Grinch Cookies

Grinch Cookies are so easy to make and they are also soft and sweet. These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays.

Grinch Cookies are festive and fun and so easy to make. These cookies are a perfect mix of sweet and soft making them a delicious dessert for the holidays.

Are you ready for ALL of the grinch recipes available right now? With Christmas around the corner, these Grinch Cookies are so much fun to create with your family!

Grinch Cookies on a white plate with a stuffed grinch in the background

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Anything Grinch is super popular around the time of year. It’s time to do watch the Grinch movie and make these cookies!

These cookies are great for taking to a gathering or for enjoying at home. You’ll be surprised as to how quickly these cookies fly off the plate!

Grinch Cookies

The Grinch is like the villain of Christmas. He’s a fun character to make Christmas goodies out of. These cookies are fun to make because they are a little different than your traditional Christmas goodies.

If you love delicious Christmas cookie recipes like this one, then you may also enjoy these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies.

Four Grinch Cookies on two small round white plates

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There are several features of these Grinch Cookies that make them super fun!

  • Easy to make – These Grinch Cookies are so easy to make. Even if you aren’t good at baking, you could totally make these cookies.
  • Fun to eat – If you are going to eat and enjoy cookies around Christmas time, then they need to be fun to eat!
  • Simple to store – Some Christmas cookies are hard to store, but not these! Simply let the frosting dry and then place them in an airtight container.

Ingredients

If you are ready to make these cookies gather the ingredients that you need and get ready to make a fun and festive dessert.

Ingredients for Grinch Cookies on a marble counter top.
  • granulated sugar
  • unsalted butter, room temperature
  • cream cheese, room temperature
  • egg room temperature
  • almond extract
  • vanilla extract
  • all purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • salt

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Grinch Cookies

Are you ready to make these deliciously festive cookies? if so, follow these steps and you will have soft and chewy cookies.

cream cheese, butter and sugar in a mixing bowl

Beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until mixed and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Beat again until smooth and creamy, about 5 additional minutes.

cookie dough in a stand mix with stainless steel mixing bowl

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, about ยฝ cup at a time, just until mixed.

chilled cooked cookie dough

Shape the dough into a rectangle and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two or three large rimmed, baking sheets with parchment paper.

baked cookies on a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet

Roll out the cookie dough to ยฝ inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are set and the cookies are puffed. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Decorate as desired.

Once the cookies have cooled completely it’s time to decorate them. Open up a can of green funfetti frosting. Or, use food coloring to dye a can of vanilla frosting green.

green frosting being pour into grinch cookies

Microwave the frosting for 30 seconds and then remove and stir. Repeat the process until your frosting is a pourable consistency.

Place cooled cookies on a wire cooling rack and place the cooling on top of a baking sheet with sides.

Slowly pour the frosting over the cookies until they are completely covered. While the frosting is still wet apply the heart-shaped sprinkle. Allow frosting to harden and then store or enjoy.

Substitutions

Sometimes you don’t have everything you need for the recipe, which is why substitutions can be so helpful!

  • No round cookie cutter? – You can simply use the bottom of a small glass! As long as you get that perfect circle for the dough that is all that matters!
  • Red frosting – If you don’t have red sprinkles, you can draw on the heart with red frosting.
  • Dairy-free – If you or someone in your household has an allergy to dairy, feel free to sub out any dairy products with dairy-free.

These cookies are super simple, so you shouldn’t have to sub too many ingredients!

Variations

Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!

  • Add a Grinch face – If you are extra talented and want to add a little fun to these cookies, then feel free to add a Grinch face!
  • Grinch hat – A simple hat will add so much to this cookie. Kind of like a Santa hat, but it goes on the Grinch.
  • Make the cookies green inside – If you want the Grinch Cookies to be extra Grinchy- then why not make the cookies green inside?

Do you like Grinch themed recipes? Go ahead and try out this Grinch punch recipe!

birds eye image of four grinch cookies and a stuffed grinch

Equipment

Here a list of kitchen tools that you need to make these festive holiday cookies.

  • Mixer
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Circle Cookie Cutter
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Baking Sheets
  • Wire Cooling Rack

Storage for the Grinch Cookies

Luckily, once you make these Grinch Cookies, you can easily store them in an airtight container for later.

These cookies do really well with freezing. Make sure you double wrap the cookies to keep them from being freezer burnt.

Tips

Make an extra batch of these cookies because they are going to go fast. Because the Grinch is so well-loved, the Grinch cookies go over really well at holiday parties!

Make sure that your egg, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature before starting to make your cookies. Using cold butter and cream cheese will cause you to have lumpy cookies.

If you cannot find green frosting like I used, you can make your green icing by mixing vanilla frosting and green food coloring. For best results try using food coloring gel.

birds eye image of four grinch cookies with a stuffed grinch

FAQ

Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.

What temperature should I bake these cookies at?

These Grinch cookies will do great at 375 degrees. You can find the full recipe in the recipe card below.

Can I use homemade frosting for these cookies?

Some of you have frosting recipes that have been passed down. Feel free to use your own frosting recipe for these cookies.

How do I store these cookies?

You will want to make sure the cookies are completely dry before you add them to an airtight container for storage.

More Christmas Recipes

Do you enjoy Christmas goodies? Try these delicious recipes:

Grinch Cookies Recipe

Want to make this delicious recipe? Print the recipe card below, or toggle on Cook Mode to prevent your screen from going dark. Not ready to cook this recipe yet? Pin this recipe so you can find it later.

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Grinch Cookies

Grinch Cookies are so easy to make and they are also soft and sweet. These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays.
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Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Wendy

Equipment

  • Round cookie or biscuit cutter
  • Heart sprinkles or small heart candies
  • mixer
  • Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 ยฝ cup sugar
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • ยฝ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ยฝ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 can green frosting or vanilla frosting and green food coloring

Instructions

  • Beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until mixed and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Beat again until smooth and creamy, about 5 additional minutes.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, about ยฝ cup at a time, just until mixed.
  • Shape the dough into a rectangle and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven 375 degrees. Prepare two or three large rimmed, baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll out the cookie dough to ยฝ inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are set and the cookies are puffed.
  • Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Decorate as desired.

Royal Icing and Decorting

  • Open a can of frosting and remove the foil label completely.
  • Place in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well. Repeat in 15 second increments if needed.
  • Allow the icing to cool slightly before frosting the cookies.
  • For an icing loose enough to flood the cookie, heat the icing until it is even and pourable.
  • Apply the frosting as desired I pour the frosting and then I used a spoon to spread it.
  • While the frosting is still wet, apply desired heart sprinkle.
  • Allow icing to completely dry before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

Make an extra batch of these cookies because they are going to go fast. Because the Grinch is so well-loved, the Grinch cookies go over really well at holiday parties!
Make sure that your egg, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature before starting to make your cookies. Using cold butter and cream cheese will cause you to have lumpy cookies.
If you cannot find green frosting like I used, you can make your green icing by mixing vanilla frosting and green food coloring. For best results try using food coloring gel.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.ย 

Disclaimer:

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 373IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
birds eye shot of two grinch cookies and a stuffed grinch on the left

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