Easy Grinch Crinkle Cookies (From Scratch)
These Grinch Crinkle Cookies are cakey, festive cookies that are beautiful and distinctive and inspired by Dr. Seuss’s beloved Christmas Grinch! They are super easy to make and look terrific in cookie tins or on cookie platters!
I love making holiday cookies! It’s a tradition that I’ve participated in all my life, and I look forward to it every year!
And on this site, I’ve shared several festive holiday cookies, including my Holiday Fruitcake Cookies and these adorable Santa Gnome Cake Mix Cookies.
Today, I want to share a holiday cookie that’s even more Christmas-y than these Shortbread Christmas Cookies or even these Cute Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups!
These Grinch Crinkle Cookies are even cuter than my Frosted Grinch Cookies and take less time to make, too! It’s like you’re looking at the Grinch himself, with a heart that’s just right.
If you look for Grinch crinkle cookies on Google or Pinterest, you’ll find a bunch, but they use boxed cake mix. It’s actually super easy (and almost just as fast) to make them yourself! So I did – and you can do in just minutes. 😉
Why You’ll Love Making Grinch Crinkle Cookies Every Year
- Easy to make
- Come together quickly
- Super tasty
- Festive and fun
- Perfect addition to any cookie plate or holiday cookie exchange!
I’ve made these for DIY gifts and for cookie exchanges, and they’re always a hit! And when I add them to our holiday cookie platter, they’re the first to go.
Plus, which cookies do you think Santa makes sure he enjoys each year?
They look Pinterest and Instagram-worthy, but they’re practically failproof! The hardest part is getting the right color, and I’ve got tips for you to make it easy peasy.
Go ahead – put on your favorite holiday music and start baking! You’ll be done in practically no time!
Grinch Crinkle Cookie Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar – for the cookie dough and extra for rolling cookie balls
- Light brown sugar
- Unsalted butter – you can use salted butter, but leave out the additional salt if you do.
- Large eggs – room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Salt – omit if you use salted butter
- Green gel food coloring
- Powdered sugar – for rolling cookie balls
- Red sprinkle hearts
Helpful Kitchen Tools
NOTE: For more recipe details, please refer to the handy printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How To Make Grinch Crinkle Cookies
Step 1 – Cream Butter And Sugars
Beat the sugars and butter together until creamy (about 3 minutes on medium speed).
Step 2 – Add Eggs And Vanilla
Add eggs one at a time and vanilla extract.
Step 3 – Slowly Add Other Dry Ingredients
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and gradually add into the mixer.
Step 4 – Dye Dough Grinchy Green
Add food coloring until you get the desired color of green.
Step 5 – Chill Dough And Make Balls
Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and move the oven rack to a higher level.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll 1.5 tablespoons of dough into balls.
Step 6 – Roll Dough Balls In Sugar
Coat the dough in granulated sugar and then in the powdered sugar.
Step 7 – Bake!
Place 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and bake on the upper oven rack for 10-13 minutes or until you notice air bubbles escaping in between the crinkles of the cookies.
Let your Grinch crinkle cookies cool completely before icing or adding the heart sprinkles.
Enjoy!
Grinch Crinkle Cookies Notes And Expert Tips
- I strongly recommend using green gel food coloring instead of normal green food coloring because the gel is more concentrated, so you don’t need to use as much. We tried using regular food coloring first and were so disappointed with the barely tinge of green color the cookies had.
- Baking your cookies on a higher baking rack will give them that desired crispy exterior and soft, cakey interior.
- Save your arms by using a mixer (hand-held or stand) so your arms won’t get tired from mixing the dough by hand.
- Dough texture – the dough will start out crumbly but will come together after about 3 minutes of mixing.
- Placing the hearts – Although you can place the red heart sprinkles on the balls before baking, be aware that they will move while the cookies spread, so the sprinkles may end up where you don’t want them.
Variation Idea – Make Them Minty!
If you love minty food at the holidays, you could add mint extract to the cookie dough for a pop of flavor! I recommend starting with a 1/2 teaspoon and increase slowly if you want more flavor.
Storing Grinch Crinkle Cookies
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
NOTE: The longer you store them, the drier and harder they tend to get.
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
If you want, you can freeze these cookies before or after baking.
Before baking – roll dough into balls and freeze them in a freezer-safe sealable bag or container before coating the balls with sugar.
After baking – make sure the cookies cook thoroughly, then store them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Chocolate Raspberry Cookies (Easy Drop Cookie)
- Easy White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
- Christmas Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Cookies
- Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Matcha Snickerdoodles Cookies
- Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies (Using Heath Bars!)
Pin For Later!
Grinch Crinkle Cookies
These Grinch Crinkle Cookies are cakey, festive cookies that are beautiful and distinctive and remind us of Dr. Seuss's Christmas Grinch! They are super easy to make and look terrific in cookie tins or on cookie platters!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 large eggs – room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- green food coloring
- ¼ cup sugar – for rolling cookie balls
- ½ cup powdered sugar – for rolling cookie balls
- red sprinkle hearts
Instructions
- Cream the sugars and butter together until blended and creamy - about 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add vanilla extract and eggs (one at a time).
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and gradually add the mixture to the other ingredients.
- Add food coloring until you get the desired color of green.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll 1.5 tablespoons of dough into balls.
- Coat the dough in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar.
- Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and bake on the upper oven rack for 10-13 minutes or until you notice air bubbles escaping in between the crinkles of the cookies.
- Let cookies cool completely before icing or adding the heart sprinkles.
Notes
Tip - I recommend baking the cookies on a higher baking rack so they have a crispy exterior with a soft interior.
Food Coloring - I highly recommend using gel food coloring instead of regular food coloring because it will show up better in the dough and you won't have to use as much of it.
