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Grinch Cookies are sure to steal the hearts of everyone this Christmas season! They have a soft, chewy texture, are colored the perfect shade of Grinch green, then dusted with powdered sugar and a shiny red heart!

Made super easy by using a cake mix and they’re always a hit! These Christmas Cookies are sure to become a tradition each and every year!

A white plate filled with grinch cookies with a small bowl of candy hearts and the face of the grinch in the background.

This year my granddaughter is all about Christmas and she has fallen in love with “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Experiencing the holiday season through the eyes of a 2-year-old is absolutely magical.

I have to admit my husband and I love all the Grinch fun and food we have been having around here. From the Grinch Pretzel Bites to our Easy Grinch Punch Recipe and now these fun Grinch Cake Mix Cookies! If you love pistachio you could also make our pistachio wedding cookies and add a red heart!

Watching the joy fill our little bit (Willa’s) face, I do believe our hearts have grown 3 sizes! Just try these tasty treats and I bet yours will too!

Key Ingredient Notes:

Labeled image of ingredients needed to make grinch cake mix cookies.
  • A Vanilla Boxed Cake Mix: I like to use vanilla as it is white and has a vanilla flavor. You could also use a white cake mix.
  • Cool Whip (or Frozen Whipped Topping- thawed): This is the secret ingredient that makes this such an easy cake mix cookie recipe. I have only tested with full-fat Cool Whip or store-brand whipped topping.
  • Vanilla Extract: I like to use vanilla or even almond extract. You can use a combination of the two as well. Peppermint extract would be delicious too.
  • Neon Green Gel Food Coloring: This creates the perfect shade of grinch green.
  • Red Candy Hearts: You can use one for baking, red cinnamon hearts, red gel hearts or any large or small red heart sprinkles you can find.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Substitute for cool whip: If you do not want to use cool whip to make the cookies, you can also use 1 room-temperature stick of creamed butter and add another egg to the mix to replace frozen whipped topping. Bake these at 375°F instead of 350°F for the same amount of time.
  • Fragile hearts (just like the Grinch)?: If you are using a candy heart not made for baking, just add them right after the cookies are finished baking. Lightly press into the warm cookie.
  • No Candy Heart: Don’t have a candy heart, once cookies are completely cooled, use red icing and form the shape of a heart.
  • Grinch Cookies with Hershey’s Kiss: Want to use a Hershey’s Kiss on top instead of a heart, press them lightly into the cookie after removing them from the oven.

How To Make Grinch Cookies With Cake Mix

Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!

Collage image showing steps to make grinch cookie dough.
  1. Mix All the Ingredients: This one is so easy all the wet ingredients and dry ingredients all go in a large mixing bowl. Don’t overmix!
  2. Chill Dough (optional): This dough is quite sticky so chilling makes it much easier to handle. (When I make my Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies I do not chill. The dough is really sticky when handling but I love the texture and no waiting. I just dust my fingers in powdered sugar to help.)
  3. Prep Oven and Cookie Sheet: Preheat the oven and place parchment paper on the baking sheet.
  4. Scoop Cookie Dough: Using a small cookie scoop or a measuring spoon scoop into a ball shape and roll in powdered sugar.
  5. Add Heart: If you are using a heart that can withstand baking in the oven, lightly press it into the chilled dough. If you aren’t sure (or you want the heart in a specific spot) you can wait until they come out of the oven and gently press them into each baked cookie.
  6. Bake: The key to these is to not overbake them. Usually, 8-10 minutes works perfectly.
  7. Cool and Enjoy: Let cookies cool on a baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. Then with a spatula (I love this one) move them to a wire rack to completely cool. That is if you can wait that long!
Collage image showing steps to scoop dough and toss in powdered sugar then place on lined cookie sheet to bake.

Tips

  • Don’t overmix the dough. This will whip more air into the batter and change the texture of the cookie. You can easily mix this by hand if you prefer to help with this. However, a stand mixer or hand mixer is convenient.
  • Food Coloring: The amount you will use will depend on what kind of food coloring you use. If using a gel color- I use 1 teaspoon. Adjust to achieve the color desired. Remember the cookies will lighten slightly while baking.
  • Underbake Cookies: You want to watch that the bottoms don’t start to turn a golden color or that the outside color doesn’t either. Once the center has set they are ready. They will be soft and chewy in texture.
  • Ovens Vary: You may need more (or less) time depending on the size of your cookie and how hot your oven bakes.
A cooling rack lines with green grinch cookies on a grey marble table.

Recipe FAQ’s

Where can you find red candy hearts?

Red heart sprinkles come in large and small sizes and can be found in many grocery stores, Walmart, Target, or Craft stores. I found mine at Michael’s but you can also order them online.

You see them more often around Valentine’s Day but I have found that you can also find them at Christmastime as well.

How to make cookies thicker or more flat?

Using cold dough will result in a thicker cookie. The longer you chill the cookies the less they will spread when baking. If you prefer a thinner cookie you can skip the chill time or let them set at room temperature for a few minutes before baking.

Three Grinch cookies stacked on a grey surface with hearts scattered and fuzzy a grinch tail in the background.

Serving

These adorable Grinch Cookies are the perfect sweet treat for watching your favorite Christmas movies, classroom or holiday parties, or even a cookie exchange or just to share with family or friends.

Other cute and easy Christmas Cookies to try are my Polar Bear Paw Cookies, Santa’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies, or Classic Snickerdoodles from my friend Erin at The Speckled Palate.

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Storage Information

Storage: Cover with foil or plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Freeze: These cookies also freeze well and will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, I prefer to flash freeze on a flat surface and then move them to a freezer bag to store. This keeps them from sticking together.

Let thaw on the counter 1-2 hours before serving.

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A white serving plate stacked with bright green grinch themed cookies with a heart in the middle.
Recipe
4.81 from 26 votes

(click stars to rate)

Grinch Cake Mix Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Chill Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes
Servings: 30 cookies
Author: Nikki Lee
Grinch Cookies are sure to steal the hearts of everyone this Christmas season! They have a soft, chewy texture, are colored the perfect shade of Grinch-green, then dusted with powdered sugar and a shiny red heart!

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 box vanilla cake mix, 15.25 ounce
  • 8 ounce cool whip or frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon neon green gel food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, (or a mixture)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • candy shaped hearts

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, cool whip, vanilla or almond extract, food coloring, and lightly beaten egg- until just combined. This can be done with a stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or even by hand.
    This cookie dough will be very sticky. To make it easier to work with I recommend chilling it for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  • Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.
    Using a small cookie scoop, place the rounded cookie dough into powdered sugar and toss to cover.
    Gently press the cookie with the bottom of a glass or with your palm to slightly flatten the cookie dough. (I only do this when I chill the dough)
  • Place cookies on the lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Add candy heart to the middle of the cookie and bake for at 350°F for 8-11 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • Don’t overmix the dough. This will whip more air into the batter and change the texture of the cookie. You can easily mix this by hand if you prefer to help with this. However, a stand mixer or hand mixer is convenient.
  • Chill Dough: This is optional, but this dough is very sticky so chilling makes it much easier to handle.
     When I make my Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies I usually do not chill them. The dough is really sticky when handling, but I love the texture it bakes up and how easy it is just to get them made right away. (I just dust my fingers in powdered sugar to help.)
  • Food Coloring: The amount you will use will depend on what kind of food coloring you use. If using a gel color- I use 1 teaspoon. Adjust to achieve the color desired. Remember the cookies will lighten slightly while baking.
  • Underbake Cookies: You want to watch that the bottoms don’t start to turn a golden color or that the outside color doesn’t either. Once the center has set they are ready. They will be soft and chewy in texture.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie Calories: 86kcal (4%) Carbohydrates: 18g (6%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 1g (2%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 7mg (2%) Sodium: 127mg (6%) Potassium: 21mg (1%) Fiber: 0.2g (1%) Sugar: 10g (11%) Vitamin A: 21IU Calcium: 47mg (5%) Iron: 0.4mg (2%)

Nutritional Disclaimer

Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

©️Soulfully Made

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22 Comments

  1. YUM! What a festive and colorful cookie to make this season! My kids are also obsessed with all things Grinch, much like your granddaughter, and I know they will have a blast baking these cookies this month. Thanks for this recipe!

    Also, thank you so much for participating in this year’s Sweetest Season! I am always blown away with the recipes shared and the generosity of its participants. Thank you for making this event such a success. I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

    1. It was my honor to participate in such a worthy cause and along side such an amazing community of food bloggers! You all are the best!

  2. 5 stars
    We had our neighbor for a few hours the other day to give her parents a break, we baked these cookies and had SO MUCH fun! Thanks for a great recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    Made these with the kiddos today and they were so much fun to make. They are a great Christmas dessert and we will be making them every year now.

  4. 5 stars
    These Grinch cookies are so fun!! And yes, experiencing the holidays through the eyes and excitement of a child is magical.