This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Crumbl Christmas sugar cookies are wonderfully sweet sugar cookies with hints of almond and vanilla extract in every bite. These copycat Crumbl cookies are similar to the ones you can get at the Crumbl bakery but you can have fun making them yourself at home and not having to drive to the store. This cute vanilla sugar cookie recipe is decorated with Christmas themed frosting and sprinkles, making them perfect for the festive season.
Inspired by Crumbl pink sugar cookies, these Grinch cookies boast a similar flavor profile and Christmas themed frosting and sprinkles.
Also try Christmas pinwheel cookies, chocolate covered Oreo Christmas cookies, chocolate covered cherries, and Santa cupcakes.
Why You’ll Love It
So tasty: If you love light, sweet cookies with creamy frosting, you’re going to love these. This version of Crumbl sugar cookies features Christmas colours and festive flavours to make them ideal for the holidays.
Easy to make: There are no complex instructions in this Grinch cookies recipe. Making the cookies should be easy enough even for newbie home bakers. You need to combine the ingredients, bake the cookies and then frost and decorate them.
Versatile if you want to tweak: Just as this recipe is based on the classic Crumbl sugar cookies, you can base other recipes on this one, adjusting the flavourings, frosting or decorations to suit any season or occasion.
Grinch Crumbl Sugar Cookies Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All purpose flour: Builds the structure for thick, bakery style cookies.
Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor and that classic sugar cookie crumb.
Vegetable oil: Keeps the crumb soft and moist after baking.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps the edges set lightly.
Eggs: Bind the dough and add tenderness.
Vanilla extract: Brings warm cookie shop aroma.
Almond extract: Adds a subtle bakery note that pairs with vanilla.
Cornstarch: Softens the crumb and helps the cookies stay thick.
Baking powder: Lifts the dough for a puffy finish.
Red heart sprinkles: Signature Grinch touch for the center (here).
Christmas sprinkles: Add colorful crunch around the edge with Christmas sprinkles (here) and crushed candy canes (here).
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and makes it fluffy.
Heavy cream: Loosens the buttercream to a plush, pipeable texture.
Neon green food coloring: Creates the bright Grinch shade (here).
How to Make Grinch Sugar Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Start combining the cookie ingredients: With a stand mixer whip the butter (don’t use cold butter – bring it to room temperature first) and sugar together in a large bowl.
Add some more to the mix: Add in the oil, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts, and keep beating until the ingredients are well combined.
Add in the dry ingredients: Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and mix this flour mixture into the butter mixture, adding a little water or cream if it’s too dry or extra flour if not dry enough.
Shape the dough into cookies: Scoop (here) the dough into cookie dough balls and arrange each dough ball on parchment paper lined baking sheets or cookie sheets, pressing down to gently flatten a bit.
Chill the cookies: Put the cookies in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
Bake them: Cook the Christmas cookies until barely golden, then let the cookies cool completely.
Make the frosting: Beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy in a medium bowl, and then add in everything else except the cream.
Finish the frosting: Mix in the heavy cream and add a few drops more food coloring if needed.
Decorate the Christmas cookies: Pipe the frosting into the middle of each cookie with a piping bag and large round tip (or Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) and spread it out, before decorating with sprinkles or your preferred candies.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten free option: Use a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend that contains xanthan gum and add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch for softness.
Flavor swap: Replace almond extract with extra vanilla or try lemon extract for a citrus twist.
Oil choice: Use canola or light olive oil for the same tender texture.
Color change: Switch neon green to soft mint or bright red for a Valentine spin.
Sprinkle remix: Use star sprinkles or crushed candy canes around the edge.
Buttercream style: Add a touch of peppermint extract for a cool finish.
Serving Suggestions
With savory bites: Enjoy Christmas tree puff pastry appetizers, festive deviled eggs, Christmas tree themed antipasto and maybe this cute reindeer cheese ball.
With sweet treats: Serve marshmallow pops and maybe some of these yummy Santa treats too.
How to Store Christmas Crumbl Cookies
Store: Because of the high dairy content, these should be kept in one layer in airtight containers in your refrigerator, and should stay fresh for several days.
Freeze: You can freeze these if you like. The best way to do so is the freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet or cookie sheet for a couple of hours and then transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag or airtight container and use within 2 months.
Thaw: Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
Top Tips
Chill the dough: A short chill keeps edges neat and centers thick.
Press evenly: Flatten each scoop to the same thickness for even baking.
Beat frosting well: Whip until light and smooth before adding cream for silky swirls.
Color last: Add food coloring after the frosting is smooth for better control.
Pipe then smooth: Pipe a mound first then swipe a small offset spatula for tidy edges.
Heart placement: Set the heart while frosting is soft so it adheres cleanly.
Christmas Crumbl Cookies FAQs
This step is to ensure they don’t spread out much in the oven and lose their shape. If you’re in a rush, you can swap the 15 minutes of refrigeration time for 5 minutes in the freezer.
As you might know (depending where you live, of course!) Crumbl is a popular bakery specializing in cookies! This cookie store was started up five years ago by a pair of cousins in Logan, Utah. There are now more than 800 locations across 50 states. Their weekly rotating menu always features exciting cookies but their sugar cookies are especially popular, and now you can make your own version and get creative with the decorations.
The choice is yours, but little red love hearts (here) and some Grinch sprinkles in green, white and red will look great (here mixed with these). You could also crumble (pun maybe intended!) up some peppermint candy canes (here) and add those on top.
Crumbl Christmas Cookies
Grinch Crumbl Christmas Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
- Ice Cream Scoop Optional
- Pastry Bag with Large Open Round Tip
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 4 ½ Cups all purpose flour
- 1 Cup butter, at room temperature
- ½ Cup vegetable oil, or canola oil
- 2 Cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ Teaspoon almond extract
- 3 Teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ Teaspoon salt
- 20 sprinkles, red heart-shaped
- ¼ Cup sprinkles, Christmas themed
For the Grinch Green Buttercream
- 1 Cup butter, softened
- 2 ½ Cups powdered sugar
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ Teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ Cup heavy cream
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- food coloring, neon green
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare 2 or 3 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
Make the Cookies
- To make the cookies, use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer and blend the butter and granulated sugar together until combined. Then add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and beat using a paddle attachment until light in color and texture.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture, and mix until fully combined. The texture should be somewhat crumbly, but not dry, and can be formed into a tight ball without falling apart. If the dough is too dry, add a Tablespoon of water or cream, if the dough is too wet add additional flour.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a ¼ cup sized measuring cup and scoop the dough onto your prepared trays, leaving plenty of space between them. Use the flat bottom of a drinking glass or ramekin to gently press the cookie dough balls into a disk about ½ to ¾-inch thick.
- Once the tray is full, place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to chill before baking.
Bake the Cookies
- Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies should be just barely golden, if at all, along the bottom edges when you take them out.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Add the Toppings
- To make the grinch green buttercream, use the stand mixer or electric hand mixer again to beat the butter and sugars together until creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and neon green food coloring, mix well. While the mixer is still running, slowly stream in the heavy cream and beat until the light and fluffy. Add additional green food coloring as needed to create a vibrant neon green.
- Fill a piping bag, fitted with a large open round piping tip, with the finished buttercream.
- Pipe a thick layer of the buttercream onto the top of each cookie, then use a butter knife to smooth the frosting out.
- Add a red heart sprinkle to the center of each cookie, then sprinkle the outer edges of the frosting with the christmas sprinkle mix.
- Cookies can be served right away or served chilled. Store the cookies in a single layer in airtight containers in the fridge.
Notes
Press evenly: Flatten each scoop to the same thickness for even baking.
Beat frosting well: Whip until light and smooth before adding cream for silky swirls.
Color last: Add food coloring after the frosting is smooth for better control.
Pipe then smooth: Pipe a mound first then swipe a small offset spatula for tidy edges.
Heart placement: Set the heart while frosting is soft so it adheres cleanly.
Nutrition
Bring a plate of these to a party and watch the smiles start. The buttery cookie base stays soft, the green frosting pipes like a dream, and the heart detail lands the theme. Grinch Crumbl Christmas sugar cookies are playful, generous, and easy to share. Bake them for a movie night, a classroom tray, or a cookie swap. They look fancy, they taste nostalgic, and they vanish fast.
Other Recipes to Try
- These Crinkle Grinch Cookies are perfect for a quick and festive treat.
- Enjoy festive Grinch Green hot chocolate to add holiday cheer to your day.
- Grinch Heart Cookies are a fun and festive holiday treat.
- Sip on this Melon Grinch Cocktail for a Grinch-themed drink with a twist.
- Try this easy 4-ingredient recipe for adorable Chocolate Strawberry Birds.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
My family loved this!
Great!
There was no leftovers. It was so good! 🙂