Grinch Cookies

These Grinch cookies are yummy green sugar cookies stuffed with rich milk chocolate and candy hearts on top.

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If you’re looking for a holiday cookie that stands out, Grinch cookies are a festive must-try. These vibrant green treats have a rich sugar cookie base that hides a smooth chocolate center, creating a delightful surprise in every bite. Topped with a tiny red heart, just like the Grinch himself, these cookies bring a playful touch to holiday parties, cookie swaps, or cozy family gatherings. Simple to make and unforgettable to share, they’ll add a bit of holiday magic to any occasion.

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Let’s Dish: About This Grinch Cookie Recipe

MAIN INGREDIENTS: Hershey’s kisses, sugar cookie mix, all-purpose flour, egg, unsalted butter, green gel food coloring, heart candy sprinkles

QUICK STEPS: Preheat oven to 375°F; mix egg and green food coloring; combine cookie mix, flour, butter, and egg mixture; form dough around Hershey’s kisses; place in mini muffin tin and bake 10-12 minutes; add heart sprinkle and let cool

TOTAL TIME AND YIELD: 15 minutes; makes 18 cookies

Why This Recipe

• Hidden Chocolate Surprise: Unlike regular sugar cookies, each Grinch cookie is stuffed with a Hershey’s kiss for a fun surprise in every bite. This addition adds a rich, chocolatey center that complements the soft sugar cookie exterior.
• Colorful and Fun to Make with Kids: With green dough and heart sprinkles, this recipe is as enjoyable to create as it is to eat, making it ideal for baking with family or friends. Kids will love the hands-on steps, from shaping the dough to adding the heart sprinkles.

Grinch Hershey Kiss Cookies Ingredients

HEART SPRINKLES: If you can not find the heart-shaped sprinkles for these delicious cookies, the Betty Crocker cinnamon imperials sprinkles are a great alternative.

These can also be found in the baking aisle of most major grocery stores. If you are really stuck, you could also use a red M&M on top.

SUGAR COOKIE MIX: While the sugar cookie mix is convenient and delivers great results, you can personalize your cookies even more by making your cookie dough from scratch.

Try your favorite homemade sugar cookie recipe and incorporate the green food coloring as specified in this recipe.

HERSHEY’S KISSES: While Hershey’s Kisses are a classic choice for these cookies, you can experiment with different types of chocolates or candies to fill the center.

I’ve used peanut butter cups before and really enjoyed the results.

FOOD COLORING: The addition of vibrant green gel food coloring gives these Christmas cookies their iconic Grinch-like appearance.

When choosing your green food coloring, make sure that it is a gel one. The liquid food coloring will alter the texture and consistency of your dough too much.

We recommend the Betty Crocker brand, which comes as a four pack of primary colors and can be found in most baking aisles at the grocery store.

You can also use the Wilton brand or Americolor. These can be found at local big box crafters stores or online as well. They will also offer more options of green color for you to choose from for your cookies.

How To Make The Grinch Cookies

Let’s have a look at how to make these easy, festive treats with our step-by-step instructions below.

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with baker’s spray or line with paper liners, and set aside.

STEP TWO: In a small bowl, whisk together with a fork the egg and green gel food coloring until the food coloring is thoroughly combined with the beaten egg.

Mixing the food coloring with the egg helps distribute the green gel food coloring much easier and more evenly into the dough.

STEP THREE: In a large bowl, with a hand mixer on low speed, combine the sugar cookie mix, flour, butter, and egg mixture for two to three minutes or until thoroughly combined. Your dough will be very thick.

STEP FOUR: Scoop out a ball of dough using a 1½ tablespoon (1½-inch) cookie scoop.

Flatten it into a three-inch disc in your hand.

Place a Hershey’s Kiss into the center and carefully pull the sides up to cover the candy and shape it into a ball.

STEP FIVE: Place the cookie dough balls into the muffin tin, making sure that the Hershey’s Kiss is still in the upright position.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not let your dough start to get brown. You just want to make sure the center is not raw.

STEP SIX: When your Grinch heart cookies come out of the oven, place one red heart sprinkle, offset to the right from the center, onto your cookie cup.

Let them cool in the mini muffin tin for at least ten minutes before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.

How To Serve Grinch Sugar Cookies

This holiday cookie recipe would be a great treat to include in a cookie exchange and would make a fun yearly tradition to include as part of your Christmas baking.

You could also plan a Grinch movie night and serve these green cookies along with our easy Grinch punch. The whole family will love the festive theme!

We have plenty of favorite recipes for the holidays.

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES

Fudge Recipes

Christmas Fudge

Cookie Recipes

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Check out our strawberry Christmas trees and reindeer pretzels for two more magical treats.

Storage For This Grinch Cookies Recipe With Hershey Kisses

Whether you plan to enjoy them over a few days or freeze some for later, here are the best methods to store your creations:

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re planning your Christmas baking ahead or simply want to save time, you can make the cookie dough in advance.

Prepare the cookie dough following the recipe instructions, and instead of baking, shape it into a log or flatten it into a disc.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to two to three days or in the freezer for up to two to three months.

When you’re ready to bake, slice the dough into rounds if refrigerated or let it thaw slightly if frozen before cutting and baking as usual.

ON THE COUNTER: These Grinch stuffed cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to four days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can prepare these adorable Grinch Christmas cookies ahead of time and freeze them unbaked.

You want to wait to put the small red heart on them until after baking them. They should be stored in a zip-top, freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to two months.

You need to let them thaw before baking them.

Why These are the Best Grinch Cookies

FESTIVE AND WHIMSICAL: These Grinch cookies capture the essence of the beloved holiday character, making them the perfect addition to your festive celebrations.

DELICIOUS FLAVOR COMBINATION: Beyond their charming appearance, these cookies offer a delightful taste experience. The sugar cookie base is sweet and buttery, while the Hershey’s Kisses add a rich chocolatey surprise.

PERFECT FOR SHARING: Grinch cookies are a fantastic treat to share with family, friends, or coworkers during the holiday season. They make lovely homemade gifts and are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

If How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of your favorite Christmas movies, now you have a delicious Grinchy cookie treat to enjoy at home.

These Grinch cookies are so festive and cheerful and even have the Grinch’s small heart on top. Merry Christmas baking!

More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love

• Grinch Fudge
• Grinch Drink
• Oreo Fudge
• Christmas Brownies
• Reindeer Brownies
• Red Velvet Cake Balls
• Grinch Snowball Cookies

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The Grinch Cookies

4.97 from 26 votes

These Grinch cookies are yummy green sugar cookies stuffed with rich milk chocolate and candy hearts on top.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 18

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Ingredients

  

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• 18 Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped
• 17.5 ounces sugar cookie mix
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon green gel food coloring,
• 18 large heart candy sprinkles

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with baker’s spray, or line with paper cups, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together, with a fork, the egg and green gel food coloring until the food coloring is thoroughly combined with the beaten egg.
• In a large mixing bowl, with a handheld mixer on low speed, combine the sugar cookie mix, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter and egg mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Your dough will be very thick.
• Using a 1½ tablespoon (1½-inch ) cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of dough and flatten it into a 3-inch disc in your hand. Place a Hershey’s Kiss into the center and carefully pull the sides up to cover the candy and shape it into a ball. Make sure to keep your Hershey’s kiss candy upright when placed into the mini muffin tin to be baked.
• Place the dough balls into the muffin tin making sure that the Hershey’s kiss is still in the upright position and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not let your dough start to get brown. You just want to make sure the center is not raw.
• When your Grinch stuffed cookie cups come out of the oven, place 1 heart sprinkle, offset to the right from the center, onto your cookie cup and let them cool in the mini muffin tin for at least 10 minutes before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.

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Notes

• Mixing the food coloring with the egg helps distribute the green gel food coloring much easier and more evenly into the dough.
• Make sure to keep your Hershey’s kiss candy upright when placed into the mini muffin tin to be baked.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

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