This super easy recipe for Grinch Sugar Cookies doesn't require any chill time in the fridge, and comes together in just minutes! Easy drop sugar cookies made with melted butter, green food coloring and a single red sprinkle to represent the Grinch's heart.
In our house, we can't decide if Santa would love these cookies or not. I think Santa would rather have pretty snowflake cookies, but my kids think Santa forgives the Grinch and would love to see a plate of bright green cookies waiting for him.
If you like my easy small batch sugar cookies, this is the same recipe! For Christmas, we are doubling it and adding a small amount of green food coloring, though! These Grinch sugar cookies cookies do not require any chilling time, and they're simply drop cookies! Just make the dough in one bowl, scoop, roll in sugar and bake immediately! We will press the tiny red heart sprinkle into the cookies just as they come out of the oven so that they stick.
How to Make Grinch Sugar Cookies
These are super simple drop sugar cookies that come together in just minutes! If you have one bowl, a spoon, and a cookie sheet, you can make these cookies for Santa! I'm personally making them for my kid's class party this year, because the theme is Grinch!
Plus, this Grinch sugar cookies recipe uses melted butter, so you don't have to waste time waiting for butter to soften on the counter before baking! Be sure to melt it carefully so that it doesn't splatter too much before using, and you're ready to get baking! The dough will be ready to bake before your oven is done pre-heating--they're that quick to make!
When they come out of the oven, they are puffy and have a round top. However, as they cool, the wrinkles and cracks form, which is how you know this is a delicious, chewy cookie with crisp edges! They're truly the best sugar cookies ever, but they just happen to be bright green!
The Ingredients
- Butter. One whole stick of unsalted butter, melted. You can use salted butter if that's all you have, but then omit the ¼ teaspoon of salt from this recipe.
- Sugar. We need â…” cup of granulated sugar for the actual cookie dough, but we also need a few tablespoons extra for rolling the dough balls in before baking.
- Eggs. This Grinch sugar cookies recipe only uses egg yolks! Do not add the egg whites to this dough. Here is a list recipes for leftover egg whites.
- Vanilla Extract. One teaspoon of vanilla extract for 1 dozen treats is a lot, but it brings such delicious flavor here.
- Food Coloring. Green gel food coloring brings a bright green color to these cookies. Just 3-5 drops of the gel food dye for the color green seen in the photos. If you use regular liquid food coloring, you'll have to use more because it's less concentrated.
- Flour.
- Baking Soda.
- Red Heart Sprinkles. To match the movie, we are placing a single small red heart on each cookie when it comes out of the oven. Here are the exact sprinkles used in the photos; save the pink hearts in the jar for Valentine's Day.
The Instructions
First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Melt the butter in a mixing bowl, and then stir in the sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract.
Next, stir in the green food coloring, and add more coloring until it is the perfect shade of green for you. This is 3 drops of gel food coloring for me, but it may be more for your Grinch sugar cookies. Then, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt on top.
Stir in the dry ingredients until homogenous, and then press the dough flat in the bowl with a spatula. Draw a line down the center of the dough, and use a small scoop to get 6 dough balls from each half of dough.
Drop each green dough ball into a small dish with a few tablespoons of granulated sugar. Roll the cookies around until they're coated in the sugar.
Evenly space the Grinch sugar cookies on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 10-11 minutes, until they spread out and puff up.
Remove them from the oven, and then immediately press a red heart sprinkle into each cookie. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
FAQ: Grinch Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies puff in the oven, and sink and crackle a bit as they cool. If you bake them on parchment paper they crinkle more than if you bake them on a heat-resistant silicone mat. For the maximum crinkle and cracks, spray a cookie sheet with cookie spray and bake them directly on the pan.
If the cookies spread too much, use a big round cookie cutter to shape them right when they come out of the oven.
Ok, I happen to think cake mix cookies are too fluffy and soft. I like my muffins fluffy and soft, but I like my cookies with a crisp edges and chewy centers. This recipe for Grinch sugar cookies is so simple that you can skip the cake mix! Just one bowl and a stick of melted butter, and you're on your way!
Storage
This dessert keeps for up to 5 days at room temperature in an air-tight container. There is no need for refrigeration because of the high sugar content. They soften over time. You can make the dough for these Grinch sugar cookies ahead of time and freeze it. Just roll it into balls and freeze. Defrost for a few minutes while the oven preheats, roll them in sugar and bake as usual. They may need an extra 1-2 minutes to cook when baking from frozen. You can also bake them fully, press the heart sprinkle on top and freeze them flat for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and serve at your cookie party.
Grinch Sugar Cookies
One dozen bright green easy Grinch cookies!
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces/ 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- â…” cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 2 large egg yolks (no egg whites!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-5 drops green food gel coloring
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 12 red heart sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a silicone mat).
- Melt the butter in a mixing bowl in the microwave, and then stir in the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and 3 drops of the green food coloring. Stir very well to combine. You can add extra green food coloring until the cookies are the green color you prefer.
- Next, sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the dough, and stir just to combine.
- Press the dough flat and evenly in the bowl, and then divide it in half by eye. You should get 6 cookies from each half, for a total of 12 cookies.
- Roll each dough ball in your hands, roll lightly extra granulated sugar, and then space evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until they spread, start to crackle and appear dry on top.
- Once you remove the cookies from the oven, quickly press a single red heart sprinkle into each cookie top. You must do this while the cookies are still warm so the sprinkle adheres! PHOTO
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage/ Make-Ahead: This dessert keeps for up to 5 days at room temperature in an air-tight container. There is no need for refrigeration because of the high sugar content. You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Just roll it into balls and freeze. Defrost for a few minutes while the oven preheats, roll them in sugar and bake as usual. Add an extra 1-2 minutes to cook when baking from frozen. You can also bake them fully, press the heart sprinkle on top and freeze them flat for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 117mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 3g
Sandy says
YUM! Excellent sugar cookies, and so cute, too. I made them rolled in green sugar crystals to deepen the color, and using red cinnamon dots in place of the heart - for a punch of cinnamon flavor. Easy to make - a perfect Christmas cookie!
Amy says
My kids are VERY picky and both loved this recipe :)
patrici says
can match powder be used for some of the coloring?
Christina Lane says
My friend Emily did this with 1 tablespoon of matcha and it worked great :)
Katja Westfall says
Can I use regular Food coloring?
Christina Lane says
Yes, just use slightly more. Gel is more concentrated.
Deborah says
The baking instructions are a little confusing. The picture tutorial says to bake the cookies until they spread out and puff up, noting in the FAQ section that they will sink and crackle as they cool, but the recipe directions say to bake until they spread and start to crackle. Which way is it?? Please clarify. The cookies are too cute to screw them up when baking. Thank you!
Deborah says
I also use gel food coloring in baking, but it does not drip out of the container like liquid coloring, it has to be scooped out. How did you measure out 3 drops of gel? Thank you for your help!
Deborah says
I was hoping for answers to my questions from the recipe poster before trying these super cute looking cookies last Christmas, but have yet to hear from her. Maybe next Christmas??
Deborah says
It's only October, but I am already looking ahead to Christmas cookies and starting to gather supplies. What brand and shade of green food coloring did you use in these cookies? Thank you for your help!
Terrie says
I made these last year and everyone loved them. Can I double the recipe?
Christina Lane says
Yes, double it exactly (use 4 egg yolks, never whole eggs).