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These Grinch Cake Mix Cookies are so much fun! Soft green cookies with bright red raspberry hearts remind you of everyone’s favorite grumpy Christmas character. They start with vanilla cake mix, which means you can have a batch of festive holiday cookies ready in under an hour.
Pair them with a batch of Gingerbread Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossom Christmas Trees and Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread for the perfect Christmas cookie combo.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Bake Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 18 cookies
- Time Savings “Practically Homemade” Ingredients: vanilla cake mix, raspberry jam
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Vanilla Cake Mix: This is the base of the cookie dough and saves you from measuring out dry ingredients separately. I also love using it for these Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies. You can also substitute vanilla cake mix with white cake mix if you have it.
- Butter: Melted butter adds richness and helps the cookies spread just enough while baking.
- Raspberry Jam: The jam fills the heart centers and adds a fruity flavor that kicks the vanilla cookie up a notch. Feel free to use a different flavor of jam if you prefer!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the cake mix and flour in a large bowl until combined.
Step 2: Add the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, and green food coloring to the dry ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until you have a thick dough.
Step 3: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out 18 cookies.
Step 4: Roll each dough ball in the sanding sugar, then use your hands to press it into a thick disc shape. Place 6 cookies at a time on your prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
Step 5: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set. As soon as you remove them from the oven, use your pinky finger to press two indentations that form a heart shape, angling the bottom of your finger toward the center.
Step 6: Spoon or pipe the raspberry jam into each heart indentation. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
Expert Tips
- Add green food coloring gradually until you get the bright Grinch green you want. Start with a few drops and add more as needed. Gel food coloring gives you the most vibrant color without thinning the dough.
- Chill the dough if it feels too sticky to work with. Pop it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it’ll be much easier to scoop and shape.
- Make the heart indentations immediately after baking. The cookies need to be hot and soft so you can press into them without cracking. Once they cool, they’ll be too firm to shape.
- Use a small spoon or piping bag for the jam. This gives you better control and keeps the jam contained in the heart shape instead of spreading everywhere.
Storage and Freezing
Store: Keep these Grinch cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Grinch Cake Mix Cookie FAQ’s
Yes! These Grinch cookies with cake mix work best with vanilla or white cake mix because they give you a light base that shows off the green color. Yellow cake mix will work too, but the color won’t be as bright.
Plain Greek yogurt works great as a substitute. Use the same amount and your cookies will turn out just as soft. Full-fat versions give you the best texture, but low-fat works in a pinch.
Absolutely! Strawberry jam is the most obvious swap and tastes wonderful. Cherry or cranberry jam would be festive, too. Just make sure whatever jam you use is smooth {and doesn’t have chunks of fruit} so it will fill up the heart indentation correctly.
Do you love christmas Cookies? try these…
Cake Mix Cookies
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies {with Cake Mix}
Cake Mix Cookies
Chocolate Orange Cookies {Easy Cake Mix Recipe}
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Grinch Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 box vanilla cake mix, {13.25 ounces}
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup butter, {melted}
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
Toppings
- ½ cup sanding sugar, {or granulated sugar}
- 3 Tablespoons raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Whisk together the cake mix and flour in a large bowl. Add the eggs, melted butter, sour cream and food coloring to the dry ingredients and mix using a hand held {or stand} mixer until you have a thick dough.
- Using a medium cookie scoop and measure out 18 cookies. Roll each cookie dough mound in sanding sugar {or granulated sugar} and use your hands to press the cookie dough into a disc that is a thick round circle. Bake 6 cookies at a time. Place the cookie on a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove cookies from the oven.
- To create the heart-shaped centers, use your pinky finger to create each half of the heart, angling the bottom of your finger toward the center {or cover the bottom of a mini heart cookie cutter with foil and press it into each cookie}. Spoon or pipe the raspberry jam into the heart indentation. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are so much fun to make with my grandkids and so easy.