Easy and cute Grinch cookies made with cake mix! These soft and gooey cookies are decorated with tiny heart-shaped sprinkles, and powdered sugar to replicate snow. They are the perfect holiday cookies to bake with your kids!
If you love The Grinch movie as my family does, then you are in for a treat! This delicious cookie recipe couldn’t get any easier with cake mix, and it’s really fun to decorate!
I love making cake mix cookies for convenience. They always taste great, and it means that my cookies are ready in a pinch! These grinch cookies are soft, with perfect crinkles, dusted with powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture for snow, and then topped with tiny red heart sprinkles.
Looking for more easy Christmas desserts? Try my Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, and this easy Condensed Milk Fudge!
Why This Recipe Works
- So Easy. You don’t have to be an experienced baker to nail these cookies! I promise you, it’s very easy.
- Few Basic Ingredients. You only need 6 simple ingredients to make these cookies including cake mix. I bet they are ingredients you already have in your pantry. You might only need to go out and buy heart sprinkles and green food coloring.
- Quick. With boxed cake mix, these cookies are ready in just half an hour from start to finish!
- No Cookie Dough Chilling Required. Don’t we all just love such cookie recipes?
Ingredients
- Cake Mix. Start with a box of your favorite cake mix. I use Betty Crocker Vanilla cake mix and love it!
- Butter and Oil. This is the fat that’s going to make a moist and soft cookie.
- Eggs. Always use large eggs at room temperature for baking.
- Powdered Sugar and Cornstarch. While these 2 ingredients are optional, they are used to roll the cookie dough balls in before baking to create that pretty snow effect on the cookies.
- Food Coloring. I always recommend using gel food coloring as it doesn’t change its color after baking. I used Wilton Green Leaf Wilton Gel Coloring.
- Sprinkles. You can either use heart shaped sprinkles, or melt candy melts and draw little hearts. I used these Wilton jumbo heart sprinkles in this recipe.
How To Make Grinch Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine powdered sugar with cornstarch and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine butter with oil and eggs. Using a hand mixer, beat until well combined (30 seconds).
- Add the cake mix and mix until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Add green food coloring, and mix again. Add enough to reach the desired shade.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough balls directly into the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture. The dough balls will be very soft. Gently roll in powdered sugar mixture and transfer to the cookie sheets.
- Bake – rotating the cookie sheet halfway through – for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up. If you cook for too long, the edges will brown and change color, so avoid that from happening.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips For Making The Best Ever Grinch Cookies
- Use a Small Cookies Scoop. I used a small cookie scoop, and got 32 cookies in total. Each cookie was around 2.5″ in diameter. Using a bigger cookie scoop will result in a monster size cookie that can turn out too thin.
- Do not overbake the cookies! If you bake the cookies for too long, the edges will turn yellow, so avoid that by watching the cookies closely.
- Use the Right Equipment. Cookie baking is easy when you’re using the right equipment.
For cookie sheets, I recommend using 2 of these sheets lined with these Silicone Mats.
For the mixer, my favorite is this hand mixer as it comes with 9 speeds and has a low setting which many other brands don’t have.
As for cookie scoops, I recommend these cookie scoops. The quality is great, they’re nice to use, and will last you for a very long time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t follow the instructions at the back of the cake mix box, we aren’t making a cake. Reduce the amount of eggs, and omit the liquid to turn the batter into thick cookie dough. Follow my recipe here.
No, chilling the dough is not required in this recipe.
You don’t need much at all as you’re trying to reach the grinch signature green color. Use a toothpick and add a little at a time until you reach the desired Grinch green color.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up for 1 week.
I can’t wait to hear how much you loved these cute grinch cookies! When I make these, the kids always tell me how these are the best cookies ever!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
For more Christmas desserts, check out my Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, and this easy Condensed Milk Fudge!
Grinch Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch (Cornflour in the UK and Australia)
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 15.25oz/425g box cake mix
- green food coloring
- heart shaped sprinkles or candy melts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine powdered sugar with corn starch and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine butter with oil and eggs. Using a hand mixer, beat until well combined (30 seconds).
- Add the cake mix, and mix until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Add green food coloring, and mix again. I used Wilton green leaf gel coloring. Add enough to reach the desired shade.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough balls directly into the powdered sugar and corn starch mixture. The dough balls will be very soft. Gently roll in the mixture and transfer to the cookie sheets.
- Bake – rotating the cookie sheet halfway through – for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up. If you cook for too long, the edges will brown and change color so avoid that from happening.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To decorate with hearts, use 1 tablespoon of the leftover corn starch and powdered sugar and mix with 1 tablespoon of water. Use this as glue and attach the hearts. Or use icing.
Notes
- Use a Small Cookies Scoop. I used a small cookie scoop, and got 32 cookies in total. Each cookie was around 2.5″ in diameter. Using a bigger cookie scoop will result in a monster size cookie that can turn out too thin.
- Do not overbake the cookies! If you bake the cookies for too long, the edges will turn yellow, so avoid that by watching the cookies closely.
- Use the Right Equipment. Cookie baking is easy when you’re using the right equipment.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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Comments & Reviews
Melissa says
Does the butter need to be melted or just room temp?
Sandi Jardine says
I’m excited to try these for a Cookie exchange in a couple weeks!
Can you tell me how will I need to change the increments of ingredients now that most cake mixes are no longer in a 15.25 oz box but a 14.25 oz box?
I know it’s only one ounce but I don’t want to mess up the ratio of ingredients.
Thank you!
Nourish Plate says
It should work fine! 🙂
Maddie L says
I love how they look! I’m going to try these for Christmas, do you know if the dough freezes well?