Description
These Grinch Cake Mix Cookies are a festive, easy-to-make treat combining a vanilla cake mix base with green food coloring to create colorful, soft cookies perfect for holiday celebrations. Coated in a confectioners sugar and cornstarch mixture and topped with candy hearts or sprinkles, they offer a fun and delicious spin on classic cake mix cookies.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring, as needed
Coating
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
Toppings
- Candy hearts or sprinkles, as desired
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
- Mix Dough: In a large bowl, combine the vanilla cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add green gel food coloring and mix thoroughly until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Place the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up, which helps with easier handling and blending of flavors.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Coating: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners sugar and cornstarch.
- Form and Coat Cookies: Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to form dough balls, then roll each ball in the confectioners sugar and cornstarch mixture until fully coated.
- Arrange Cookies: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly press each ball with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly, being careful not to press too hard.
- Add Toppings: Press a candy heart or sprinkle on top of each cookie ball to add a festive touch.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes, watching carefully to avoid overbaking, as the cookies are thick and only need 8-10 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 3 minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Enjoy the cookies warm or at room temperature for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookie sizes and easier handling.
- Chilling the dough is crucial for better flavor blending and easier shaping.
- Do not overbake; 8-10 minutes is ideal to keep cookies soft and moist.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
- You can freeze fully cooled baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before serving.
