These delightful Grinch cupcakes are complete with green frosting, red heart sprinkles, and a touch of whimsy that even the Grinch himself would approve of.
The Grinch stole Christmas, but he doesn't need to steal your holiday cheer! The holiday season is a time of celebration and indulgence, and what better way to spread some festive cheer than with cute Grinch cupcakes? Whether you're hosting a Christmas party or having a Grinch movie night, these adorable treats will surely steal the show!
This is one of our Easy Christmas desserts you will want to bookmark for later.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Festive holiday dessert. These Grinch cupcakes are the epitome of festive cheer, making them a delightful addition to any Christmas gathering.
Easy to make. With simple instructions and readily available ingredients, even novice bakers can create these fluffy cupcakes.
Perfect for the Christmas season. Capture the spirit of the season with these whimsical treats that are ideal for Christmas parties and gatherings.
Kid-friendly. Children and adults alike will enjoy decorating and devouring these adorable Grinch cupcakes.
And if you love Grinch Snacks as much as we do, try our easy Grinch pretzels, our Grinch Hot Chocolate and Grinch Bark.
Ingredients for festive Grinch cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Milk
- Oil
- Boiling water
Frosting Ingredients:
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Red heart sprinkles
- Green food coloring
Equipment and kitchen tools
- Electric mixer or hand mixer
- Cupcake pan
How to make easy Grinch cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cupcake liners to two 12-serving cupcake pans and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, eggs, and milk.
Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
Once everything is well blended, add boiling water and mix until well incorporated.
Fill each cupcake ½ full with the cupcake batter.
Bake for 20–22 minutes or until the tops are firm to touch.
Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. While cupcakes are cooling, whip butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Once frosting is whipped, add green food coloring and whip for 2 minutes.
Once cupcakes are cooled completely, load your piping bag with a 1M tip and frosting.
Frost cupcakes, and then add one red heart to make them look like the Grinch's heart.
Tips for the Best Results
- Ensure your butter is at room temperature for the frosting, which will result in a smoother texture.
- Use a large star tip or large round tip for piping the frosting to achieve the best Grinch fur effect.
- For a bit of extra fun, consider adding a mini Santa hat to the top of each cupcake.
- Store your unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them fresh until you're ready to frost and serve.
- For the best results, mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately first before mixing them together.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of the buttercream frosting, you could make a cream cheese frosting if you prefer. Or just make your favorite white frosting recipe and add the green icing.
- Add a drizzle of red frosting to the tops of the cupcakes for some extra festive color, if you like.
FAQs About This Recipe
Absolutely! You can bake the cupcakes in advance and store them in an airtight container until you're ready to frost and serve.
Leftover cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. If it's particularly warm, you may want to refrigerate them to prevent the frosting from melting.
While red heart sprinkles are perfect for Grinch cupcakes, feel free to get creative with other types of festive sprinkles or decorations.
More great festive holiday desserts
For more Grinch Theme fun, try my Grinch Pretzel bites. My Grinch Hot Chocolate and my Grinch Candy Bark. They are so much for holiday parties!
📖 Recipe
Grinch Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup oil
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting
- 1 cup butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Red heart sprinkles
Instructions
- reheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cupcake liners to two 12 serving cupcake pans and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, eggs, and milk.
- Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Once everything is well blended add boiling water and mix until well incorporated.
- Fill each cupcake ½ full.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are firm to touch.
- While cupcakes are cooling, whip butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
- Once frosting is whipped, add green food coloring, and whip for 2 minutes.
- Once cupcakes are cooled completely, load your piping bag with a 1M tip and frosting.
- Frost cupcakes and then add one red heart to make them grinch like.
Notes
- Ensure your butter is at room temperature for the frosting, which will result in a smoother texture.
- Use a large star tip or large round tip for piping the frosting to achieve the best Grinch fur effect.
- For a bit of extra fun, consider adding a mini Santa hat to the top of each cupcake.
- Store your unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them fresh until you're ready to frost and serve.
- For the best results, mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately first before mixing them together.
Nutrition
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Kerryanne
Just the color alone makes these super fun Raquel.
Thank you for sharing your Grinch cupcakes recipe at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather party this week. I'm delighted to be featuring them at tonight's party and pinning too.
Merry Christmas ~ Kerryanne