Grinch Cookies with Stained Glass Hearts

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These easy-to-make Stained Glass Grinch Cookies are just SO cute! They make a great Christmas treat for family and friends!

Green sugar cookie stacked with Christmas background

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These adorable Grinch Cookies are always a total hit at Christmas time! These festive green cookies have quickly become a holiday favorite in my family, and everyone always asks for this holiday cookie recipe! These easy Grinch cookies are perfect for holiday parties, classroom treats, cookie swaps, or a cookie exchange party, too!

These cute Grinch cookies are sure to melt even the Grinch’s small heart!


Mixed Ingredients for stained glass sugar cookie recipe

How to Make Stained Glass Grinch Sugar Cookies:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a stand mixer or hand mixer until light and fluffy.

Whipped green dough for Christmas cookie treat

Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and green food color and beat again until fluffy and well combined.

Flattened Dough for Grinch Green Sugar Cookies with rolling pin

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix! Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap, and chill for at least two hours.

Cutting Cookie Heart Shapes out of Green Dough on Cutting Board

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll out the chilled dough on a flat, lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Use a 3-inch circle cutter to cut the cookies, and then use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart inside the circle. Remove the heart dough from the circle and transfer the circle to the parchment-lined baking sheets.

Reroll the cookie dough as needed until it is all used. If the dough gets too soft to roll out, place it back in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the cookie trays with the cut-out cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats.

Crushed Jolly Ranchers Candy in Plastic Bag

Unwrap the Jolly Ranchers candy and place in a small resealable bag. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to smash the candies into tiny pieces.

Christmas cookies on tray ready to be baked

Once the oven has preheated, remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator. Fill the heart cut-out with the crushed Jolly Ranchers, being mindful not to get any candy on the dough.

Hand holding stained glass Grinch cookies

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature on the cookie sheet before enjoying!

Stack of Grinch Christmas cookies on platter with candy cane and holiday ball background

Enjoy these delicious cookies while watching your favorite Christmas movies during family movie night! We like to enjoy ours while watching the Dr. Seuss classic movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!


Frequently Asked Questions

Platter of Stained Glass Grinch Cookies

What is the best method for storing my cookies?

Store in an airtight container in a single layer in a cool, dry place for up to three days. If it is not possible to store the cookies in a single layer, place a layer of parchment paper between the layers. This will help stop the cookies from sticking together and helps to keep the soft sugar cookie taste!

Green Mixed Dough for Grinch Cookies in Bowl

What if I only have liquid green food coloring?

We recommend using gel color in the dough, as liquid food color will add more moisture, and may make it difficult to roll and cut the dough. If you must use liquid food coloring, add a touch more flour to your recipe to help absorb the additional liquids. Note, however, that using gel food coloring is the best way to get that bright green color – the perfect shade of Grinch-green!

Overhead Close Up of Stained Glass Christmas Cookies

Can I make this recipe without almond extract?

You can leave out the almond extract if desired, although the almond flavor pairs very well with the cherry flavored Jolly Ranchers!

Red Jolly Rancher Candy in Plastic Bag

How many Jolly Ranchers are needed?

The number of Jolly Ranchers needed will vary based on the size of the heart-shaped cutter used to make the cut-out, but we recommend starting with 10-12 candies. If you don’t want to use Jolly Ranchers, you can also opt to use red heart sprinkles or candy hearts instead!

Single Grinch Stained Glass Christmas Sugar Cookie

When is the best time to crush the Jolly Ranchers?

Crush the Jolly Ranchers right before you fill the cookie cut-out. If you crush them too early they may get sticky and stick to the bag and each other and be difficult to use.

Single Grinch Christmas Cookie

Why do I need to chill the cut-out dough?

Do NOT skip chilling the cut-out dough on the baking sheets! Chilling the dough again after the cookie shapes have been cut will help prevent the cookies from spreading and keep your heart and circle shapes nice and crisp and clean!

Close up of holiday stained glass sugar cookies

What can I do with the leftover dough?

You can save the heart-shaped cookie dough to bake small heart cookies. Place them on a separate baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. Do not bake them on the same sheet as the round cookies as they will burn if left in the oven for 12-14 minutes.

Holding up holiday Grinch cookie

Can I serve these cookies right away?

Do not try to remove the cookies from the baking sheet while still warm. The Jolly Ranchers need time to set completely in your Grinch heart cookies, otherwise they will stick to the parchment and pull away from the cookie.

Single round Christmas cookie with red candy heart

How long can I keep the dough refrigerated?

The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to three days tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.


Single Green Grinch Heart Cookie

Stained Glass Grinch Cookies

These easy to make Grinch Stained Glass Cookies are just SO cute! They make a great holiday treat for family and friends!
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Active Time: 12 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yields: 15 Cookies

What You’ll Need:

Instructions:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside.
    In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a stand or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, vanilla, almond extracts, and green food color and beat again until fluffy and well combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.
  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Roll out the chilled dough on a flat, lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Use a 3-inch circle cutter to cut the cookies. Use 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut a heart inside the circle. Remove the heart dough from the circle and transfer the circle to the parchment-lined baking sheets.
  • Reroll the cookie dough as needed until it is all used. If the dough gets too soft to roll out, place it back in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes. Place the cookie tray with the cut-out cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
  • Unwrap the Jolly Ranchers candy and place in a small resealable bag. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to smash the candies into small pieces.
  • Once the oven has preheated, remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator. Fill the heart cut-out with the crushed Jolly Ranchers being mindful not to get any candy on the dough.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature on the cookie sheet before enjoying.
Did You Make This?Mention @HeidiKundin or tag #hihmakersclub on Instagram to show off your awesome work! ♥

Such a great recipe to get into the holiday spirit, and a perfect treat for the Christmas season!

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Pin Graphic of Stained Glass Grinch Cookies
Pin Graphic of Stained Glass Grinch Cookies
Pin Graphic of Stained Glass Grinch Cookies

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