These green Grinch cookies (with a heart) are soft, cakey, and perfect for the Christmas season. Green M&Ms and a little red heart make these into your favourite Christmas character whose heart is three-sizes-too-small. They're equal parts cute and delicious!
TL;DR
- Prep time: 10 minutes (plus cooling) Cook time: 10 minutes
- Storage: 7-14 days at room temperature/fridge
- Freezer storage: 3 months for both dough and cooked cookies
- Customise: green food colouring and m&ms are completely optional!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Bright and Festive. These green Grinch cookies use food colouring (like the Choc Mint Cookies) to bring a colourful twist to Christmas baking.
Soft and Cakey. The cookies have a deliciously soft, cakey texture that melts in your mouth like my Peanut Butter Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Kid-Friendly. The fun green colour, M&Ms, and red heart decoration make this a great baking activity for kids, similar to Reindeer Brownies.
Ingredients and substitutions
Butter. Unsalted butter is recommended. You can use salted but the salt contents varies from brand to brand.
Oil based alternatives like nuttelex work. It's just softer so the cookies may spread more.
White Sugar and Brown Sugar. The combination I've used and the amounts contribute to the thick, soft and cakey cookies.
You can use one or the other, but the texture will change (e.g. just white sugar creates a thinner, crisper cookie; just brown sugar makes a super soft and chewy cookie)
Vanilla and Almond Extract. These enhance the overall flavour of the cookie. While I recommend almond extract as well, it'll only make a subtle difference if you don't have it to add.
Green Food Colouring. This is optional. Adjust the amount to how much you want.
Sprinkle Hearts. These red hearts give the cookies their iconic Grinch look, but you can swap for red icing (use the icing recipe in my Sugar Cookies post, but add red food colouring) and make your own or other heart-shaped decorations.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make grinch cookies
Step 1: Beat the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
Step 2: Mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), green food colouring, and egg until smooth and well combined.
Step 3: Gradually stir in the flour, mixing just until a soft dough forms-avoid overmixing to keep the cookies soft.
Step 4: Gently fold in the green M&Ms, saving a few to press on top before baking. For best results, chill the dough for 30 minutes to help the cookies hold their shape.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls, place them on a lined baking tray, and space them a few centimetres apart. Press the reserved M&Ms and red sprinkle hearts onto the top of each dough ball.
If making the red sprinkle heart with icing, add after cookies are baked and cooled otherwise they'll melt.
Step 6: Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centres remain soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
My Top Tips
Press the red sprinkle hearts gently onto the dough before baking to help them stick. If you're using icing to create the red heart, add it after baking and cooling to prevent it from melting.
Green grinch. If the green food colouring seems faint, add a drop at a time until you get that festive Grinch-like shade.
Make cookie dough ahead of time
Prepare the green Grinch cookie dough up to 3-5 days ahead. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container in the fridge which will help keep them fresh before you're ready to bake.
You could also roll it into balls beforehand and store that way.
Freeze cookie dough
Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place them in a single layer on a tray or plate. Freeze until firm (this stops them from sticking to one another), then transfer to a ziplock bag or airtight container. The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can bake cookie dough balls from frozen, just add an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time as they're colder.
You can freeze as a single portion, but thaw in the fridge before baking as you won't be able to scoop it.
Freezing baked cookies
Let the baked grinch cookies cool completely before freezing then place in a single layer to freeze. After frozen, transfer to a ziplock or airtight container. I recommend adding parchment paper between layers to make sure there's no chance of them sticking.
They'll stay fresh for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, let the cookies thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, or warm them up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds for that soft, fresh-baked feel.
FAQs
The green food colouring gives these cookies their festive colour. Adjust the amount for a more vibrant or subtle shade of green.
Yes! White chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, or even extra green M&Ms make great additions for more texture and flavour.
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps the cookies hold their shape, prevents spreading, and makes them even softer and chewier.
Other Christmas sweet treats
Or, you can have a browse through my Christmas Category for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Green Grinch Cookies (with Heart)
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Ingredients
- 125 g butter, room temperature, subs note 1
- 50 g white sugar, see note 2
- 100 g brown sugar, see note 2
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon green food colouring
- 1 egg room temperature
- 225 g flour
- 100 g green m&ms, subs note 3
Instructions
- Beat the Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), green food colouring, and egg until smooth and combined.
- Stir in Dry Ingredients: Gradually stir in the flour, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies soft.
- Fold in M&Ms: Gently fold in green M&Ms, reserving a few to press on top. Chill the dough for 30 minutes for best results.
- Shape the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls, place them on a lined baking tray, and space them a few centimetres apart.
- Decorate Before Baking: Press reserved M&Ms and red sprinkle hearts onto the top of each dough ball. If using icing for hearts, add after baking and cooling to prevent melting.
- Bake and Cool: Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centres remain soft. Let cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
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