Description
These festive Grinch Cookies are a delicious and fun treat made with white cake mix, bright green peppermint-flavored dough, and topped with red heart-shaped sprinkles for a holiday twist. Soft, chewy, and bursting with minty flavor, they are perfect for Christmas parties or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 15.25 ounces (432 g) white cake mix
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract (or mint extract)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring, enough to achieve desired color
Coating
- ¼ cup (32 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Topping
- Red heart-shaped sprinkles or cinnamon hearts
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set it aside.
- Mix the dough: Using a hand-held or stand mixer, combine the white cake mix, softened unsalted butter, and eggs until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
- Add extracts and color: Stir in the peppermint (or mint) and vanilla extracts. Add green gel food coloring gradually until the dough reaches the vibrant green color you desire. Mix on low speed just to combine; the dough will be thick and sticky.
- Prepare coating: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch. This will help prevent the sticky dough from clinging when you roll it.
- Form and coat cookie balls: Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough portions and roll them into balls. Then roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar-cornstarch mixture to fully coat. The coating helps handle the stickiness of the dough.
- Place on baking sheet: Arrange the coated cookie dough balls about 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops appear dry. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft and chewy.
- Add decorative topping: Immediately after removing from the oven, gently press a red heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon heart onto the center of each cookie so it adheres.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days to maintain freshness.
- Freezing: Cool cookies completely, then place them in an airtight, freezer-safe zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- Hearts for decoration: Use leftover Valentine’s Day heart-shaped sprinkles or cinnamon hearts for a pop of color and flavor.
- Color tip: Adjust green gel food coloring to get the perfect Grinch-like shade of green to suit your festive theme.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
