Grinch Cookies – 12 Days of Cookies

These adorable Grinch Cookies are such a fun way to celebrate the holiday season with an homage to one of our favorite classic Christmas movies! These chewy green cookies are rolled in green sugar and embellished with a tiny red heart, just like the Grinch himself! Make a batch for your holiday baking tray today!

Day 1 – Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Day 2 – Cherry Thumbprint Cookies
Day 3 – Pecan Cookies
Day 4 –You’re on it!
Day 5 –
Day 6 –
Day 7 –
Day 8 –
Day 9 –
Day 10 –
Day 11 –
Day 12 –

We have a fun tradition of watching a holiday movie every weekend in December, rotating who gets to pick the movie. Of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is always on the list, though I have to say I actually prefer the newest Benedict Cumberbatch animated version over the other ones.

Wouldn’t it be fun to make these cookies to eat while watching the movie? They also make great treats for holiday parties, look great on cookie platters, and are awesome for a cookie exchange! Pair them with some 3-Ingredient Grinch Bark for a fun, themed goodie plate!

I love these chewy sugar cookies. It’s an easy, classic recipe, except you dye the cookies green to match the Grinch. Your kids will have so much fun pressing a little red heart onto each cookie dough ball to help the Grinch’s small heart grow “two sizes”!

Ingredients for Grinch Sugar Cookies

You’ll need these simple ingredients to make these Grinch heart cookies:

• Butter, room temperature
• Sugar
• One egg
• Pure vanilla extract
• Green food coloring
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Cream of tartar
• Green sanding sugar
• Jumbo red heart sprinkles

Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact amounts you need of each ingredient.

How to make Grinch Cookies

These cookies are easier to roll if you chill the dough for an hour, so make sure to plan ahead!

1. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
2. Add the egg, vanilla, and green food coloring. Mix until completely combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix cookie dough until just combined, being sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Cover and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour so that it is easier to roll.
5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls using a small cookie scoop or your hands, and roll each dough ball in the green sugar so that the dough is completely covered. Place each cookie dough ball onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart,  then gently press a red heart onto the left side.
7. Bake cookies for 10 – 11 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

• I prefer using green gel food coloring to get that bright green color, but liquid food coloring works fine too!
• Making cookies like this is so much easier with a cookie scoop! Just plop the dough directly into a small bowl filled with the green sanding sugar, then lightly roll it with your fingers. It helps keep your hands from getting covered with dough and you can make all the cookies the same size.
• For even more holiday flavor, substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla extract!
• Can’t find the heart sprinkles? Red candy hearts work well too.

How to Store Grinch Cookies

Store these delicious cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days. There’s no need to put them in the fridge.
If they should start to harden, store a small piece of white bread or roll in with the cookies. The bread will harden as it sacrifices its’ moisture to keep your cookies soft!

Can you freeze sugar cookies?

Yes, these Grinch sugar cookies freeze really well! Once cool, store them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Since sugar cookies are usually fairly soft, I recommend flash-freezing them before moving them to the storage container so they don’t crumble.

Thaw overnight on the counter.

Can I freeze the Grinch Cookie Dough?

You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough balls! Prepare as directed (but don’t roll them in sugar!) Instead of baking the dough, flash freeze them until firm on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then transfer the dough balls into a freezer bag.

When you’re ready to bake them, roll them in the sugar and add the heart. Then, to bake from frozen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (yes, that’s slightly lower than the original!) and bake for 2-5 minutes longer than the original bake time, or until cookies are set at the edges and just slightly “wet” in the center. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

Looking for More Christmas Treats?

Don’t forget to come back for more Christmas cookies tomorrow! But if you’re looking for different Christmas sweets, you might want to try one of these recipes next time:

• Christmas Snack Mix
• Meringue Christmas Trees
• Christmas Buckeyes
• Christmas Cherry Hand Pies
• 3 Ingredient Pretzel Hugs
• Eggnog Dream Bars

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