Easy Grinch Crinkle Cookies for the Holidays
Grinch Christmas cookies are soft, chewy, and coated in snowy powdered sugar. They’re dotted with a sweet red heart that makes them as festive as the holiday movie that inspired them.
These Grinch crinkle cookies are easy to make and always a crowd favorite with their bright green color and signature red hearts. They’re perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or a cozy night watching your favorite Christmas movies.
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Like most people, I have a few holiday cookie recipes that I return to year after year—classics like cake mix gingerbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and holiday shortbread cookies never let me down.
But every so often, I like to mix things up and add something new to the cookie tray, especially if it’s fun and a little whimsical.
These Grinch crinkle cookies are festive, colorful, and guaranteed to make anyone smile when they see those bright green cookies with their little red candy hearts!
They’re such a sweet Christmas cookie, reminding us of the moment when the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes.
If you love Grinch-themed cookies or just want something a little more unique on your holiday dessert table, this recipe is a must-try. The soft, chewy centers, the powdered sugar coating, and that pop of red from the candy hearts make them irresistible.
They’re a little bit of Christmas magic in cookie form, perfect for sharing at parties, cookie exchanges, or a cozy holiday movie night!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Pistachio Pudding Cookies with Cherries
- Twix Cookies
- Cake Mix Holiday Cutout Cookies
- Christmas Funfetti Cookie Cups
Tips for Making Grinch Sugar Cookies
When making these cookies, a few simple tricks can help you get the best results.
For that iconic bright green color, gel, powder, or paste food coloring works best since it gives you a vibrant hue without making the dough too wet.
The red hearts are what really make these cookies shine, so keep an eye out for them early in the holiday season.
You can often find small red heart candies in the baking aisle or seasonal section of grocery stores, craft stores, or you can get them on Amazon.
Press them gently into the cookies right after baking so they stick as the cookies cool, and you’ll have adorable Grinch-inspired treats ready to share.
Resources for Packaging Handmade Gifts
How to Make Grinch Crinkle Cookies
It’s really easy to make this holiday sweet treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Green Food Coloring
- Granulated Sugar (for rolling)
- Powdered Sugar (for rolling)
- Red Heart-Shaped Candies or Sprinkles
How to Make It:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Mix the wet ingredients. First, you’ll combine sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until smooth.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients. Then, you’ll add flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
Add green food coloring and mix until you reach a vibrant “Grinch” green or your preferred color. The dough will be somewhat sticky at this point–that’s normal!
Chill and roll the dough. Then, you’ll cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for about 3–4 hours.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop out rounds of dough (about 2 tablespoons in size) and roll into balls.
Roll in sugar and chill. Then, you’ll roll the dough in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar.
Place sugar-coated dough balls on a lined baking tray and flash freeze for about 30 minutes.
Bake and top with hearts. Then, you’ll remove cookie dough from freezer and roll the dough balls once more in the powdered sugar so they’re fully covered.
Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake for 12–15 minutes.
Once you remove the cookies from the oven, gently press a heart-shaped candy or sprinkle into the center of each cookie while still hot (this will help ensure the candy “sticks” to the cookie).
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes and Adaptations:
- You can make the rounds of dough a bit smaller (roughly 1 tablespoon) if you prefer to have smaller cookies. Just keep an eye on them as they’re baking, as they will bake up a little faster.
- Gel, powder, or paste food coloring is ideal in this recipe as opposed to liquid. You can choose a neon green color for “Grinch” color, or more of a Christmas green hue. Start with less food coloring and add more if needed to achieve your preferred color.
- The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2-3 days before proceeding with the recipe.
- Double rolling the dough in powdered sugar helps to ensure there’s an adequate coating that won’t completely absorb during baking.
- Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recommended Equipment:
Easy Grinch Cookies for the Holidays
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- green food coloring (gel, powder, or paste recommended)
For Rolling and Decorating:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
- red heart-shaped candies or sprinkles (for decorating)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.
- Add flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Add green food coloring and mix until you reach a vibrant “Grinch” green or your preferred hue. The dough will be sticky at this point–that’s okay!
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for about 3–4 hours.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out rounds of dough (about 2 tablespoons in size) and roll into balls.
- Prepare to roll the dough in sugar by adding granulated sugar to one small bowl and powdered sugar to another. Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar. Reserve the powdered sugar.
- Place sugar-coated dough balls on a lined baking tray and flash freeze for about 30 minutes.
- While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 325F.
- Remove cookie dough from freezer and roll the dough balls once more in the powdered sugar so they’re fully covered.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to turn golden-brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and gently press a heart-shaped candy or sprinkle into the center of each cookie while still hot (this will help ensure the candy "sticks" to the cookie). Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You can make the rounds of dough a bit smaller (roughly 1 tablespoon) if you prefer to have smaller cookies. Just keep an eye on them as they’re baking, as they will bake up a little faster.
- Gel, powder, or paste food coloring is ideal in this recipe as opposed to liquid. You can choose a neon green color for “Grinch” color, or more of a Christmas green hue. Start with less food coloring and add more if needed to achieve your preferred color.
- The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2-3 days before proceeding with the recipe.
- Double rolling the dough in powdered sugar helps to ensure there’s an adequate coating that won’t completely absorb during baking.
- Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
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