Ingredients
Scale
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix 432 g box
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract or mint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- green gel food coloring
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 32 g
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- red heart-shaped sprinkle or cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. Trust me, you don’t want to forget this step and end up with raw dough on a cold baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Mixing the dough: In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, softened butter, and eggs using a mixer. The dough will be thick and sticky—it’s supposed to be! I made the mistake of adding extra flour the first time, thinking it was too sticky, and ended up with dry cookies.
- Add flavor and color: Pour in your peppermint and vanilla extracts. Then, start adding your green gel food coloring, a little at a time, until you achieve that perfect Grinchy green. Be careful not to overdo it—the dough doesn’t need to look radioactive!
- Coat in powdered sugar: In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch. Scoop out balls of dough (about 1 ½ tablespoons each), then roll them in the sugar mixture. The dough will be sticky, but that’s what helps the powdered sugar stick and form those pretty cracks during baking.
- Bake and add the heart: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look dry. Once they’re out of the oven, immediately press a red heart sprinkle into each cookie. I recommend doing this quickly before the cookies cool too much—otherwise, the sprinkles won’t stick.
- Cool completely: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. I’ve burned my fingers trying to move them too soon—so take it from me, a little patience here goes a long way.
Notes
Serving ideas for maximum holiday cheer
If you’re hosting a holiday party, these cookies deserve a special place on your dessert table. Serve them on a festive platter with a few sprigs of holly or some candy canes scattered around. For a cute touch, you can arrange the cookies in the shape of a Christmas tree and place a star-shaped cookie on top!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert