Name: Grinch Cookies (The Best Easy Christmas Cookie!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp (or more) green gel food coloring (must be gel!); 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling); Jumbo Red Heart Sprinkles

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For as long as I can remember, my family has had one very important holiday tradition: we must watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (the classic cartoon one, of course!) while we decorate the tree.

It just isn’t Christmas until we’ve heard that song and watched his heart grow three sizes!

A few years ago, I had the idea to bring that cozy movie memory to life, and these Grinch Cookies were born. They are the most fun, silly, and cheerful cookies I make all season!

That bright, mischievous green color, the snowy “crinkle” top, and that one perfect, tiny red heart… oh, they just make me smile. They’re the one cookie that’s all about pure fun, and they’re the first ones to disappear from the holiday platter because they make everyone from the little ones to the grown-ups smile, too!

Why You’ll Love These “Heart-Growing” Cookies 💛

A True, Soft Butter Cookie! This is a real, from-scratch Grinch Butter Cookie recipe, and it’s just so soft and chewy! We don’t use any cake mix here, just simple, wholesome pantry staples that give you a wonderfully rich, buttery flavor.
So Fun & Festive! Oh, my goodness, are these cheerful or what? That bright “Grinch green” color, the snowy white “crinkles” from the powdered sugar, and that one tiny red heart… they are just the most fun cookies on the Christmas platter!
A Simple, NO-CHILL Recipe! This is my favorite part, especially when I have little helpers in the kitchen! The dough is so easy to work with, and you don’t need to chill it. You can go from mixing bowl to baking in just a few minutes!
The Perfect Holiday Baking Project. These Grinch Cookies are just made for making memories. Little ones will have the best time rolling the green dough in the powdered sugar and, of course, getting to press that one special red heart right in the center.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for Grinch Butter Cookies, including green gel food coloring and red heart sprinkles, on a white table.

For the Grinch Cookie Dough:

Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (which is 1 stick). It’s very important that your butter is softened to room temperature, so it creams up perfectly!
Granulated Sugar: 3/4 cup.
Large Egg: 1, at room temperature.
Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon.
All-Purpose Flour: 1 1/2 cups.
Baking Powder: 1/2 teaspoon.
Salt: 1/4 teaspoon.

For the “Grinch” Magic:

Green Gel Food Coloring: This is my most important tip!

Ellie’s Tip: To get that truly vibrant, bright “Grinchy” green, you must use gel food coloring (you can find it at any craft store, grocery store, or online). Those little liquid drops just aren’t strong enough and will make your dough watery.

Powdered Sugar: About 1/2 cup, in a shallow bowl for rolling. This is what gives them that beautiful, snowy “crinkle”!
Jumbo Red Heart Sprinkles: These are the star of the show!

How to Make Grinch Cookies, Step-by-Step!

1. Prep Your Station First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper (this is my secret for no sticking and easy cleanup!).Pour your 1/2 cup of powdered sugar into a small, shallow bowl and set it aside.

2. Cream Butter & Sugar In a large mixing bowl (or your stand mixer), beat your 1/2 cup of softened butter and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes, until they’re light, fluffy, and pale yellow.

3. Add the “Grinch” Green! Add your 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and a good, generous squeeze of the green gel food coloring. (I start with about 1/2 teaspoon and add a little more if I need to!) Mix on low speed until the color is bright, even, and perfectly “Grinchy”!

A mixing bowl filled with the bright green Grinch Cookies dough.

4. Add Dry Ingredients In a separate, small bowl, just whisk together your 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Add this dry mixture to your green, wet ingredients and mix on the lowest speed, just until a soft, green dough forms. (Please don’t over-mix!)

5. Scoop & Roll This dough is so lovely, you don’t even need to chill it! Scoop the dough using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop (or just a regular spoon) and roll it between your hands into a smooth little ball.

6. Roll in Sugar Drop that green dough ball right into your bowl of powdered sugar. Roll it all around so it’s very generously coated. We want it to look like a little snowball! Place it on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of your dough, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.

7. Bake Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will puff up, spread a little, and the powdered sugar will “crinkle” beautifully.

8. Add the Heart! (My Most Important Tip!) This is the secret! The moment you take the baking sheet out of the hot oven, immediately and gently press one red heart sprinkle right into the center of each cookie. The cookie will be hot and puffy, so the heart will set right in as it cools.

Pressing a red heart sprinkle into a hot, freshly baked Grinch Cookie (the secret tip!).

Ellie’s Top Tips for Perfect Grinch Cookies

Here are my three little secrets for the best, most fun Grinch Cookies!

1. Use GEL Food Coloring! This is my #1 tip! For that bright, vibrant “Grinchy” green, you must use gel food coloring. Liquid drops aren’t strong enough and will just make your dough watery.
2. “Post-Bake” Heart is the Secret! Do NOT put the red heart sprinkle on before baking! It will melt. Press the heart gently into the center of the cookie the second it comes out of the hot oven. This keeps it bright and perfect!
3. Don’t Be Shy with the Powdered Sugar! For that beautiful, snowy “crinkle,” roll your dough ball generously in powdered sugar until it’s completely and thickly coated. More is more here!

Common Questions (FAQ)

Why did my cookies spread out flat?

Oh, this is a common little cookie hiccup! It usually means your butter was too soft or even a little melted. For this Grinch Butter Cookie recipe, you want your butter just softened to room temperature (you can press a finger into it easily), but not gooey or shiny!

Why isn’t my green color very bright?

This is almost always because of the food coloring! As I mentioned in my tip, those little liquid drops just won’t work. They’ll only give you a pale mint green. The secret to that vibrant Grinch Cookies color is gel food coloring!

Why did my powdered sugar melt and disappear?

This can happen if your dough is too warm, or if you didn’t use enough powdered sugar. Since this is a no-chill dough, be sure to work quickly! And remember to roll those dough balls very generously until they look like little white snowballs!

What if I can’t find the big heart sprinkles?

Oh, no problem at all! A red M&M (just press it in, “M” side down!) right after baking is just as cute. You can also let the cookies cool completely and just pipe a tiny little heart on the center with a tube of red frosting.

What about a Grinch Cookies Cutter?

That’s a lovely question! This recipe is for a soft, chewy “crinkle” cookie, so the dough isn’t meant for rolling out and using with cutters.If you have a cute cutter you want to use, I would use my Classic Holiday Sugar Cookie recipe, dye that dough green, and then just skip the powdered sugar step!

Storing Your Holiday Cookies

To Store: These cookies stay wonderfully soft and chewy! Just let them cool down completely on their baking sheets, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to put a little wax paper between the layers, just to keep them extra neat! They’ll stay fresh and delicious for up to a week.
To Freeze: These Grinch Cookies freeze beautifully! You can freeze the baked, cooled cookies in an airtight container (again, with wax paper between the layers!) for up to 3 months. They’re a wonderful, fun cookie to have ready in the freezer for when company stops by!

I just love how these cookies turn out! They’re fun, they’re a little bit silly, and they are the perfect, easy recipe to make with your family for the holidays.

This Grinch Cookies recipe is such a sweet little reminder that the Christmas season is all about making our hearts (and our cookie platters!) grow a little bit bigger.

If you love fun, festive holiday cookies as much as I do, you might also love my Easy Pecan Pie Cookies!

I truly hope this recipe brings a big smile to your face. If you make them, please come back and leave me a comment and a rating below! I would just love to hear how they turned out.

And, of course, if you want to save this fun idea for your holiday baking, please pin it to your favorite board on Pinterest!

Happy Holidays! 💛