Description

These festive Grinch Cookies are a fun and colorful treat inspired by the beloved holiday character. Made with vanilla cake mix and tinted green, these soft, chewy cookies are rolled in a powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture for a delicate crust, then topped with heart-shaped sprinkles or red candies for a sweet, decorative touch. Perfect for Christmas parties or as a holiday gift, these easy-to-make cookies bring joy and whimsy to your festive dessert tray.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

1 box vanilla cake mix
⅓ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
Green food coloring (enough to reach desired green shade)

Coating

1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Decoration

Heart sprinkles or small red sprinkles, M&M’s, or Skittles

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line two cookie sheets or baking pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
Prepare Coating Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Set this mixture aside; it will be used to coat the cookie dough balls.
Mix Dough: In a large bowl, combine the vanilla cake mix, softened unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and eggs. Use a handheld mixer to blend everything until the dough is smooth and well combined. Add green food coloring gradually until you achieve the desired bright green color. Note that the batter will be very thick at this stage.
Shape and Coat Cookies: Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop out dough balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Drop each dough ball into the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture, gently rolling it around to coat it evenly. Be careful as the dough is soft. Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through for even cooking. The cookies are done when they puff up and the edges become firm to the touch.
Add Decorations: Right after removing the cookies from the oven, press a heart-shaped sprinkle or a small red candy into each cookie. Gently press them so they adhere, ideally placing them in one of the cracks on the cookie surface to help them stick better.
Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will deflate and flatten as they cool, which is normal. Once cool, serve and enjoy your festive Grinch Cookies!

Notes

Using room temperature eggs and butter helps the dough mix together better.
The dough will be very thick and soft, so be gentle when rolling it in the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture.
If you don’t have heart sprinkles, small red candies like M&M’s or Skittles work well for decoration.
Cookies will flatten as they cool, which is expected and does not affect taste.
For a stronger green color, add food coloring a few drops at a time to avoid over-coloring the dough.