Grinch Cookies are such a fun and easy cookie to make around the holidays! This simple recipe comes together in no time and is great for parties and cookie exchanges!
I’ve made my fair share of cake mix cookies and when I wanted to make a Grinch Cookie for the holiday’s this year, I knew I wanted to make a version of my super easy cookie!
Previous cake mix cookies include lemon, red velvet cookies, gingerbread, and carrot cake cookies. All simple and all delicious!
Grinch Cookies are fun to make with the family for a Grinch movie night (amazon affiliate link) or perfect to pair with some Christmas Wreath Cookies, Cracker Candy, Gingerbread Man Cookies, and Christmas Tree Cupcakes for a dessert exchange!
These cookies are so delightful! The green color is for the Grinch’s fur, the heart candy is for the Heart that was small but grew three sizes, and the powdered sugar is snow!
Grinch Cookies Ingredients
- White Cake Box Mix
- Eggs
- Unsalted Butter
- Green Food Coloring Gel
- Peppermint Extract- this is optional but I love the added peppermint flavor!
- Powdered sugar
- Red Heart Candies or Red M&Ms
This recipe is so simple and I love using it for cake mix cookies.
How to make Grinch Cookies
- Melt butter.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter, food coloring, extract, and white cake mix.
- Roll each cookie in powdered sugar then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Soon after removing from the oven, while the cookies are still warm, gently press a heart sprinkle into each one.
Substitutions
Cake Mix: White cake mix takes the green coloring nicely, but a yellow cake mix with a little blue coloring would probably make a good green color.
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Butter: Use vegetable oil in a 1:1 swap for the butter if you need to.
Green Food Coloring: I recommend the gel but if all you have is the water-based kind you can use that, just add enough until you get a good green color. (amazon affiliate link)
Variations:
- Just Green: Don’t roll the cookies in powdered sugar if you just want them to be green without the white.
- Hearts: Use leftover Valentines Heart candies, red hots, red m&ms or pipe on a little red heart with frosting or decorating gel!
- Candy Cookies: After mixing the dough together fold in 1 ½ cup red and green M&Ms, scoop and bake (skip the powdered sugar). These make an equally fun and festive cookie that is full of Grinchyness!
How to store Grinch cookies?
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for 4-6 days.
Can you freeze Grinch cookies?
Yes! After baking, allow the cookies to cool completely, then store in a freezer safe zip loc bag for up to 3 months.
Helpful Tips:
Dough: The cookie dough will be a bit sticky but that’s normal!
Color: The color of the cookie will lighten as it bakes so feel free to add more green coloring after your first batch if you want them to be darker.
Size: I like to use a cookie scoop for these cookies just so all of them are uniform but if you don’t have one just scoop a heaping tablespoon, roll, and bake. (amazon affiliate link)
How to get perfectly round cookies?
If you want perfectly round cookies take a circle cookie cutter while the cookies are still warm and place over the cookie and gently move the cookie around inside the cookie cutter to help reshape it.
Watch how to make this recipe!
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Grinch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract optional
- ½ teaspoon Green Food Coloring Gel
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
- Red Heart Candies or Red M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the white cake mix, eggs, melted butter, peppermint extract, and green food coloring gel.1 box white cake mix, 2 eggs, ⅓ cup butter melted, ½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract, ½ teaspoon Green Food Coloring Gel
- Scoop out dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar.1-2 cups powdered sugar
- Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. When you first remove the cookies from the oven, carefully and gently press a heart shaped candy in to the cookie.Red Heart Candies or Red M&Ms
- After a 1 minute on the baking sheet, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for 4-6 days.
- Hearts: Use leftover Valentine Day sprinkles for the hearts, cinnamon heart candies, or pipe on a little heart using red frosting.
Lisa says
These are so adorable and everyone always loves them when I take them to parties!