These Christmas Grinch cookies are another fun version of cake mix cookies! Turn them green and add a heart to make them look like the “Grinch.“
Table of Contents
Grinch Cookies with Cake Mix
Christmas cookies are the best out there if you ask me. I love when neighbors bring goody plates around the holidays. It’s always fun to see what treats will be shared.
I made this fun version of my favorite cake mix cookie recipe with The Grinch in mind. It’s our absolute favorite Christmas movie. Adding the green food coloring and adorable heart sprinkle is the perfect touch.
They are soft and chewy with that cake flavor everyone loves. Both kids and adults will adore them, especially when you put them on a plate with these Christmas reindeer cookies!
Recipe Ingredients
These grinch cookies ingredients are straight forward and all the pantry staples you already have. You will make the cookie dough using the cake mix as a “flour” mixture rather than making the actual cake mix.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Cake mix: You will only need the dry mix from a vanilla cake mix box. Pick your favorite brand and use the box mix for the dry ingredients in the dough.
- Butter: Soften the butter at room temperature but not too soft.
- Eggs: Helps binds the cookie dough together and holds the shape of the dough while being baked.
- Oil: Use either vegetable or canola oil to add moisture to the dough.
- Food coloring: Green is the main color but change it up depending on the holiday or what you are celebrating!
- Powdered sugar: Added in for sweetness but also for the thickness and texture of the cookies.
- Cornstarch: This is always a strange ingredient but you will love how chewy these cookies turn out because of it.
- Heart candies: Add a heart at the end on the green cookies to show the Grinches love and his heart grew in the end.
- Gel coloring: Use this to “glue” the heart sprinkles on each cookie.
How to Make Grinch Cookies
Have a fun night celebrating the Grinch with these special Christmas cookies. These cookies are always fun to make and a great way to celebrate the holiday season. Grinch cookies are so simple to make!
- Mix together. In a mixing bowl, place the dry cake mix, butter, eggs and oil. Mix until well combined. Add green food coloring until desired color of green is reached. Mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch.
- Use a cookie scoop. Roll dough into balls and into powdered sugar mixture and place onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Bake. 8-10 minutes or until the centers have set, making sure not to let the cookies brown. Remove from oven and let sit 2 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely.
- Add hearts! Using green decorating gel or frosting, place a dot onto each cookie and add a heart sprinkle or red hot candy.
Tips for the Best Grinch Cookies
You can’t go wrong with these grinch Christmas cookies! Here are some extra tips to know just what to do in order to make the perfect cookie recipe. Make your Grinch night even better with this helpful ways to
- Refrigerate. Cake mix cookie dough can be a bit sticky, so it helps to refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes. This makes it easier to shape and roll the cookie dough balls in confectioners sugar.
- Turn it green! Start small with the food coloring, then add more as needed to reach the perfect shade of green. Once you add it, you’re stuck with that color!
- Underbake cookies.You don’t want the outside of the cookies to get brown, so make sure not to over bake them in the oven. Once the centers are set, that’s when they’re ready. They should be soft and chewy in texture.
- Cool on a wire rack. Let the cookies cool completely before adding the red heart sprinkles on top with the gel food coloring.
Variations
Feel free to make this recipe your own! Use white cake mix instead of vanilla, skip the powdered sugar coating or even mix white chocolate chips into the dough. For decorating, swap the sprinkles with a red hots or red M&M’s. You can even use this pistachio cookie recipe as the base instead if you’d like!
Recipe FAQs
Cookies are a magical treat! There are so many variables to sugar cookies and baking. The type of dry ingredients, how many eggs, and how soft your butter is. These all play a key factor into making the most chewy or crispy kind of cookies.
It is strange to say but the colder things are the thicker the cookies seem to be. Place your dough in the fridge for a few hours to set up. You can also use cold butter and let your cookie sheets cool before adding on more cookie dough balls.
The more fat you have in your cookies the most the cookie will flatten. The flour to butter ratio has to be balanced in order to have the cookies fluff up and stay in their shape. If the cookie dough is too soft either chill it for a few hours or add in more flour to balance it out.
Storing + Freezing
These grinch cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container or bag for about 3 to 4 days. They also freeze beautifully as well and will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to flash freeze them on a baking sheet first until they harden, then add them to a freezer bag and store (the cookies won’t stick together this way). Let them thaw on the counter for about 2 hours prior to enjoying.
5 star review
These are absolutely amazing! We made them for every holiday and were a hit! Honestly my new favorite cookie!
– Emily
Looking for more ways to use a cake mix for a fun dessert? Try these cake mix bar cookies, I know they will be a hit!
More Christmas Cookies
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Grinch Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box vanilla cake mix (dry mix)
- ½ cup butter , softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- green food coloring
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- heart sprinkles , or red hots candies
- green decorating gel or frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, place the dry cake mix, butter, eggs and oil. Mix until well combined.
- Add green food coloring until desired color of green is reached.
- Mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch. Roll dough into balls and into powdered sugar mixture and place onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Bake 8-10 minutes or until the centers have set, making sure not to let the cookies brown. Remove from oven and let sit 2 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely.
- Using green decorating gel or frosting, place a dot onto each cookie and add a heart sprinkle or red hot candy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe contributed by Mandy’s Recipe Box and inspired by Katrina’s Kitchen.
Loved it! My kids are obsessed with The Grinch so perfect snack for movie night and so yummy! ❤️
Ah I’m so glad to hear! Thanks for your review :)
Hi,
If I use white cake mix should I add in some vanilla extract?
You can! I’d add about 1 teaspoon vanilla :)
Can I use yellow cake mix? Thanks Mary,Happy Holidays😊
It may change the color since the cake is yellow, but you could always give it a shot!
why add the cornstarch to the powdered sugar?
Adding the cornstarch will help the powdered sugar stick to the cookies without being absorbed.
We hosted a Grinch movie watch party last night for our daughters and all of their cousins, and I decided to make these for the kids! They were a huge hit! So easy and absolutely delicious!
That sounds so fun!! So happy the kids loved them :) Thanks for your comment and review, Alisha!