Description
These Christmas Grinch Crinkle Cookies are festive, fun, and perfect for holiday celebrations. Made from a simple white cake mix enhanced with green gel food coloring, they bake into soft, chewy cookies with a crackled powdered sugar crust. Decorated with melted chocolate and red heart candies, these cookies capture the mischievous smile of the Grinch, making them a delightful treat for both kids and adults.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring (several drops)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
For Decoration:
- Red heart-shaped candies (red chocolate hearts or heart-shaped sprinkles)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening (for melting chocolate)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add green gel food coloring, mixing until the dough reaches a vibrant Grinch-green color. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to prevent spreading during baking.
- Roll and Bake: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of chilled dough and roll into balls. Generously coat each ball in powdered sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8–10 minutes until cookies are set with a crackled surface but remain soft and chewy. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate the Grinch’s Face: Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl by heating in 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Using a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a corner cut off, pipe a small dot of melted chocolate in the center of each cookie and press a red heart-shaped candy onto it. Pipe two upward-curved lines on each side of the heart to form the smile and add small lines above the smile and between the eyes to mimic the Grinch’s mischievous expression. Let the chocolate set for 10–15 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for quicker setting.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is important to maintain cookie shape and prevent spreading.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant color without affecting dough consistency.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, a ziplock bag with a small hole cut in the corner works well for decorating.
- Be careful not to overbake the cookies to keep them soft and chewy.
- Chocolate can be substituted with white chocolate and colored with food-safe pens for different decorating styles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
