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Grinch Cookies – easy recipe from a box cake mix! Kids friendly, delicious bright green soft crinkle cookies. Includes VIDEO!
The Grinch. Cuddly as a cactus. . .charming as an eel whose heart was two sizes too small. That classic movie deserves its own fun, tasty cookie while you watch. This simple recipe is it.
Time the kitchen with your favorite little people will leave your heart (and stomach) full. ♥
what are grinch cookies?
Grinch Cookies are the ideal snack for watching The Grinch or pretty much any holiday movie. The bright green color makes them Grinch-like and they couldn’t be any easier to make – even for toddlers – watch the video!
They’re soft with lightly crispy bottoms and sugar cookie flavor with festive colors and it all starts with a box cake mix!
Grinch Cookies Ingredients:
- white or vanilla box cake mix
- butter softened to room temp
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- green gel food coloring
- confectioners/powdered sugar
- cornstarch
- candy hearts (or sub red cinnamon candies)
- parchment paper for easier cleanup
To “glue” the hearts:
- confectioners sugar
- milk
- piping bag or sandwich size baggie
How to make Grinch Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 375° then add the dry cake mix, room temp butter, eggs and oil to a medium size mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine.
Stir in green food coloring gel until it reaches your ideal shade of green then refrigerate the dough 15 minutes for easier handling.
After 15 minutes combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Roll the chilled dough into about 1 – 1 1/2” balls (use a scooper if you have one) then coat the balls in the powdered sugar mixture.
Place the cookie balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (do not flatten the balls) and bake 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly brown on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and leave the cookies on the sheet for 2 minutes (this gives you lightly crispy bottoms and soft insides) then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Can I use liquid food coloring instead of gel?
I don’t recommend liquid because it will make the batter looser. Plus gel food coloring gives a more intense color. Perfect for these cookies!
how to decorate grinch cookies:
The only decoration these tasty cookies need is a little red heart.
To ‘glue’ the hearts on, in a small bowl blend the “glue” ingredients (confectioners sugar/milk) then add it to a sandwich baggie or piping bag. Clip a small corner of the baggie then pipe a dot of ‘glue’ onto the top of the cookie. Gently press the heart in place and let it set a couple of minutes to dry.
Do grinch cookies freeze well?
Yes – these cookies freeze really well!
For best results, after baking and completely cooling the cookies store them in a single layer in a freezer/air tight container. If you’re stacking the cookies, layer with wax paper between.
To freeze raw dough, roll into balls before freezing and freeze on a baking sheet. Once they’re solid transfer to an air tight container. When you’re ready to bake, thaw on the counter about 30 minutes then roll in the powder sugar/corn starch mixture and bake according to the recipe.
Looking for other holiday cookie recipes?
Snowball Christmas Cookies – buttery, nutty, rolled in powdered sugar. A melt-in-your-mouth holiday must!
Cake Mix Sprinkle Cookies – just 4 ingredients! Easy to customize for any holiday.
Enjoy!
If you tried this Grinch Cookie recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or a bunch of stars below!
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Grinch Cookies Recipe
A Gouda Life
Grinch Cookies boxed cake mix. fun, tasty holiday treat for kids of all ages.
3.60 from 42 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box cake mix white or yellow
- 4 tablespoons butter softened to room temp
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- green food coloring gel type recommended
- ⅓ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- Candy hearts may substitute red cinnamon candies
- Parchment paper optional
- “Glue” for hearts:
- ¼ cup confectioners/powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Sandwich size baggie
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the dry cake mix, room temp butter, eggs and oil to a medium size mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine.
Blend in green food color gel until it reaches your preferred shade of green then refrigerate the dough 15 minutes for easier handling.
Combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Roll the dough into about 1” balls (use a scooper if you have one) then coat the balls in the powdered sugar mixture.
Place the cookie balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (do not flatten the balls) and bake 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly brown on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Decorating the Grinch Cookies:
In a small bowl blend the “glue” ingredients then add to a sandwich baggie. Clip a small corner of the baggie then pipe a dot of glue onto the top of the cookie. Press a red heart in place then allow to set couple of minutes to dry.
Keyword grinch cookies, grinch recipes, holiday cookies,
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