These Grinch Cookies are soft, sweet, festive treats that taste like a classic sugar cookie but with a fun holiday twist. They are tinted the perfect Grinch green, rolled in sparkly sugar, and finished with a little red heart that melts right into the warm cookie. They are adorable, cheerful, and guaranteed to brighten any Christmas cookie box or holiday dessert table.
The dough comes together quickly in one bowl, using simple pantry staples and a few drops of green food coloring for that iconic look. The cookies bake up soft in the center with lightly crisp edges, making them perfect for kids, cookie exchanges, or any cozy December baking day. Press the heart sprinkle on while the cookies are still warm, and just like that, they transform into the sweetest holiday cookies you will ever make.
These cookies were inspired by my Soft Sugar Cookies and are the perfect addition to holiday parties, cookie trays, or festive movie nights. They pair well with a glass of milk, hot chocolate, or anything warm and cozy. Whether you bake them with kids or prepare a batch for gifting, these grinch cookies add a little extra magic to the season.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Soft, chewy, and festive. These cookies bake up with perfectly soft centers, lightly crisp edges, and a bright green color that makes them the cutest addition to any holiday cookie box. The perfect holiday cookie recipe!
- Simple ingredients and easy steps. You only need basic pantry staples, one bowl for mixing, and simple decorating that takes just seconds. No complicated techniques or chill time required for this grinch cookie recipe.
- Perfect for holiday baking. These green cookies are cheerful, kid friendly, and ideal for cookie exchanges, school events, Christmas dessert platters, or a grinch movie night. They always get attention because they look so fun.
- Customizable and make ahead friendly. You can adjust the green color, swap in different sprinkles, and bake them ahead of time. Grinch christmas cookies freeze beautifully and stay soft for days.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
To make these easy Grinch Cookies, you will need the following ingredients (see recipe card below for quantities):
- all purpose flour - Provides structure and helps the cookies stay soft and chewy.
- baking powder - Gives the cookies light lift and keeps the centers soft.
- salt - Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- unsalted butter - Softened butter creams beautifully with sugar, giving the cookies their classic texture.
- white sugar - Sweetens the dough and creates lightly crisp edges. We also use sugar for rolling the cookie dough balls in to add sparkle and a bit of crunch. Rolling the dough in white sugar gives sparkle, but you can also use powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar for a softer, frosty look.
- egg and egg yolk - Add richness and create a soft, tender interior.
- vanilla extract - Adds warm flavor that complements the sugar cookie base.
- green food coloring - Use gel or liquid until you reach the perfect Grinch green.
- red heart sprinkles - The iconic finishing touch representing grinch's small heart. Use red hearts for the classic Grinch look. These are the heart sprinkles I used. You can also use red m&m or cinnamon hearts.
Equipment
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large mixing bowl, a hand mixer or stand mixer, a whisk, a medium cookie scoop, two parchment lined baking sheets, and a cooling rack for finishing the cookies.
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In another large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and white sugar with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add remaining wet ingredients. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and green food coloring. Beat again until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and evenly tinted.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat again until a uniform cookie dough forms.
- Scoop and roll the cookies. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll each piece in white sugar. Arrange the cookies evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies. Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 11-12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the cookies look slightly puffed.
- Add the heart sprinkles. Press one heart sprinkle into the center of each cookie while they are still warm from the oven.
- Cool the cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tip: Add the Heart Sprinkle While Hot
Press the heart sprinkle onto each cookie within the first minute after they come out of the oven. The warmth helps the sprinkle melt slightly into the center, creating that perfect iconic Grinch look that sticks without falling off later.
More Tips and Tricks
- Use softened butter for the best texture. Soft butter creams perfectly with sugar and traps air in the dough, which helps the cookies bake up soft and fluffy. If the butter is too cold, the dough will be dense. If it is too warm, the cookies may spread too much. Leave your butter on the counter for about 30 minutes before starting or press it gently with your fingertip to check softness.
- Do not overmix the dough. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can make the cookies tough and cause them to spread more than you want.
- Adjust the color as you go. Start with a few drops of green food coloring and add more gradually. Food coloring gets darker as it bakes, so aim for a slightly brighter shade than what you want in the final cookie. Gel coloring creates the most vibrant look with minimal liquid.
- Roll in sugar for sparkle. Rolling the dough balls in white sugar adds gentle crunch and pretty shimmer.
- Rotate your baking sheet for even baking. Every oven has hot spots, so rotate your baking sheet halfway through if your cookies seem to brown quickly on one side.
Recipe Variations
- Extra chewy version. Add a tablespoon of cornstarch for a softer, chewier cookie.
- Mint Grinch cookies. Add a drop of peppermint extract for a minty holiday twist.
- Sparkle Grinch cookies. Roll the dough in green sanding sugar instead of white.
- Red heart icing. Instead of sprinkles, pipe a tiny red icing heart on each cookie.
- Chocolate Grinch cookies. Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder for a chocolate green cookie version.
- Sprinkle edges. Roll the dough in red and green sprinkles for an extra festive look.
Storage
How to Store
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They stay soft and chewy for several days. You can place them in the fridge if your kitchen runs warm. They pack beautifully into cookie tins and are ideal for sharing as part of lots of christmas cookies during the season.
How to Reheat
Warm in the microwave for 5-8 seconds for that fresh from the oven softness.
How to Freeze
Freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. Freeze the dough balls separately for fresh baked cookies anytime.
How to Serve
Serve Grinch Cookies on holiday dessert trays, school party treat boxes, cookie exchange platters, or alongside hot chocolate during Christmas movie nights. Their bright green color and little red heart make them a joyful addition to any festive celebration.
These are my favorite drinks to serve with Grinch Cookies:
Holiday Cookie Week
These cookies are part of our Annual Cookie Week! For more sweet inspiration, explore our full holiday cookie collection from this year and year's past. You will find everything from nostalgic classics and colourful decorated cookies to creative flavours and fun themed bakes that make our annual Cookie Week such a favourite tradition.
FAQ
Grinch cookies are soft, chewy sugar cookies tinted bright green to resemble the famous character from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. They are rolled in sugar for extra sparkle and finished with a small red heart that melts slightly into the warm cookie. The color and little heart make them instantly recognizable and perfect for holiday cookie trays, Christmas parties, or baking with kids. They taste similar to a classic soft sugar cookie and rely on simple pantry ingredients, which makes them easy for beginners and fun for festive baking days. Their cheerful look always brings a little extra magic to the season.
Green Grinch cookies start with a soft sugar cookie dough made from butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and vanilla. Once the wet ingredients are mixed, add a few drops of green food coloring until you reach the perfect shade of Grinch green. Gel food coloring works best because it creates strong color with very little liquid. Roll the dough in sugar to add sparkle, then bake until just set. While the cookies are still warm, press a red heart sprinkle into the center of each one so it melts slightly into the cookie. Let them cool fully before storing or decorating further.
To make a cake mix version, use one box of vanilla or white cake mix, one third cup of oil, and two eggs. Stir together until a dough forms. Add green food coloring until you reach the shade you like. Scoop the dough, roll in sugar, and bake at 350°F for about 10 to 12 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, press a small red heart sprinkle into each one. Cake mix cookies will be softer and slightly more cakey than the scratch version, but they are fast, easy, and perfect for last minute holiday baking.
Yes, you can still make delicious cookies without food coloring, but they will not have the classic Grinch look. If you prefer to skip artificial coloring, use a natural green gel color or matcha powder to tint the dough slightly. Matcha adds a mild earthy flavor that pairs surprisingly well with vanilla sugar cookies. See our Matcha Cookies. You can also keep them natural and simply add the red heart sprinkle for a minimalist Grinch theme.
Cookies often spread too much when the butter is too warm, the dough was overmixed, or the flour measurement was too light. To fix this, chill the dough for 15 minutes before baking or add an extra tablespoon of flour. Using a kitchen scale helps ensure accurate measurements, especially for flour. Also make sure your baking sheet is fully cool before placing a new batch of dough on it, since a warm sheet can cause cookies to spread before they set.
Yes, these cookies freeze extremely well and are great for make ahead holiday baking. You can freeze the baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer them to an airtight freezer safe container for up to two months. To freeze the dough, scoop and roll the dough balls in sugar, then freeze them on a sheet pan until solid before transferring them to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen with one or two extra minutes added to the cook time. Add the heart sprinkle after baking while the cookies are still warm so it sticks properly.
You can keep the classic look with a red heart or add a dusting of powdered sugar for extra sparkle. Rolling the dough in a sugar mixture before baking also adds shine and helps highlight the Grinch green color. These cookies look adorable on cookie plates and are perfect for bringing holiday spirit to parties or family baking days.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic Dr. Seuss story about a grumpy creature who dislikes Christmas and tries to stop it by taking all the presents, decorations, and food from the Whos in Whoville. After carrying out his plan, the Grinch is surprised when the Whos still celebrate with joy even without their things. Seeing that Christmas is more than gifts, his heart grows, and he has a change of heart. He returns everything he took and joins the Whos for their holiday celebration. The story teaches kindness, compassion, and the true meaning of the season.
The word "Grinch" refers to someone who is grumpy or tries to spoil other people's fun, especially during the holiday season. It comes from the character in Dr. Seuss's story How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Over time, the name has become a common way to describe someone who is not excited about Christmas or who complains about holiday traditions.
The Grinch was originally drawn black and white, but in the 1966 animated film (one of our favorite Christmas movies!), the creators decided to make him green. The bright green color made him stand out visually and emphasized his mischievous personality. The color later became iconic and is now recognized worldwide as part of the Grinch's character.
In the story, the Grinch dislikes Christmas because he feels annoyed by the noise, celebrations, and joyful energy coming from Whoville. His isolated home and grumpy personality make him feel disconnected from the warmth of the holiday.
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Recipe
Grinch Cookies
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Grinch Cookies are soft, chewy green sugar cookies rolled in sparkly sugar and topped with a red heart. The cutest Christmas cookies for holiday baking.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (320 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups (250 grams) white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- green food coloring, to desired color intensity
- 16 heart sprinkles
- ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and white sugar with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and green food coloring. Beat again until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and evenly tinted.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat again until a uniform cookie dough forms.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll each piece in white sugar. Arrange the cookies evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the cookies look slightly puffed.
- Press one heart sprinkle into the center of each cookie while they are still warm from the oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
How to store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They stay soft and chewy for several days.
How to reheat: Warm in the microwave for 5-8 seconds for that fresh from the oven softness.
How to freeze: Freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. Freeze the dough balls separately for fresh baked cookies anytime.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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