Easy Grinch Cookies are guaranteed to steal the hearts of all your friends and family this Christmas season! This easy Christmas cookie recipe is quick to make and is incredibly festive and fun – just perfect for cookie plates and dessert tables!
Love Christmas cookies? Me too! Try these favorites: Coconut Macaroons, Peanut Butter Blossoms and Peppermint Snowball Cookies!
The Grinch may have stole Christmas but he also stole our hearts. This classic Christmas character is one of our favorites and these cookies are too!
Easy to make cake mix cookies that have been colored green and topped with a heart are truly festive and so fun too! The perfect addition to cookie trays and dessert tables this holiday season.
Cake Mix Cookies
I have shared many cake mix cookies with you over the years and wanted to share this new version with you all. It’s just as easy as the other recipes and very similar to my Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies if you’ve made that one before. You need just a handful of ingredients and then it’s time to whip them together and bake.
I love that the cookie dough doesn’t need to be chilled. It’s a great time saving recipe!
If you are a big fan of my Lemon Whippersnaps (you know who you are!) you can make these cookies using that recipe too. Here’s how:
1. Use a white cake mix.
2. Swap in mint extract for the lemon extract and eliminate the lemon juice.
3. Add green food coloring.
More Christmas Cookies To Try
This Grinch Cookie recipe is so fun to make but don’t stop there! Here are even more Christmas cookies you’ll love:
- Cookie Empanadas
- Reindeer Cookie Bars
- Almond Joy Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- Holiday Dipped Peppermint Oreos
- Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
What You’ll Need
This Grinch Cookie recipe is a breeze to make! As always, you can find the full printable recipe with complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need:
- white cake mix – I used Pillsbury white cake mix but any kind of white cake mix will work. Use a gluten-free mix for gluten-free cookies.
- unsalted butter – softened
- eggs – room temperature
- peppermint or mint extract
- vanilla extract
- green gel food coloring – this is a nice option for a lighter green or you can go darker with this gel coloring.
- powdered or confectioner’s sugar –
- cornstarch – this helps the powdered sugar stick to the cookies without being completely absorbed. You can use tapioca starch or arrowroot powder as well.
- Red heart shaped sprinkles
Raid your leftover Valentine’s Day sprinkles and you’re likely going to find some hearts. If not, here are a couple online options:
- Heart Sprinkles – These are my favorites and I think your best option. Really good quality and it’ll get your ready for Valentine’s Day with an assortment of sprinkles. (Just make these cookies pink for Valentine’s Day!)
- Cinnamon Hearts – will add a nice punch of flavor to the cookies.
- Jumbo Heart Sprinkles – These are bigger than the ones I used which make a nice big impact.
How To Make Grinch Cookies
- Mix together cake mix, butter, and eggs until well combined.
- Add in extracts and green food coloring. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch.
- Scoop the dough and roll the cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar mixture to coat.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are set and the top of the cookies appear dry.
- Immediately place a heart-shaped sprinkle on each cookie, gently pressing it down so it sticks to the cookie.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage Information
Store leftover Grinch Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Let cookies cool completely and transfer to an airtight, freezer safe ziploc bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
Grinch Cookies FAQs
I used a medium sized scoop which is equal to about 1.5 Tablespoons. Feel free to make these cookies bigger or smaller according to your preferences but note that if you change the size of the cookies the recipe will yield a different amount of cookies.
I used about 1 teaspoon of green gel food coloring. As the cookies bake the color will lighten so take note of that while you are adding the coloring to the raw dough. Feel free to make these cookies as dark or light green as you prefer.
Red heart sprinkles are common in stores around Valentine’s Day. I have found them at Wal-Mart year round but if you are unable to find any sprinkles feel free to use a red M&M or draw a small heart with red icing. Here are some online options to consider: Jumbo Heart Sprinkles, Cinnamon Hearts and Heart Sprinkles.
Favorite Christmas Cookies
- Kolaczki (Polish Cookies)
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Reindeer Cookie Bars
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Almond Joy Cookies – Just 4 Ingredients!
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- Coconut Macaroon Blossoms
How To Make Grinch Cookies
Grinch Cookies
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix 432 g box
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract or mint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- green gel food coloring
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 32 g
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- red heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to mix together the cake mix, butter, and eggs until well combined.15.25 ounces white cake mix, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large eggs
- Add in the peppermint (or mint) and vanilla extracts and enough green food coloring to achieve your desired color. Mix on low speed just until combined. The batter will be thick and sticky.2 teaspoons peppermint extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, green gel food coloring
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch.¼ cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Scoop the dough with a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll the cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar mixture to coat. (The cookie dough itself is sticky so keep that in mind.) Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the top of the cookies appear dry.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately place a heart-shaped sprinkle on each cookie, gently pressing it down so it sticks to the cookie.red heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Heart Sprinkles – These are my favorites and I think your best option. Really good quality and it’ll get your ready for Valentine’s Day with an assortment of sprinkles. (Just make these cookies pink for Valentine’s Day!)
- Cinnamon Hearts – will add a nice punch of flavor to the cookies.
- Jumbo Heart Sprinkles – These are bigger than the ones I used which make a nice big impact.
Katie says
Super easy and delicious!
Beverly says
Easy to make. I will cut the mint extract next time, it was a bit too strong for my family.
Keslie says
Hi, can I use a peppermint baking oil instead of extract?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Absolutely!
Wanda says
I made the grinch cookies today and I love them…thankyou
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Liz says
I made these but I used lemon extract instead of peppermint. It was a hit!
LaDona D Gresser says
I love this!!!
Donna Saitta says
I’ve made 3 batches of these cookies already this holiday. They are super easy and delicious. I know I’ll be making them again soon!!!
Joyce Hoffman-Gayley says
I made these cookies but because my family is not crazy about peppermint I increased the vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoon and added 1 teaspoon coconut extract. WOW, they popped with flavor and disappeared very quiickly.