Want to impress Santa? These soft and chewy Grinch Cookies will get the job done! Green matcha adds natural color to these drop sugar cookies. They’re simple to make & super festive.
What is your favorite holiday movie? For me, there are a few top contenders. Elf, of course. Home Alone, because who can resist those antics. And then, there’s The Grinch. For as long as I can rememeber I’ve watched that movie at least a couple of times every December.
I love the classic 1960’s movie, but also have a soft spot for the 2018 remake with Benedict Cumberbatch. Why? Because in this version the Grinch is a foodie who cooks all manner of delights in his kitchen. Let’s just say part of me can relate to an introvert who likes to stay at home and bake. 🙃
These cookies are inspired by the scene in the Grinch movie where he realizes the true meaning of Christmas and his heart grows. The cookies are colored with green matcha as a nod to the Grinch’s coloring, and each cookie has one solitary jumbo heart sprinkle. (You can use more sprinkles if you like.)
These are drop sugar cookies, which means you don’t need to roll and cut out the dough. You just shape the chilled dough into balls, roll them in granluated sugar, add a sprinkle and bake. The end result is soft and chewy green sugar cookies that go perfectly with a cold glass of milk.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make these Grinch cookies. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- Unsalted butter – Cut into small pieces and brought to room temperature.
- Sugar – You’ll need some sugar for the cookie dough and some to roll the dough in before baking.
- Green Matcha – You can use the same matcha powder you would use to make matcha tea.
- Egg – At room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Sprinkles – To make these Grinch cookies you’ll need one heart-shaped red sprinkle per cookie. I use fairly large heart shaped sprinkles, but if you wanted you could also use smaller sprinkles and add more to the cookies.
Are you ready to make some soft and chewy Grinch cookies? Here’s how to do it:
- Cream butter, sugar, and matcha. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter pieces, sugar, and blue matcha powder until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
- Mix and add dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add these dry ingredients to your stand mixer bowl. Mix until just combined, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. Don’t overmix the cookie dough.
- Chill. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth towel, then chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Get your rolling sugar ready. Add about 3 tablespoons of sugar to a small plate.
- Shape the cookies. Spoon two tablespoons of dough into your hands and roll into a ball. Roll the cookie dough ball in the sugar. Place on the cookie sheet and gently press the cookie down slightly. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough until you have 10 balls. Space them about 2-3 inches apart because the cookies will spread during baking.
- Add the heart. Add one red heart shaped sprinkle to each cookie, pressing down slightly.
- Bake. Bake for 14-15 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned but the cookies are still soft in the center.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes so the cookies can finish baking.
Tips for Success
These cookies are pretty straightforward, but here are a few simple tips to keep in mind:
- Scrape down the bowl & don’t over-mix. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing to make sure everything is well incorporated, then stop mixing as soon as everything is combined. If you over-beat the cookie dough the finished cookies won’t be soft and chewy.
- Chill the dough. This is an important part of making these cookies. Chilling the dough helps give the finished cookies a cakey texture and prevents them from spreading too much during baking.
- Get creative with the sprinkles. I used one large heart-shaped sprinkle per cookie, but you could certainly use more. I also had the idea of doing a couple tiny hearts, then some medium ones, then a large one to make it look like the heart was growing. I couldn’t find the right sized sprinkles to do this but I think it would be cute!
How to Store
I usually store these cookies in an airtight container in the counter. They will keep for 2-3 days. If you want to extend their shelf life, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze These?
You can freeze the cookie dough before it is baked. Simply follow the directions below up until the dough is formed into balls, rolled in sugar, and pressed slightly. Add the sprinkles, then freeze the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the cookie dough has frozen solid (this usually takes 2-3 hours) transfer them to a freezer-safe container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to bake some cookies, simply place the number of cookie dough balls you want to bake on a lined baking sheet and add 2-3 minutes of baking time.
More Ways to Bake with Matcha
- Cuccidati (Italian Christmas Cookies)
- Melomakarona Cookies
- Latte Cookies
- Marranitos
- Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
These soft and chewy Grinch Cookies are sure to impress Santa! Green matcha adds natural color to these drop sugar cookies with red hearts.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar (plus 3 tablespoons more for rolling the cookies)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons green matcha powder
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Large heart sprinkles
Instructions
Cream butter, sugar, and matcha. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter pieces, sugar, and blue matcha powder until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
Mix and add dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add these dry ingredients to your stand mixer bowl. Mix until just combined, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. Don’t overmix the cookie dough.
Chill. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth towel, then chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
Get your rolling sugar ready. Add about 3 tablespoons of sugar to a small plate.
Shape the cookies. Spoon two tablespoons of dough into your hands and roll into a ball. Roll the cookie dough ball in the sugar. Place on the cookie sheet and gently press the cookie down slightly. Repeat with remaining cookie dough until you have 10 balls. Space them about 2-3 inches apart because the cookies will spread during baking.
Add sprinkles. Press a large heart-shaped sprinkle into each ball of dough.
Bake and cool. Bake for 14-15 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned but the cookies are still soft in the center. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes so the cookies can finish baking.
Notes
I usually store these cookies on the counter. First let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for 2-3 days (but you will probably eat them all well before then).
Last Step:
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These came out great! I was happy to find a recipe for grinch cookies that didn’t use a ton of artificial food dye. Not that I have anything against using food dye, I’d just rather use something natural like matcha when I can. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★