These easy Grinch cookies are a cute and festive cookie recipe made with cake mix! Inspired by the Christmas movie, they are tinted Grinch green, rolled in powdered sugar and decorated with a heart sprinkle.

A close-up view of a soft green Grinch cookie coated in powdered sugar with a small red heart in the center.

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Easy Grinch Cookies Recipe with Cake Mix

I made this fun version of my favorite cake mix cookie recipe with the classic Christmas movie ‘The Grinch’ in mind. They are soft and chewy with that cake flavor everyone loves.

Adding green food coloring and an adorable heart sprinkle is sure to steal the hearts both kids and adults! They are perfect for cookies plates along with my Christmas Grinch cake pops or Christmas reindeer cookies!

Why This Recipe Works

  • Easy to make. Anyone can make these cookies from beginner baker to novice chef. You don’t even need any tools such as an electric mixer.
  • Simple ingredients. These Grinch cookies ingredients are straightforward and you may already have most of them in your pantry!
  • Festive. Grinch cookies along with a glass of Grinch punch will fill you with holiday spirit. Don’t be surprised if family and friends hearts grow 3 sizes just like the Grinch!
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These are absolutely amazing! We made them for every holiday and were a hit! Honestly my new favorite cookie!

Emily

Ingredients

The cookie dough is made using boxed cake mix as the “flour” mixture rather than making the actual cake mix.

Measured ingredients for Grinch cookies laid out on a marble surface, including a cake mix packet, butter, eggs, powdered sugar, oil, green food coloring, and red heart sprinkles.

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 and oil: Using both softened butter and vegetable oil adds moisture to the dough for a moist, soft cookie.
  • Large eggs: These bind the cookie dough together so it holds its shape while baking.
  • Powdered sugar and cornstarch: Are used to roll the cookies in before baking to give them a snowy effect as well as add a sweet touch.
  • Food coloring: Green food coloring gives it a Grinch look while gel coloring helps “glue” the heart sprinkles on each cookie.
  • Heart sprinkles: Add a heart sprinkle on top of the green cookies to show how grinch’s small heart and love grew in the end.

How to Make Grinch Cookies

Have a fun night celebrating the Grinch with these special Christmas cookies! They are so easy to make and result in a cookie that is tender, chewy and cake-like.

Showing how to make a grinch cookies recipe in a 4 step collage.
  • Mix together. In a large 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.
Baking sheet lined with parchment paper holding freshly baked green Grinch cookies with red heart sprinkles.

Tips for the Best Grinch Cookies

You can’t go wrong with these grinch Christmas cookies but here are some extra tips to know just what to do in order to make the perfect cookie recipe.

  • Cookie dough from cake mix. Whether you are making cake mix cookies or cake mix bars, don’t follow the instructions on the back of the box, you aren’t actually making cake!
  • 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 roll the cookie dough balls in confectioners sugar.
  • Turn it green! For Grinch Christmas cookies start small with food coloring, then add more to reach the perfect shade of green. Once you add it, you can’t take it back.
  • Under bake cookies. 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.
A white plate filled with bright green Grinch cookies dusted with powdered sugar and topped with small red heart sprinkles.

Love Christmas cookies? Don’t miss my Christmas sugar cookies, red velvet cake mix cookies or snickerdoodle cake mix cookies, too.

More Christmas Cookies

A close-up view of a soft green Grinch cookie coated in powdered sugar with a small red heart in the center.

Grinch Cookies

5 from 42 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Chill time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
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."
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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
  • heart sprinkles , or red hots candies

Instructions

  • Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Mix ingredients: In a mixing bowl, place the dry box cake mix, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs and 1 Tablespoon oil. Mix until well combined. Add green food coloring until desired color of green is reached.
  • Mix sugar and cornstarch: In a separate small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cornstarch, for rolling the dough in. You can also skip the cornstarch, but it will not be as white.
  • Roll in sugar: Shape dough into balls with medium cookie scoop and roll into powdered sugar mixture twice, to make sure they are well coated. Place onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Add heart: Add a heart sprinkle or red hot candy to the top of each cookie.
  • Bake: 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.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Note: This is a sticky dough, so I like to chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to shaping and rolling to help make it easier to work with. 
Storing and freezing: These cookies will stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. You may also freeze them for up to 3 months. Let thaw on the counter for about 2 hours before enjoying. 

Nutrition

Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 164mg, Potassium: 17mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 138IU, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to make this recipe your own!

  • Use white cake mix instead of vanilla. You can even use this pistachio cookie recipe as the base instead if you’d like!
  • Skip the powdered sugar coating or even mix white chocolate chips into the dough.
  • For decorating, swap the sprinkles with a red hots, heart candies or red M&M’s.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

No, but if you love thicker, softer cookies I recommend chilling them.. 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 before baking if you love thicker cookies.

How do you keep cookies from going flat?

The more fat you have in your cookies the more 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.

How to store Grinch cookies?

For storage, these Grinch cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container or bag for about 3 to 4 days.

Can I freeze Grinch cookies?

Yes, these freeze beautifully 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.

Recipe contributed by Mandy’s Recipe Box and inspired by Katrina’s Kitchen.