It’s that time of year when the kitchen smells like butter, sugar, and magic. These Grinch Sugar Cookies bring that same cozy chaos of holiday baking cheerful green color, soft centers, and a tiny red heart that says everything about Christmas spirit (and maybe mischief).
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Grinch Sugar Cookies
These cookies aren’t just festive. They’re soft, chewy, and full of sweet vanilla flavor. The bright green color and heart sprinkle add instant holiday joy. Plus, you can make them in one bowl with no chill time, which means more fun and fewer dishes. They also stay soft for days, making them perfect for gifting or cookie swaps.
What You Need to Make Grinch Sugar Cookies
Ingredient Breakdown and Purpose
- Unsalted butter (melted): adds rich flavor and keeps the cookies soft.
- Granulated sugar: gives sweetness and crisp edges.
- Egg yolks: create a tender, chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract: adds warm flavor.
- Green gel food coloring: for that perfect Grinch shade.
- All-purpose flour: provides structure.
- Baking soda: helps the cookies puff and crack.
- Salt: balances sweetness.
- Red heart sprinkles: the final festive touch that makes every cookie feel special.
Tips for Perfect Grinch Coloring and Texture
Always use gel food coloring instead of liquid it keeps the dough firm while giving you a strong, vivid green. If your cookies spread too much, bake them on a greased baking sheet instead of parchment for those signature crinkles. And don’t skip pressing the heart while they’re warm that’s how it sticks perfectly.
How to Make Grinch Sugar Cookies Step-by-Step
Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, melt the butter and mix in sugar until smooth. Then whisk in egg yolks, vanilla, and green gel food coloring. The color deepens slightly as it bakes, so go one shade brighter than you want.
Add the Dry Ingredients and Form the Dough
Sprinkle in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until a dough forms stop as soon as you see no streaks of flour. Overmixing can make them tough. Flatten the dough, divide it in half, and shape each into six balls.
Shape, Roll, and Bake
Roll each dough ball in sugar for that sparkling finish. Arrange on your lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 to 11 minutes, until puffed and lightly cracked.
Add the Signature Red Heart
Right after baking, gently press a red heart sprinkle into the center of each warm cookie. Then let them rest for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool fully.
Batch Size, Timing, and Recipe Notes
Yield, Prep Time, and Cook Time
This recipe makes 12 cookies total. You’ll need just 12 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of baking no chill time required.
Texture Notes: Chewy Centers and Crinkly Edges
The melted butter and egg yolks help create that balance between soft centers and crisp edges. Baking just until the edges set will keep them chewy even after cooling.
Adjusting Spread, Color, and Crinkles
For extra crinkles, bake directly on a greased sheet. For less spread, chill the dough balls for 10 minutes before baking. Adjust green intensity by adding more or fewer drops of gel color.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Keeping Cookies Fresh
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to five days at room temperature. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft longer.
Freezing Dough or Baked Cookies
You can freeze the dough balls before baking. When ready, bake straight from frozen and add 1–2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies can also be frozen flat; thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Serving Size and Nutritional Overview
Each cookie has about 138 calories, with 3g fat, 24g carbs, and 3g protein. They’re indulgent but simple exactly what a holiday treat should be.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Cookies Spreading Too Much
This often happens if your butter is too hot. Let it cool for a few minutes before mixing. Also, measure flour carefully a little extra can prevent over-spreading.
Color Too Light or Too Dark
If too light, add an extra drop or two of gel coloring. If too dark, lighten it by folding in a spoonful of plain dough.
Dry or Crumbly Dough
Dry dough means too much flour or not enough mixing. Stir gently but fully to combine, and make sure you’re measuring flour by spooning and leveling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Grinch cookie?
It’s a festive sugar cookie tinted green and topped with a red heart inspired by the Grinch’s growing heart in the classic story.
Why are they called sugar cookies?
They rely on sugar for sweetness and crisp edges, unlike chocolate or spice-based cookies.
What’s the least popular Christmas cookie?
Rum balls and fruitcake cookies often take that title, but there’s a fan for every flavor.
What’s the secret to a perfectly chewy Grinch cookie?
Use melted butter and egg yolks only, bake until just set, and cool on the pan before transferring.
More Such Recipes
- soft pumpkin snickerdoodles for your holiday cookie tray
- chewy pumpkin cookies with cinnamon sugar coating
- pumpkin cookies with maple glaze perfect for fall and winter
- pumpkin sugar cookies with festive seasonal flair
- crumbl pumpkin pie cookies for Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert tables
- caramel apple donut cake pops as a fun alternative holiday treat
- maple-glazed apple blondies for cozy Christmas baking
Conclusion
Grinch Sugar Cookies are a sweet little reminder that Christmas baking doesn’t have to be complicated to feel special. They come together quickly, look cheerful on any cookie tray, and taste like pure holiday joy. You can also find more festive inspiration on Pinterest or follow along on Facebook for new seasonal recipes.
Print
Grinch Sugar Cookies | Simple & Chewy Christmas Favorite
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Soft, chewy, and perfectly green, these Grinch Sugar Cookies are a fun and festive Christmas treat. Each cookie is topped with a sweet red heart for that classic Whoville touch.
Ingredients
1 stick (4 oz / 8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
2 large egg yolks (no egg whites)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3–5 drops green gel food coloring
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt (omit if using salted butter)
12 small red heart sprinkles
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a bowl, melt the butter, then mix in the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and green food coloring until evenly combined.
3. Sprinkle in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir just until the dough forms.
4. Flatten the dough in the bowl, divide in half, and form 6 equal dough balls from each half.
5. Roll each ball in extra sugar and place on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10–11 minutes until puffed and cracked.
7. Immediately press a red heart sprinkle into the center of each cookie while still hot.
8. Let cookies rest for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.
Notes
Cookies stay fresh up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Dough can be rolled into balls and frozen; bake from frozen with 1–2 extra minutes.
Baked cookies can also be frozen flat with the red heart and thawed at room temperature before serving.
Use gel food coloring for brighter green; adjust drops to preferred shade.
If cookies spread too much, shape them with a round cutter immediately after baking.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Christmas Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 138
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 117mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 49mg