Easy Grinch Cookies Recipe (no Cake Mix)
These adorable Grinch Cookies look and taste like soft green crinkle cookies. They are perfect for the holiday season. You can serve them at Christmas parties, a Grinch movie night, or cookie exchanges.
Grinch Cookies
If your kids are fans of Dr. Seuss and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (book or movie), you have got to make them some Grinch Christmas cookies. These green cookies with the small red heart sprinkle are sure to make them giggle and be full of the Christmas spirit.
These chewy sugar cookies are delicious, easy to make, and the perfect snack to munch on while watching your favorite Christmas movies.
Easy Christmas Cookies
I love Christmas cookies and baking them with my kids is one of my favorite holiday traditions. Sometimes we decorate cookies, sometimes we bake delicious cookies that are not decorated, and sometimes we make easy Grinch cookies… which are both delicious and a little bit decorated.
Why You’ll Love The Grinch Cookies
- Made from common pantry ingredients – this is the perfect holiday cookie recipe.
- These easy Grinch cookies are impressive without having to do any fancy decorating!
- This is a chewy cookie that is also so much fun with the red candy heart.
- Grinch Cookies without cake mix, for those who prefer scratch recipes! Y’all know I don’t mind a cake mix recipe but this happens not to be one. 😉
More Grinch Recipes
Equipment Needed
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spoon
- Hand Mixer
- 2 tablespoon Cookie Scoop, quick release
- Small bowl & spoon
- Baking sheet or Cookie Sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
The ingredients for this Grinch cookies recipe are really common and easy to find at any grocery store. That’s another reason this is a great recipe.
- Butter – I use salted butter, but unsalted would work just as well.
- Powdered Sugar, divided – no granulated sugar in this recipe.
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract – homemade or store-bought
- Peppermint Extract (optional) – The peppermint extract really gives these cookies a Christmas vibe, but if you prefer the flavor of buttery sugar cookies without peppermint, skip it!
- Green Food Coloring – I use gel color and if you can get Americolor Electric Green gel food coloring, your cookies will be truly bright green. You can use liquid food coloring if that’s all you can find.
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cornstarch
- Small Red Heart Sprinkles, Jumbo Heart Sprinkles or Red Candy Hearts
Find the complete recipe with ingredients measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
Can’t find the small hearts for the Grinch sugar cookies? You could use a red M&M in the center of the cookie to represent the Grinch’s small heart and you’d still have cute Grinch cookies.
How to Make Grinch Cookies
This Grinch cookie recipe is easy and ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes!
- Stir together the butter and 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar.
- Then stir in the eggs, vanilla, peppermint, and food dye.
- Once well combined, stir in the remaining dry ingredients: flour and baking powder to form a dough.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least one hour, it will still be just the slightest bit sticky after chilling.
- Preheat your oven 350℉ and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the sugar topping by stirring together the cornstarch and the rest of the powdered sugar (¾ cup).
- Use your cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough balls out of the large bowl and place it in the bowl with the powdered sugar. Roll the ball in the sugar and cornstarch mixture until completely covered, then place on your baking sheet.
- Repeat step 7 until you run out of dough.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly firm.
- Place a heart sprinkle in the center as soon as the baked cookies come out of the oven.
- Place on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes then enjoy!
Green Christmas Cookies
If The Grinch is not your favorite holiday movie and you need green sugar cookies, you can make this recipe for Grinch cookies and skip the Grinch’s heart candy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Grinchy Crinkle Cookies with a cup of hot chocolate, a glass of cold milk, or even a cup of coffee for the grownups.
You can use these Grinch Heart Cookies for so many occasions and holiday parties at Christmas time:
- Grinch Christmas party
- After-school snack
- Classroom party
- Cookie Exchange
- This cookie is the perfect addition to Cookie Platters
- Family Movie Night (watch the classic movie!)
More Grinch Recipes
- How to Make Easy Grinch Cupcakes with a Heart
- Grinch Shot Recipe (Christmas Shots)
- Easy Grinch Cake + 10 More Grinch Cake Ideas!
- Easy 3 Ingredient Grinch Punch Recipe
Storage Directions
Store at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
FAQ
The best way to store leftovers is at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Please note that the sugar & cornstarch coating will start to melt after 24 hours.
Yes, the cookie dough may feel pillowy while mixing it, that is normal.
Yes, this is necessary! The dough will be too sticky to work with if you don’t chill it first.
You should have some leftovers, but it should not be a ton. If you’re worried you’ll have too much leftover, be sure to roll the cookie dough in the mixture twice before baking.
This isn’t absolutely needed, but it is part of what makes it a Grinch cookie. You could use a red M&M instead if that’s easier for you to find.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
I love lots of Christmas cookies on the blog but here are some of my favorites:
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe
- Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Cake Mix Cookies
- Andes Mints Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pecan Praline Cookies: The 1986 Winner’s Recipe
- Homemade Pecan Sandies
- Chewy Caramel Oatmeal Cookies (with Cookie Mix)
- The Ultimate Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies Recipe
- Easy Red Velvet Peppermint Cookies
Easy Grinch Cookies Recipe (no Cake Mix)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
Description
These adorable Grinch Cookies look and taste like soft green crinkle cookies. They are perfect for the holiday season. You can serve them at Christmas parties, a Grinch movie night, or cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar, divided (2 cups in cookies, 1/2 to roll in)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- 1 teaspoon Green Food Coloring
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 21 Small Red Heart Sprinkles
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowl
- Spoon or Hand Mixer
- 2 tablespoon Cookie Scoop, quick release
- Small bowl & spoon
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and 2 cups powdered sugar.
- Then mix in the eggs, vanilla, peppermint, and food dye.
- Once well combined, mix in the flour and baking powder to form a dough.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least one hour, it will still be just the slightest bit sticky after chilling.
- Preheat your oven 350℉ and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the sugar topping by mixing the cornstarch and the rest of the powdered sugar (1/2 cup) .
- Use your cookie scoop to scoop a ball of cookie dough out of the large bowl and place it in the bowl with the powdered sugar. Roll the ball in the sugar and cornstarch mixture until completely covered, then place on your baking sheet.
- Repeat step 7 until you run out of dough.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly firm.
- Place a heart sprinkle in the center as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow them to cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack and enjoy!
Notes
Store at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
