Ingredients
Scale
- 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
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar into a small, shallow bowl.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add Green!: Add the egg, vanilla, and a good squeeze of green gel food coloring. Mix on low speed until the color is bright, even, and perfectly “Grinchy”!
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the green mixture and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms. (Do not over-mix!)
- Scoop & Roll: Scoop the dough using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll it between your hands into a smooth ball.
- Coat in Sugar: Drop the green dough ball into your bowl of powdered sugar and roll it around until it’s very generously coated, like a little snowball.
- Bake: Place the cookies on your prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will puff up and look “crinkled.”
- Add the Heart! (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 hot cookie.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use GEL Food Coloring! This is my #1 secret! To get that bright, vibrant “Grinchy” green, you must use gel food coloring. Liquid drops are not strong enough and will make your dough watery.
- The “Post-Bake” Heart: My other big secret! Do not put the heart sprinkle on before baking, or it will melt! Press the heart gently into the center of the cookie the second it comes out of the hot oven.
- No Chill Needed!: This is a soft, no-chill dough. It’s meant to be soft! Just scoop, roll, and bake right away.
- Heart Substitute: If you can’t find the jumbo heart sprinkles, a red M&M (pressed in “M” side down) or a red-hot candy works just as well!
- Storage: These cookies stay wonderfully soft! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They also freeze beautifully (after baking) for up to 3 months!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American