes. They’re a good choice for last-minute events or for kids who just can’t wait to get the party started.
Ingredients
- White Cake Mix: A convenient, time-saving way to create sweet, fluffy cookie dough with a hint of vanilla.
- Butter: For richness, moisture, and a creamy texture.
- Eggs: Provide structure and hold the dough together. They’re also an additional source of moisture.
- Oil: Use canola or vegetable oil to make the cookies soft, chewy, and tender.
- Green Gel Food Coloring: For the signature Grinchy green hue!
- Powdered Sugar & Cornstarch: For the crackled, crinkly coating. Powdered sugar sweetens the cookies and gives them a nice snow-dusted look. The cornstarch keeps the sugar from absorbing into the dough.
- Red Heart-Shaped Sprinkles: Like these Mystic sprinkles from Amazon. Press them gently into the still-warm cookies to represent the Grinch’s heart. If you can’t find any, M&Ms and cinnamon candies also work well.
How to Make Grinch Cookies
The holiday season is busy, I know.
Like the Grinch, I often find myself saying, “Even if I wanted to go, my schedule wouldn't allow it.”
Luckily, these babies come together in a snap!
1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. MIX the cake mix, butter, eggs, and oil until mostly combined. Add the green gel food coloring and mix to the desired color.
3. COMBINE the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
4. ROLL 1½-tablespoon portions of dough into balls. Coat well in the powdered sugar mixture and arrange 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
5. BAKE for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and cookies are puffed with cracks.
6. PRESS a heart sprinkle or candy into each cookie while warm. Cool for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Grinch Cookies
“Am I just eating because I’m bored?” Who cares?! It's Christmas!!
These babies are perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or a cozy night watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Want a few more tips before getting started? Here you go, Friends!
- Ignore the box. Don't make the cake mix using the box. Instead, follow the instructions below for tasty cookies.
- Set the butter out early. Soft butter is key to creating a smooth, soft, and tender cookie.
- Avoid liquid food coloring. Gel food coloring provides a more vibrant color. It also won’t add as much additional liquid to the dough. I use a toothpick to add it to the dough.
- Chill if necessary. The dough shouldn’t be overly sticky. If it is, pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to firm it up.
- Use a cookie scoop. It will give you the most consistently sized balls of batter for evenly sized cookies. A small ice cream scoop will also suffice.
- Add the hearts immediately. The cookies should still be warm and soft when you add the sprinkles. If you try to press the hearts into a cooled cookie, they won't stick.
- Experiment as desired. Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the dough for a more “Christmasy” taste. You could also try mini chocolate chips or other mix-ins.
How to Store
Don't you just “Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely” when a good batch of cookies goes stale?
Same.
So, be sure to store your leftover cookies carefully.
To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To Freeze: Flash freeze cooled cookies until solid, then move them to a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Festive Treats for Christmas
Christmas Crack
White Chocolate Christmas Trash
Christmas Cookie Fudge
Grinch Popcorn
Grinch Cookies
These easy Grinch cookies are as adorable as they are delicious. They're sweet, festive, and perfect for making hearts grow at your next holiday party!
30
servings15
minutes10
minutes95
kcalIngredients
1 (15.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
green gel food coloring
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
red heart-shaped sprinkles or cinnamon candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, softened butter, eggs, and oil. Mix until mostly combined.
- Add the green gel food coloring and mix until the desired color is reached.
- In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and cornstarch.
- Portion the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in the powdered sugar-cornstarch mixture until well coated on all sides.
- Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies are puffed with visible cracks.
- Remove the trays from the oven and immediately press a heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon candy into each one while still warm. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Follow the recipe as instructed. Do not prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions.
- If the dough is too sticky, chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to help it firm.
- Use a cookie or small ice cream scoop for uniformly sized cookies.
15 Comments
Can’t wait to make this recipe today
Can’t wait to try them
They are so quick and easy to make! I loved them!
Oh my God, they were delicious They were so sweet and had a super good crunch my granddaughters, loved them. I recommend you definitely try the Grinch cookie recipe. We had all the ingredients at our house already cause the ingredients were pretty easy and didn’t recommend that much things for the little red heart we used Eminem‘s you could’ used skittles and a lot of other things. This was my favorite Christmas cookie recipe and everybody loved them. This is why I give them a five star.
These were so fun and tasty. I put almond extract in my dough.
I did this exactly and the cookies burned on the bottom before they could bake all the way through.
Made these with my grandkids. They loved them! Thank you for sharing.
So cute and easy!
Can you use yellow cake mix?
I made these, but I think since it was a cake mix it caused the edges to brown. They did not turn out looking bright like yours? And the oven temp was lower (I also used a 2nd oven thermometer) as well only 7 minutes baking time. What if anything can be done to prevent this. The taste was really good for such a fast making cookie recipe.
Looks great!
I can’t wait to make these cookies. What a cute idea.
Put the red hearts on after baking if using cinnamon hearts. The heat will melt them into a blob if baked!
Do you suppose you could use heart shaped “gummies” ?
Do you suppose you could use heart shaped “gummies” ?