These Grinch cookies are festive, cakey cookies that bear a strong resemblance to a certain Christmas Grinch! In 20 minutes they’ll be ready to add to your cookie platter alongside chocolate sugar cookie cut-outs and chewy ginger molasses cookies.
This is probably the Christmas-y Christmas cookie I’ve ever made – and there’s not a Christmas tree, gingerbread man or ornament in sight. These cookies are the edible embodiment of the Grinch himself, with a heart that’s three sizes too… actually, no, it’s the perfect size.
If the heart were bigger it would look like the cookie had a dangerous enlargement of the aorta, and that’s just alarming.
I’d seen a lot of recipes for Grinch cookies on Pinterest similar to these, but they were all using a boxed mix and oil and just… no. I can’t go that route. I have to make things more complicated, obviously.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Making Grinch cookies
- For my cookies, we’re going to make a white cake from scratch. It’s not hard at all, so don’t freak out. It’s just a matter of putting a few dry ingredients in a bowl and cutting in some butter. The end.
- From there, we’ll add some eggs, melted butter, vanilla and mint extract, and top it off with some food gel paste to give it that essential Grinchy green. You’ll even be using a stand mixer so your arms won’t get tired from mixing the dough.
See? That’s not so hard.
Quite frankly, the hardest part is going to be placing the little heart sprinkle (aff link) on top of each cookie when it comes out of the oven. You have to do it quickly before the cookies set, so have them at the ready! You’ll gently press them in enough so they stick, but not so hard that it looks like the cookie is consuming its own heart.
That’s pretty dark, even for me.
What you’ll end up with is this batch of completely adorable Grinch cookies that are absolute perfection for your holiday cookie exchanges. Not only will they be cute and tasty, they’re a great little conversation starter.
Kids and adults alike will be clamoring to get their hands on one – and lord knows they’re totally Instagram-worthy.
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Grinch Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (or oil)
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon mint extract, or less, to taste
- Green gel food coloring paste
- Heart-shaped sprinkles, aff link
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with nonstick silicon mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the softened butter and blend until completely combined with a fine crumb.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour mixture, eggs, melted butter (or oil), vanilla extract and mint extract and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Add a few drops of gel paste and beat to fully combine - the dough will start to come together at this point. Add more food coloring to get to your desired color, keeping in mind that the color will fade slightly during baking.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to place each ball of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, with no more than 9 on each sheet (they need room to spread while baking).
- Roll each ball of dough in your hands to shape into a smooth ball and press down on the top of each slightly. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cookies start to crinkle - they will set and crinkle more as they cool.
- As soon as you remove them from the oven, press a heart sprinkle into the top of each cookie. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, and then move to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you'd prefer a shortcut, you can substitute the first 4 ingredients for a box of white cake mix.
- The size of the eggs you use can make a difference! If they're smaller in size, you may lose a little of the needed moisture. If you find your mixture too dry, you can add a little more melted butter or oil.
Anna
Terrible. Is 2.5 cups of flour accurate? I bake all the time and I’ve never had an issue, but this was total crumbs. I followed it exactly but there was not enough liquid at all. And the green food gel coloring never colored anything. Probably because it was crumbs. What a waste.
Leslie Kiszka
I’m so, so sorry Anna. I got some help moving recipes to a new site and new recipe card, and I didn’t catch that this recipe had an ingredient and step left out after the migration – that’s 100% my miss. There is supposed to be 1/4 cup softened butter that it also cut in (now listed in the updated recipe card). I’m very sorry for this mistake on my part.
I’d like to encourage you to be kind in your feedback to online creators – we’re all human, and we all make mistakes. We’re all doing our best, but my mistake was certainly not the experience I wanted you to have.
Debra
I followed the recipe to a T but they were SO crumbly! I do ALOT of baking so make sure to always measure accurately. I used 1/3 cup oil and the 2 eggs (it didn’t seem like enough liquid in my opinion but followed it!) so sad as they looked like they would be cute!
Leslie Kiszka
I’m really sorry to hear that, as I’ve never had that issue myself. If your eggs were on the smaller side, that could have been enough to make a difference, but I wouldn’t think to the degree you’re saying.
Leslie Kiszka
I owe you an apology, Debra! I got some help moving recipes to a new site and new recipe card, and I didn’t catch that this recipe had an ingredient and step left out after the migration – that’s 100% my miss. There is supposed to be 1/4 cup softened butter that it also cut in (now listed in the updated recipe card). I’m very sorry for this mistake on my part, and apologize that I didn’t catch this mistake sooner.
Kamila
Hi! I made these today but they didn’t turn out green at all. I used a whole bottle (38ml) of liquid food colouring rather than gel, would that be the problem? Also, I don’t have a stand mixer only hand held one. I did notice sugar was still visible in the dough, thinking it’s because it wasn’t mixed properly? Of course hand held mixer means the stuff goes all over my kitchen haha.
I’m in the uk and don’t understand how much a cup of flour or sugar is. Can you please let me know in grams.
Absolutely desperate to make them for Xmas.
Thanks for your help
Leslie Kiszka
Hi Kamila! I’m going to try to address all your questions in this response, but let me know if I’m missing anything:
1) I always use a gel food coloring because it provides a much more vibrant color without needing to use as much – once you’ve added too much liquid (as you noted), it’s going to affect the texture as well as the flavor of your cookies.
2) There’s definitely a difference in quality amongst different kinds of food colorings, but I find it really strange that they didn’t turn out green at all!
3) Using a hand mixer isn’t an issue at all, you’d get the same results as using a stand mixer – aside from your experience of being covered in the ingredients, apparently haha :)
4) Seeing the sugar in the dough doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t mixed in properly, but it certainly could.
5) You can always Google conversions if you’re ever unsure of the amount in the measurement you’re most familiar with, but you always want to make sure you’re looking for the conversion with the name of the ingredient because it makes a difference. But in this case, it would be 120 grams = 1 cup of all purpose flour, and 227 grams = 1 cup granulated sugar. Take a look at this post I have about volume conversions, and why it differs by different kinds of ingredients, I think it will be helpful!: https://stressbaking.com/volume-conversions-for-baking-recipe-ingredients/
I hope all of this is helpful!
Leah
Hi Leslie, these are adorable. My cookies didn’t crinkle at all but puffed up. Could that be because I had too much air in my dough? I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong. Thank you! They tasted absolutely amazing though!
Leslie Kiszka
It could have been! This is less likely, but it also could be that your oven runs a little on the cooler side – might be worth a check on the calibration :) https://stressbaking.com/how-to-calibrate-your-oven/
Sad baker
My cookies were waaaaaay do floury like it was literally mostly flour. I had to use like six eggs and a full cup of oil to get it to be workable you get one star.
Leslie Kiszka
It sounds like the proportions that you used are not what were listed because it couldn’t have been “mostly flour” with all the other ingredients – I always recommend following the recipe measurements as indicated.
Jenn
This recipe lists both a 1/4 cup of softened butter and a 1/3 cup of melted butter, but never explains when to add the 1/4 cup of softened? Is it both or just one?
Leslie Kiszka
I owe you an apology, Jenn! I got some help moving recipes to a new site and new recipe card, and I didn’t catch that this recipe had an ingredient and step left out after the migration – that’s 100% my miss. There *is* supposed to be 1/4 cup softened butter that it also cut in (now listed in the updated recipe card ingredients and instructions). I’m very sorry for this mistake on my part, and apologize that I didn’t catch this mistake sooner.
Vanessa Johnson
Quick question
Recipe says to cut in butter with the flour but your video didn’t show that did you use the melted butter instead?
Leslie Kiszka
Thank you so much for calling this out! Looks like I had some issues with converting to a new recipe card :facepalm: Just edited to remove that step as it wasn’t intended to be there at all! You just want to use the melted butter or oil.
Thank you again for noticing so I could fix it!
Jessica
I look forward to making these this week, and will be back with a review BUT I have a couple questions:
1. I’ll have royal icing made up, do you think I can just pipe a heart on the cookies after they cool? I don’t think it would have any problems sticking, right?
2. on hand I only have peppermint extract, can I just replace that for the mint?
Leslie Kiszka
1. Absolutely! It might be a little bumpy because of the crinkle tops, but totally doable.
2. That’s up to you… they’re quite different flavors, but if you like peppermint go for it!
Debbie Bond
Ok, I have to say Leslie is right! Her recipe is much better than the boxed cake recipes out there. I followed it to a tee and they came out perfect. Texture, taste, color, It’s all there. The only thing I added was Grinch fur (green candy shred) as soon as they came out of the oven. Wish I could attach a picture to show you the very cute plate I created to put the cookies on!
Leslie Kiszka
I’m so happy to hear you liked them – thank you so much for coming back to comment and leave a rating! Please email me some pictures, I would LOVE to see them! (leslie@stressbaking.com)
Debbie Bond
Hi Leslie! I’m back and making these again for Monday’s Dr, Seuss Reading Across America Day. There will be for my granddaughter’s Kinder class. Do you think they would taste OK if I left the mint out? I think I would like to substitute cherry flavor for the mint. What do you think?!
Leslie Kiszka
I’m not sure of the taste without the mint, but you could always substitute it for pure vanilla or almond extract, or your idea for cherry – that sounds yummy! I’ve honestly never used cherry extract before so I don’t have much advice to offer there.
Lenore Moore
These needed some liquid. I added ⅓ cup of milk.
They turned out good.
Leslie Kiszka
Glad you liked them!
Heather
How many eggs !!!!
Leslie Haasch
The recipe card at the bottom of the post lists out all the ingredients you’ll need with their quantities – it’s 2 eggs, room temperature for this recipe!
Nancy Higgins
Do they freeze well and hold up when thawed?
Leslie Haasch
I’ve never tried, but I doubt it since they’re soft, cakey cookies.
Carol Borchardt
Adorable! Love the look of that chewy center! These could easily be adapted to St. Patrick’s Day!
Leslie Haasch
Most definitely – that’s a great idea!
Katrin
Wow, my kids would absolutely love these cookies!!!!!
Kristen
My daughter made them for a Christmas breakfast at school, and she came home talking about how everyone loved them.
Leslie Kiszka
That’s so great – thank you for coming back to share your experience and leave a rating! Happy Holidays <3