With vibrant green frosting swirls, fluffy chocolate cake, and red heart decorations, these Grinch cupcakes will make your heart swell during the Christmas holidays!
Bake up some Christmas cheer with these festive and fun holiday cupcakes!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Grinch cupcakes are a perfect treat for any occasion, but they are especially popular during the Christmas season.They are a great way to add a touch of whimsy and fun to your holiday gatherings.
- Easy to make. Even novice bakers should be able to make these cupcakes without any difficulty.
- Fun to make. You can decorate them with your favorite Grinch-themed decorations, or get creative and come up with your own unique designs.
- Delicious. The chocolate cake recipe for the cupcakes is moist and rich tasting, and the green icing is rich and creamy.
Ingredients You'll Need
These cupcakes are a fun and easy way to show your love for the Grinch and get into the holiday spirit. To make these cupcakes, you will need the following ingredients, however, you can also use a store bought cake mix instead.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Flour - Regular all purpose flour.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar.
- Cocoa powder - Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Milk
- Boiling water
Grinch Green Frosting
- Butter - Softened to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Red candy hearts
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Grinch Cupcakes
Grinch themed cupcakes are not only delicious, but they are also very easy to make. The recipe below takes less than an hour, and can be easily customized with different cake or frosting flavors.
Delight your guests and delight your family with these adorable cupcakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two 12 cavity cupcake pans and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, eggs and milk.
- Using a hand mixer, mix ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Once the batter is mixed, add the boiling water and mix in well with the mixer.
- Fill each cupcake liner ½ full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch.
PRO TIP: You can use any store bought chocolate cake mix if you prefer.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, whip the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make the green frosting.
- Once the buttercream is mixed, add the green and yellow food coloring.
- Mix in until you have a Grinch Green frosting.
- Attach a large star piping tip to a piping bag, and load with the green frosting. Using a swirl pattern, frost each cupcake so it has a peak in the center.
- Attach a red candy heart on each of the frosted cupcakes to make the Grinch themed cupcake look. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Here are a few tips for making these holiday cupcakes:
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use dark cocoa powder.
- To make these cupcakes even more festive, add a few drops of peppermint extract to the batter.
- If you don't have a muffin tin, you can bake the cupcakes in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- To make the cupcake frosting even creamier, use heavy cream instead of milk.
- If you're decorating your cupcakes with sprinkles instead of a red heart on each, do so immediately after frosting them. This will help the sprinkles to stick.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations that you can make to these Christmas cupcakes.
- Add ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the buttercream frosting for a more festive flavor.
- For a fun and festive twist, use red velvet cake instead of chocolate cake.
- The chocolate cupcake recipe is perfect for any time, not just for making this Grinch cupcake recipe!
Serving Suggestions
Grinch themed cupcakes can be served on their own, or with a side of ice cream, whipped cream, or chocolate sauce. They're also great for packing in lunches or taking to potlucks. They're especially popular at Christmas parties and potlucks.
On a dessert table at a holiday party: Grinch themed cupcakes would be a festive addition to any holiday dessert table.
Related Recipes
- White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Candy
- Christmas Gourmet Popcorn
- Christmas Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Storage Options
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To thaw frozen cupcakes, simply place them in the refrigerator overnight.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making Grinch cupcakes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
You can use gel food coloring, liquid food coloring, or paste food coloring to make the buttercream frosting Grinch-green. However, I recommend using gel food coloring because it is more concentrated and will give you a richer green color..
o make sure that the cupcakes are baked all the way through, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cupcakes are done.
Yes, you can make these Grinch themed cupcakes ahead of time. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe instructions and allow them to cool completely. Then, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To frost the cupcakes, simply bring them to room temperature and frost them with your favorite buttercream frosting.
More Delish Ideas
Grinch Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
- 2 cup flour
- 2 cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup boiling water
Grinch Green Buttercream
- 1 cup butter salted
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- heart sprinkles
Instructions
Make The Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two 12 cavity cupcake pans and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, eggs, vegetable oil, and milk.2 cup flour, 2 cup sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup milk
- Using a hand mixer, mix ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Once the batter is mixed, add the boiling water and mix in well with the mixer.1 cup boiling water
- Fill each cupcake liner ½ full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch.
Make The Grinch Green Buttercream
- While the cupcakes are cooling, whip the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.1 cup butter, 3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon milk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once the buttercream is mixed, add the green and yellow food coloring.
- Mix in until you have a Grinch Green colored frosting.
- Attach a large star piping tip to a piping bag, and load with the green frosting. Using a swirl pattern, frost each cupcake so it has a peak in the center.
- Attach a red candy heart on each of the frosted cupcakes to make the Grinch themed cupcake look. Serve and enjoy!heart sprinkles
Notes
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use dark cocoa powder.
- To make the Grinch cupcakes even more festive, add a few drops of peppermint extract to the batter.
- If you don't have a muffin tin, you can bake the cupcakes in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- To make the frosting even creamier, add a few tablespoons of heavy cream.
- If you're decorating your Grinch cupcakes with sprinkles, do so immediately after frosting them. This will help the sprinkles to stick.
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