Description
These festive Christmas Grinch Crinkle Cookies are a fun and delicious holiday treat featuring bright green crinkled cookies made with cake mix, decorated with melted chocolate and red heart-shaped candies to capture the whimsical face of the Grinch.
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 the chocolate)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir well to blend all ingredients completely. Add several drops of green gel food coloring to the dough and mix until you achieve a vibrant Grinch-green shade. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to prevent spreading during baking.
- Roll and Bake: After chilling, scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Generously roll each dough ball in powdered sugar until fully coated. Place the coated balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, until they are just set with a characteristic crackled surface, being careful not to overbake as they should remain soft and slightly 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 the semi-sweet chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl by heating in 20-second intervals and stirring between until smooth. Using a piping bag or a small ziplock bag with a snipped corner, pipe a small dot of melted chocolate in the center of each cookie. Press a red heart-shaped candy onto the chocolate dot so it adheres securely. Then, pipe the Grinch’s mischievous grin: start with two upward-curved lines on each side of the heart to form the smile. Add small lines above the smile and between the eyes to mimic facial creases for added detail. Allow the chocolate decorations to set for 10–15 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for faster setting.
Notes
- Chilling the dough helps maintain shape and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- Be careful not to overbake the cookies; they should remain soft and chewy.
- Use gel food coloring for vivid green color without affecting dough consistency.
- If you don’t have red heart-shaped candies, small red sprinkles or mini red M&Ms are good substitutes.
- Chocolate can be melted carefully over a double boiler if a microwave is not available.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
