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Adorable Grinch Cookies are the perfect holiday cookie recipe! These green sugar cookies each have a small red heart sprinkle reminding everyone of the classic Christmas movie. They taste good, freeze well, and they’re so cute!

Stacks of green grinch cookies on a metal wire rack


How the Grinch Stole Christmas Cookies

I just love “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” don’t you? We read the Dr. Seuss book to Jordan every year when she was small, and we never miss it when the original special is on TV each year! Of course, I had to come up with a fun Grinch-inspired cookie for the holidays, but I wanted to keep it simple. No complicated cut-outs or decorating are required for this easy holiday cookie.

These green cookies start with my easy sugar cookie recipe. They are soft and chewy and, the best news, they are a no-chill recipe! Because it’s the holidays, right? There’s just no time to wait for cookie dough to chill.

Grinch cookies stacked on a metal wire rack after cooling

Ingredients in Grinch Sugar Cookies

  • Butter and Sugar: I always use softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar in my sugar cookies
  • Whole egg plus one egg yolk: my secret to chewy sugar cookies!
  • Vanilla extract, Baking soda, Salt, Flour: typical cookie ingredients
  • Cream of tartar: keeps the cookies soft
  • Decorations: Green gel food coloring makes the perfect shade of green and jumbo heart sprinkles to turn them into GRINCH!
collage of 6 photos showing how to make grinch cookies

How to Make Grinch Cookies

  1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer (or large bowl with a hand-held mixer), cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. This should only take about a minute.
  2. Mix the dough: Add the whole egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. Mix in the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
  3. Add the flour and mix until the cookie dough forms.
  4. Turn them green: Add a few drops of gel or liquid food coloring to the cookie batter and stir until it’s evenly mixed into the dough.
  5. Scoop: Form two tablespoons of dough to form each cookie dough ball. Place them two inches apart on a baking sheet.
  6. Decorate & Bake: Place one heart sprinkle on one side of each cookie and then bake the cookies for 11 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden and the tops of the cookies are no longer glossy.

How to decorate Grinch Cookies

To make it easy, use red heart sprinkles or candy hearts. Just press them onto the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. The sprinkle represents the grinch’s small heart and the bright green color is like his fur.

These sweet treats are soft and chewy and are so fun at Christmas time!

Close up photo of large stack of grinch cookies on a metal cooling rack

Recipe Tips

  • Food Coloring: The amount of food coloring you will need will depend on the kind you use. If you use gel color, you will only need a few drops. If you opt for the regular grocery store kind, you will need to add a little more. Always start with less because you can always add more!
  • Heart Sprinkles: If you want the heart sprinkle positioned exactly where you want it on the cookie, wait to add them until after the cookies are baked. As soon as you take them out of the oven, press the sprinkle on top. If you wait, they won’t stick after the cookies cool.
  • Storing the Cookies: Keep them in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature. Or, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to a month.
  • Want semi-homemade cookies? Make vanilla cake mix cookies with white cake mix!
Stacks of green grinch cookies on a metal wire rack

Grinch Cookies Recipe

4.92 from 48 votes
Tis the season for GRINCH COOKIES! I turned my easy sugar cookie recipe into a green cookie for Christmas – decorated easy with a heart sprinkle!! These are such a fun cookie recipe!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 22 cookies
Serving Size 1 serving
Rate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional – for flavor)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
  • Green Food Coloring
  • Heart sprinkles
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
  • Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer). Cream until the mixture is fluffy, about one minute.
  • Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until smooth, then mix in baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add flour and mix until cookie dough forms.
  • Add a few drops of green food coloring and stir to mix throughout. How much food coloring depends on the kind (gel vs. grocery store food coloring). Add more as needed to get the green color you want.
  • Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls 2-inches apart on cookie sheet. Place one heart sprinkle on one side of each cookie. Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are just starting get golden and the top is no longer glossy. Cool at least 10 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.
  • Alternately, if you want to know exactly where your sprinkle will land, press the sprinkle on the cookie as soon as it comes out of the oven.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Food Coloring: The amount of food coloring you will need will depend on the kind you use. If you use gel color, you will only need a few drops. If you opt for the regular grocery store kind, you will need to add a little more. Always start with less because you can always add more!
Heart Sprinkles: If you want the heart sprinkle positioned exactly where you want it on the cookie, wait to add them until after the cookies are baked. As soon as you take them out of the oven, press the sprinkle on top. If you wait, they won’t stick after the cookies cool.
Storing the Cookies: Keep them in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature. Or, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to a month.
Want a sweeter cookie? Roll these in granulated sugar before baking.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

Tis the season for GRINCH COOKIES! I turned my easy sugar cookie recipe into a green cookie for Christmas – decorated easy with a heart sprinkle!! These are such a fun cookie recipe!

Favorite Christmas Cookies

Last Updated on December 18, 2023



Dorothy Kern

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24 Comments

  1. Hi Dorothy, do you think I could make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate for a few days until ready to bake? 🙂

    Reply

  3. I made these today and they looked way better than they tasted.

    I went to grocery store and bought ALL NEW ingredients too, so everything was fresh. They were puffy but not cooked enough in the middle, and still doughy. I put them in a tad longer. They were completely tasteless, tasted like butter, flour and sugar. Definitely won’t make again. Kids were all disappointed, all three of them.

    Reply

    1. I’m sorry you didn’t like them – did you add the vanilla extract? Almond extract would give a little extra flavor too.

      Reply

  4. I made these about a week ago. I was hoping to have some for Christmas day but my family ate them all. So now I have to make them again.

    Reply

  5. I followed recipe to a T. I used a cookie scooper and mine had a harder shell but still raw inside. They didn’t flatten at all and stayed puffy 🙁 not sure what’s wrong but highly disappointed.

    Reply

    1. I’m sorry that happened -they definitely should have spread in the oven. How do you measure your flour? Was it packed – too much will cause a tough cookie. Is your baking soda expired?

      Reply

      1. If you notice that happening you can press them down lightly with your fingers. They should stay puffy but not in balls

    1. I think using a pastel color would be fun, and you could roll it in sprinkles before baking. Or frost them!

      Reply

  7. Just made these today! They came out excellent! I used Wilton gel coloring (Kelly green) and the color was perfect!! I also added a touch of almond extract for flavor. The kids are enjoying them. Thank you! Oh! I ordered the candy hearts from Amazon. They are perfect.

    Reply

  9. Can you use salted butter in these grinch cookies? I have to have vegan butter due to a food allergy and I can’t find the unsalted vegan butter anywhere

    Reply