If you’re looking for fun, festive Grinch-themed treats to make this Christmas season, you’re in the right place! These bright green goodies are playful, easy to customize, and perfect for parties, classroom treats, church events, or holiday movie nights.
This Grinch treats roundup puts a festive spin on my favorite doctored cake mix recipes, with fun green hues and playful Grinch-inspired details. Each recipe is designed to be simple, adaptable, and perfect for busy holiday baking.
Let's Get Grinchy, Y'all!
This roundup includes several Grinch-inspired desserts and snacks—most made with shortcuts (cake mix, candy melts, and familiar bases) so you can whip them up quickly, even at the last minute.
These treats are shared with simple descriptions and links to their closest base recipes so you can recreate them without stress.
Let’s get Grinchy 💚
Why Grinch for Christmas?
I don't know if you've been to Hobby Lobby recently, but there's a resounding theme in the Christmas decor section: Grinch.
I'll admit, I was a bit puzzled by the Grinch phenomenon when I first saw it, but it's growing on me now.
As I type these words, I'm prepping for a big event tomorrow in the inner city. I work with an outreach ministry that does a big Christmas party every year for kids who might otherwise not have a real Christmas. We provide gifts, a terrific meal, and a party they won't soon forget.
This year, we're going with a Grinch theme. And that, my friends, was the impetus behind this post.
Many of these recipes come from other posts, but they've got a definite Grinch theme, so they absolutely require a new post.
I'll go through the list of what I made, one by one. Many of them are linked to other posts, so feel free to click through to get the full list of instructions!
What are we waiting for? Let's discover some fun Grinch-themed bakes for Christmas!
💚 Grinch Rice Krispie Treats (with Christmas M&Ms)
I kicked off my day by making these adorable Rice Krispie Treats! They are green (of course!) and are absolutely chewy, sweet, and totally irresistible. I added Christmas M&Ms, festive sprinkles, and finished them with drizzled frosting for extra flair.
What’s in them:
- Rice Krispies
- Marshmallows dyed green (I use Americolor Coloring gels)
- Christmas M&Ms
- Holiday sprinkles
- Drizzle (I used buttercream but you can use royal icing or melted chocolate)
They’re quick, no-bake, and perfect for gifting or party platters.
💚 Grinch Christmas Ornaments
If you like the Rice Krispie idea, you can take it a step further. Use the same recipe but shape them into balls (about the size of a traditional tree ornament) and wrap in plastic wrap.
You can decorate with ribbons or bows, if you like!
👉 Get the Recipe for Rice Krispie Treats here
(Just tint them green and decorate!)
💚 Grinch Crinkle Cookies (Green with Red M&Ms or Hearts)
These green crinkle cookies are soft on the inside, crackly on top, and finished with a single red M&M—just like the Grinch’s heart 💚❤️
I made these crinkle cookies last year for Christmas and they were so simple and delicious that I decided to use them as a base recipe for my Grinch cookies. Just a simple cake mix with a couple of additional ingredients. . .and you've got the most adorable cookies ever!
Why they work so well:
- Cake mix shortcut
- Powdered sugar coating
- Bright green color
- One red M&M per cookie
They’re eye-catching, festive, and always a hit.
👉 Get the recipe for Christmas Crinkle Cookies
(Use green food coloring to get that lovely Grinch shade!)
💚 Grinch Peppermint Cookie Bars (Snickerdoodle Base)
These are a Grinch twist on my peppermint bark cookie bars, made with a snickerdoodle base and topped with fluffy frosting dyed bright lime green.
Flavor notes:
- Soft snickerdoodle-style cookie base
- Creamy green frosting (I used Marshmallow Fluff dyed green)
- Crushed peppermints (Yum!)
They’re minty, festive, and perfect for Christmas dessert tables.
👉 Get the Peppermint Bark Cookie Bar Recipe!
💚 Grinch Popcorn (Sweet, Salty & Addictive!)
This Grinch popcorn might be the easiest treat in the whole roundup—and it disappears FAST. I whipped it up in just a few minutes, then let it dry and put ¾ cup in individual treat bags for the kiddos.
What I used:
- About 10 cups popped popcorn, unsalted (or lightly salted)
- 1 bag green candy melts, melted
- 1 bag Christmas M&Ms
- 2 cups broken pretzels
- A couple cups mini marshmallows
I don't have a recipe to link you to, but here's how I did it: Pop 10 cups of popcorn and remove any kernels. (This is important!) Let the popcorn cool, then melt the candy melts with a tablespoon of coconut or vegetable oil. Pour it over the popcorn and mix well. Once it begins to firm up, add the M&Ms, pretzels, and marshmallows. (You can actually add the pretzels while the chocolate is still gooey. They're delicious coated in chocolate!) Spread onto a couple of baking sheets to fully dry before bagging up.
💚 Grinch Cupcakes (Already on the Blog!)
These Grinch cupcakes are always a crowd favorite—and the recipe is already live on the blog!
How they’re made:
- White cake mix dyed green (made according to box's directions)
- Green frosting
- Red frosting (for hat)
- Candy eyeballs
- White frosting to trim out the hat
These cupcakes are whimsical, recognizable, and perfect for kids and adults alike. If you want, you can let the kids decorate them with you!
👉 Grinch Cupcakes – Full Recipe Here
💚 Grinch Snickerdoodle Bars
These soft, buttery snickerdoodle bars (my most requested holiday treat this year!) were topped with festive red and green icing for a bold Grinch-inspired look. The cinnamon-sugar base gives them classic holiday flavor, while the colorful icing makes them party-ready.
How I Grinch-ified them:
- Used my classic snickerdoodle bar base (This is such a simple and delicious recipe! I promise, you'll end up using it again and again!)
- Coated with cinnamon and sugar
- Drizzled with red and green buttercream
👉 Get the recipe for Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars
💚 Sugar Cookie Cupcakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
These sugar cookie cupcakes are soft, tender, and full of classic sugar cookie flavor—made even better with a fluffy marshmallow fluff frosting on top. While they weren’t created specifically as Grinch cupcakes, their light color base and festive mini M&M toppings make them a perfect fit for this green-and-red holiday spread.
They’re sweet, nostalgic, and a great option if you want something that feels more like a cupcake but still tastes like a Christmas cookie.
👉 Get the full Sugar Cookie Cupcake recipe!
💚 Grinch-a-Fied Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
These cut-out sugar cookies are classic Christmas cookies with a Grinch-friendly twist. These adorable trees are absolutely perfect for your Grinch-themed party!
What makes this recipe ideal:
- A traditional rolled sugar cookie
- These are over-the-top delicious and completely customizable!
- You can prepare them a day or two in advance for your Grinch event.
Grinch-style decorating idea:
Use green and white icing for the layers of the Christmas tree and then add red or green wet-on-wet dots for ornaments. Keeping the palette simple helps them blend beautifully with the rest of the Grinch treats.
👉 Get the full Sugar Cookie Recipe!
💚 Soft & Chewy Christmas M&M Cookies
These soft and chewy Christmas M&M cookies are a holiday classic for a reason. With festive red and green candies baked right in, they instantly match the Grinch color theme while delivering big cookie flavor and that perfectly tender bite everyone loves.
They’re easy to make, great for cookie trays, and ideal for baking with kids—no fancy decorating required.
👉 Get the Christmas M&M Cookies Recipe!
❤️💚 Jelly Nougat Candy (Easy Grinch Version)
This jelly nougat candy has been one of my most popular holiday recipes, and it’s incredibly easy to adapt for a Grinch-themed treat tray. The soft, chewy nougat pairs perfectly with festive colors—and all it takes is a simple candy swap.
Grinch-style tip:
Use red and green gummy bears in place of mixed colors to instantly turn this classic candy into a Christmas (and Grinch-approved!) dessert.
It’s no-bake, quick to set, and perfect for gift boxes, party trays, or adding something a little different alongside cookies and bars.
👉 Get the full Jelly Nougat Recipe!
That's it for this round-up, folks! Thanks for swinging by. If you make any of these treats (or have ideas for more Grinch-themed goodies) leave a comment!
Before you go, why not pin some photos to your Pinterest boards?
Janice Thompson is a professional baker, cake designer, and author with over 20 years of experience creating unique cakes and desserts. She’s the creator of Out of the Box Baking, where she shares her favorite doctored cake mix recipes, tutorials, and baking tips. Learn more →