Grinch Cookies

These colorful and festive Grinch Cookies are super fun and easy to make! They’re sure to be a favorite at Christmas cookie swaps and holiday parties.

They are perfect to pair with Grinch Punch and Grinch Popcorn and Christmas Shortbread for family movie night.

Looking for a fun way to get into the festive Christmas time spirit, then making these easy green Grinch Cookies is definitely the place to start!

These instantly recognizable green cookies accessorized with red heart sprinkles earn a spot right alongside classic Christmas cookies like snowball cookies, melted snowman cookies, and slow cooker Christmas candy.

Easy Grinch Green Cookies.

Luckily, you only need some common pantry ingredients and a little bit of hands-on time to make these Grinch Christmas Cookies. You can choose to make these with a white cake mix or make these from scratch. Whatever option works for you; I show you both versions below.

And if you love Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas, then you will also love this Grinch Punch and easy Grinch Popcorn and this super fun Grinch Kabobs

This is another one of those fun baking activities that will help keep the kiddos busy with all the measuring and adding, and of course, coloring and tasting. Feeding them the baked treats at the end, well that just the best bonus ever.

And guys, if you need a party favor or hostess gift for a Christmas season party you’re attending, a movie night watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, or just a festive afternoon snack, these would be the perfect thing. 

Why Make This Recipe

• Quite simple to make. Even easier if you’re using store-bought cookie mix or even premade cookies. 
• Inexpensive and fun. Design and creating these treats is a great holiday project. 
• Gets the kids involved. This is a fun way to keep them entertained and get them involved in baking a quick and simple treat
• Potluck perfection. Just the thing to bring to any Christmas party. 
• Customizable. Easy to change out the candies, frosting, and even base cookies you’re using to bring new designs and flavors. 

Ingredient Notes

For the cake mix version.

• 1 box vanilla cake mix the dry mix only
• 1/2 cup (115g) melted butter – Use salted butter or unsalted butter to your taste.
• Oil – I just use vegetable oil.
• Eggs – make sure these are at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract – use your favorite brand or swap for some peppermint extract.
• Almond extract – adds a great nutty flavor, leave out if you are avoiding nuts.
• Green food coloring – you can use regular food coloring or gel food coloring (which I feel gives a stranger color like for like.
• Confectioners’ sugar – make sure this is shifted for easy dusting.
• Heart sprinkles – or candy hearts to complete these cake mix cookies.

From scratch version.

• All purpose flour – for the best results sift this before using.
• Baking powder – to help cookies rise.
• Salt – grab your favorite sea salt flakes.
• Granulated sugar – To sweeten your cookies.
• Melted butter – use unsalted butter as you are adding salt.
• Oil – I just use vegetable oil.
• Eggs – make sure these are at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract – use your favorite brand or swap for some peppermint extract.
• Almond extract – adds a great nutty flavor, leave out if you are avoiding nuts.
• Green food coloring – to give color.
• Confectioners’ sugar – for easy dusting.
• Heart sprinkles – or candy hearts to complete these cake mix cookie

How To Make Grinch Cookies

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

Using white cake mix.

1. Combine vanilla cake mix, butter, oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl.
2. When you have your ingredients combined, add in several drops of green food coloring, and mix it in.
3. Add a few drops food coloring (to your desired color) until fully combined.
4. You can refrigerate the dough at this stage for about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C/ Gas 5 and line some cookie sheets with parchment paper.
6. Roll dough into cookie balls and transfer cookie dough ball to the lines sheets making sure to press the top down lightly.
7. Bake cookies in a preheated oven for 8-9 minutes and remove them from the oven. The cookies will be soft when warm but harden and crinkle more as they cool down.
8. Press a sprinkle heart into each still-warm cookie.
9. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. You can roll the cookies in some powdered sugar before serving.

Make From Scratch….

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a stand mixer, at medium speed.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla and almond extract until just combined.
4. Add in some food coloring (amount to your preference) until fully combined. (Tip: you want to add a little more than you think as thy color will be lighter after baking).
5. You can refrigerate the dough at this stage for about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 375F / 190C/ Gas 5 and line some cookie sheets.
7. Roll cookie dough into balls and transfer to the lines sheets making sure to press the top down lightly.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 8-9 minutes and remove them from the oven. The cookies will be soft when warm but harden and crinkle more as they cool down.
9. Press a sprinkle heart into each still-warm cookie.
10. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
11. You can roll the cookies in some powdered sugar before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Measure your flour correctly – aka use a knife to level the flour if using a measuring cup or use your scale.
• Make sure your ingredients are room temperature for the best mixing results.
• The color of the cookies will be lighter after baking, so best to add a little more food coloring than you think you want.
• These Grinch crinkle cookies will be soft straight out of the oven and harden up as they cool down. So please don’t be tempted to over-bake them. 
• If you have time, chill the dough in the refrigerator as this will help hold their shape during baking.
• Feel free to use a Grinch Cookie Cutter to cut out the cookies instead.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe for a crowd.
• You can line the baking sheets with silicone baking mats instead of baking paper.
• Ovens can bake at different temperatures and times, so check on your oatmeal cookies often to prevent under baking or over baking your dessert

Recipe Variations

These treats are super versatile! Try some of these easy variations;

• Vary the sprinkles – feel free to use red M&Ms or other red candy instead.
• Trade out the cookie base: As I mentioned earlier, you can use store bought cookie mix, or make your own green sugar cookies.
• Accessorize – feel free to accessorize your treats with carious additions like chopped candy cane, snowflakes etc. Make your grinch the coolest one around.

Storing

Store – You can store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3 days on the kitchen counter.

Freeze baked cookies – freeze cooled cookies in a single layer with parchment between them for up to 3 months in an air tight container.

Freeze unbaked cookies –

• To freeze, place the formed balls on a lined baking sheet in a single layer for about 3-4 hours until hard.
• Transfer these to a Ziploc freezer bag.
• Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
• Store in the freezer for up to two months.
• Thaw cookies for about 30-45 minutes on a wire rack before baking.

FAQs

Use For Edible Gifting

These cookies make a super awesome edible gift. Whip up a couple of batches, decant into mason jars, add a ribbon and a label and hand out to all your foodie friends. 

More Christmas Treats

Looking for more festive treats and Christmas drinks for kids? Then look no further…I have got your back with these fun Christmas recipes;

• Grinch Punch.
• Slow Cooker Christmas Candy.
• Grinch Popcorn.
• Festive Frozen Yogurt Bark.
• Christmas White Chocolate Covered Pretzels.
• Christmas Shortbread
• Super fun Grinch Kabobs
• Or see these Easy Christmas Cookies.

Thank you for reading my Grinch christmas cookies recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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Print Recipe

4.88 from 8 votes

Grinch Cookies

These colorful and festive Christmas cookies are perfect for family movie night!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time9 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Western

Servings: 24

Calories: 135kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Ingredients using cake mix:

• ▢ 1 box vanilla cake mix the dry mix only
• ▢ 1/2 cup (115g) melted butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 2 eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ green food coloring
• ▢ 1/2 cup (50g) sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• ▢ heart shaped sprinkles or candy

Ingredients to make from scratch:

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups (300g) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup (50g) sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• ▢ green food coloring
• ▢ heart shaped sprinkles or candy

Instructions

Cake Mix Instructions:

• Combine vanilla cake mix, butter, oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a mixing bowl.
• When you have your ingredients combined, add in several drops of green food coloring, and mix it in.
• Add in some food coloring (exact amount to your preference) until fully combined. (Tip: you want to add a little more than you think as thy color will be lighter after baking) .
• You can refrigerate the dough at this stage for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375F / 190C/ Gas 5 and line some cookie sheets.
• Roll cookie dough into balls and transfer to the lines sheets making sure to press the top down lightly.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 8-9 minutes and remove them from the oven. The cookies will be soft when warm but harden and crinkle more as they cool down.
• Press a sprinkle heart into each still-warm cookie.
• Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• You can roll the cookies in some powdered sugar before serving.

Make From Scratch Instructions:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a stand mixer, at medium speed.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla and almond extract until just combined.
• Add in some food coloring (amount to your preference) until fully combined. (Tip: you want to add a little more than you think as thy color will be lighter after baking).
• You can refrigerate the dough at this stage for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375F / 190C/ Gas 5 and line some cookie sheets.
• Roll cookie dough into balls and transfer to the lines sheets making sure to press the top down lightly.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 8-9 minutes and remove them from the oven. The cookies will be soft when warm but harden and crinkle more as they cool down.
• Press a sprinkle heart into each still-warm cookie.
• Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• You can roll the cookies in some powdered sugar before serving.

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Notes

Recipe Tips

• Measure your flour correctly – aka use a knife to level the flour if using a measuring cup or use your scale.
• Make sure your ingredients are room temperature for the best mixing results.
• The color of the cookies will be lighter after baking, so best to add a little more food coloring than you think you want.
• These Grinch crinkle cookies will be soft straight out of the oven and harden up as they cool down. So please don’t be tempted to over-bake them. 
• If you have time, chill the dough in the refrigerator as this will help hold their shape during baking.
• Feel free to use a Grinch Cookie Cutter to cut out the cookies instead.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe for a crowd.
• Ovens can bake at different temperatures and times, so check on your oatmeal cookies often to prevent under baking or over baking your dessert.

More Christmas Treats

• Grinch Punch.
• Slow Cooker Christmas Candy.
• Grinch Popcorn.
• Festive Frozen Yogurt Bark.
• Christmas White Chocolate Covered Pretzels.

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg