Grinch Heart Cake Mix Cookies

You know what makes the holiday season in Nashville extra special? When Amy bounces into the kitchen asking if we can make "the Grinch cookies with the little hearts!" That's exactly how this grinch cookies recipe became one of our December traditions. There's something about those bright green cookies with red candy hearts that just makes everyone smile, even Bradley pretends he's too old for them but I always catch him sneaking extras.

I first made these Grinch-themed cookies three years ago when Amy was obsessed with the Grinch movie. She must have watched it about fifteen times that December. We needed cookies for her class party, and I thought, why not make something fun that ties into her favorite character? These cake mix cookies turned out so soft and chewy that even the parents at school were asking for the recipe.

What I love most about these grinch cookies is how simple they are. We're talking cake mix, a few basic ingredients, and those adorable candy hearts. No fancy techniques, no complicated steps. Just easy, homemade goodness that tastes amazing and looks festive. Plus, the kids can actually help make them without creating too much chaos in my kitchen. If you're looking for more festive treats that bring the family together, you'll also love these fudgy peppermint brownie cookies that have become another December favorite around here.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Grinch Cookies Recipe
• What You Need For These Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
• How To Make The Best Grinch Heart Cookies
• Storing Your Grinch Heart Cookies
• Tips For Perfect Grinch Cookies Every Time
• Grinch Cookies Recipe FAQ
• Recipes You May Like
• Why These Cookies Are A Nashville Family Favorite
• Grinch Heart Cake Mix Cookies

Why You Will Love This Grinch Cookies Recipe

Here's what makes these cookies so perfect for the holidays:

• Super simple to make - cake mix does most of the work, and you don't even need a mixer
• Ready in under 45 minutes - from mixing to your first bite, it's less than an hour
• Soft and chewy texture - that cake mix base creates the most amazing cookies that stay soft for days
• Kid-friendly - Amy loves rolling the dough balls and pressing in the candy hearts
• Festive and fun - those bright green cookies with red hearts are absolutely adorable
• Perfect for parties - they transport well and everyone always asks about them

What You Need For These Grinch Cake Mix Cookies

Here's everything you'll need to make these festive cookies:

• 15.25 ounce vanilla cake mix - I use whatever brand is on sale, they all work great
• 2 large eggs - room temperature works best
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil - you can also use melted coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract - adds extra flavor
• Green gel food coloring - the gel kind gives you that vibrant Grinch green without making the dough too wet
• ¾ cup confectioners sugar - for the coating
• ¼ cup cornstarch - mixed with the sugar to create that crackled look
• 24 red candy hearts - conversation hearts or cinnamon hearts both work

How To Make The Best Grinch Heart Cookies

Making these Christmas grinch cookies is honestly one of the easiest cookie recipes I make. Here's exactly how I do it:

Prep Your Baking Space

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. I learned the hard way that skipping the parchment makes cleanup way harder.
2. Get out a large mixing bowl. You'll be stirring everything by hand, so make sure it's big enough.

Mix The Cookie Dough

3. Combine the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla in your large bowl. Don't be scared of the mixture looking a bit thick at first.
4. Add the green food coloring and mix well until the color is completely even throughout. I usually start with about 10-15 drops of gel coloring, but you can add more if you want a darker green. Bradley always wants it "super Grinch green," so sometimes we go a bit crazy with the coloring.
5. Once your dough is nice and green, cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This step is important because it makes the dough easier to work with and helps the cookies keep their shape.

Prepare For Baking

6. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F. Our Nashville winters can be unpredictable, but your oven shouldn't be!
7. Mix the confectioners sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. This coating is what gives these cookies that pretty crackled appearance.

Shape The Cookies

8. Remove your chilled dough from the refrigerator. It should feel firmer and less sticky now.
9. Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls. I use a small cookie scoop to keep them all the same size, which Amy says makes them look "more professional."
10. Roll each dough ball in the confectioners sugar mixture until it's completely coated. Don't be shy with the sugar - you want a good thick coating.
11. Place the coated balls on your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one. They'll spread just a bit while baking.
12. Lightly press down on each cookie with the bottom of a glass to flatten them slightly. You're not making pancakes here - just a gentle press to give them a flatter surface for the candy heart.
13. Add one candy heart to the top of each cookie, pressing it down gently into the dough. The kids always fight over who gets to do this part!

Bake Your Grinch Cookies

14. Place your baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch them carefully - you don't want to overbake these. The edges should look set, but the centers might still look a tiny bit underdone. That's perfect.
15. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. They'll firm up as they cool. After that, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Storing Your Grinch Heart Cookies

These grinch cake mix cookies actually keep really well, which is great because they're so pretty you'll want to make them ahead for parties.

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They'll stay soft and delicious for 3-4 days. I stack them with parchment paper between the layers so the hearts don't stick together.

If you want to make them even further ahead, you can freeze the unbaked dough balls before rolling them in sugar. Just place them on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They'll keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, let them thaw for about 10 minutes, roll in the sugar mixture, and bake as directed. This trick has saved me so many times when I needed last-minute cookies for school events.

The baked cookies also freeze well if you need to. Layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Tips For Perfect Grinch Cookies Every Time

After making these cookies more times than I can count, here's what I've learned:

• Don't skip the chilling step - I know 20 minutes feels like forever when kids are waiting, but warm dough spreads too much and makes flat cookies
• Use gel food coloring - liquid food coloring makes the dough too wet and you won't get that bright Grinch green color
• Watch the baking time closely - these cookies can go from perfect to overbaked really fast
• Press gently - when you flatten the dough balls and add the hearts, a light touch is all you need
• Work in batches - if your dough starts getting too warm while you're shaping cookies, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes

Want to make these even more special? Try using different colored cake mixes for other holidays. We've done pink for Valentine's Day with white hearts, and orange for Halloween with chocolate chips instead of hearts. The possibilities are endless, and it's fun to get creative!

Grinch Cookies Recipe FAQ

Recipes You May Like

If you loved these festive cookies, here are some other treats my family adores:

• Fudgy Peppermint Brownie Cookies - These chocolate cookies with crushed candy canes are another December favorite in our house
• Yuzu Lemon Crinkle Cookies - Similar crinkle effect with a bright citrus flavor that's so refreshing
• Rice Krispie Treats Recipe - Another super simple treat that kids love helping with

Why These Cookies Are A Nashville Family Favorite

I can't tell you how many batches of these grinch cookies recipe treats we've made over the years. They've become part of our December routine, right up there with decorating the tree and watching holiday movies. Amy requests them for every class party, and Bradley's friends have started asking if we're making them again this year.

What makes these cookies so special isn't just how they taste or how cute they look. It's the time we spend together in the kitchen, laughing when someone gets powdered sugar on their nose, and the way the whole house smells like vanilla and happiness. That's what homemade food is all about - bringing people together and creating memories.

So grab that cake mix, get your green food coloring ready, and make some Grinch magic happen in your kitchen. These cookies are guaranteed to make hearts grow three sizes that day - or at least make everyone smile while they're eating them. Don't forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it next holiday season when the kids start asking for "those Grinch cookies" again!

Print