These Easy Grinch Cupcakes are the perfect way to get a festive holiday dessert this Christmas season without spending a lot of time in the grocery store. Fluffy chocolate cupcakes topped with a swirl of green icing, and topped with a Santa hat and red heart sprinkles for the Grinch’s heart.
These cupcakes are so easy to make that even Cindy Lou Who can join to the fun. So, if you are planning to watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas this year, whip up these festive cupcakes to enjoy while you watch.
These Ugly Sweater Cupcakes are another one of my favorite Christmas Cupcakes. They are a great way to liven up your Christmas party and they are so much fun to make.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you need to make these cute Grinch cupcakes. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- chocolate cake mix (plus required ingredients like eggs, oil, and water as per the package instructions)
- green frosting (store-bought or homemade)
- Santa themed Hershey Kisses
- Red heart sprinkles
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps that you need to make these festive Grinch cupcakes.
Bake the cupcakes according to the directions on the box and allow them to cool completely. Once the cupcakes are cool pipe the frosting on top of the cupcake.
Then top with the wrapped Hershey Kiss and add red heart sprinkles if desired.
Hint: I used a large round tip to pipe on the green frosting. You can also use a large star tip.
Are you looking for another sweet treat to enjoy on your next Grinch Movie Night you may enjoy these Grinch Popcorn and Grinch Punch recipes.
Equipment
- Muffin tins or cupcake pan
- Piping bag
- Cupcake liners
Storage
Storage – Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Make sure to keep them away from heat sources.
Freezing – You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw them on the counter for a couple of hours before frosting.
Test Kitchen Tips
- I used chocolate cake mix, but you can use a yellow or white cake mix instead. Red velvet cupcakes would also taste great.
- If you are using an electric mixer to mix your cake batter, be sure to not overmix it. Mix for no more than two minutes. Otherwise, you may have tough cupcakes.
- I like to an ice cream scoop to portion out the cupcake batter so that I get evenly sized cupcakes every time.
- Don’t have a red heart sprinkle? Or want a large heart? Melt some red candy melts and pipe a red heart onto a piece of parchment paper. Once it hardens add it to the top of your fluffy cupcakes.
- I used white frosting and dyed it green with green food coloring gel. You can save time by purchasing premade green frosting.
- Don’t have a piping bag? You can use a ziplock bag and cut off the corner to make a piping bag.
FAQ
The best way to tell if cupcakes are finished baking is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, they’re done.
I used canned white frosting. I’ve found that it colors the best. However, you can use cream cheese frosting also, just keep in mind that it will affect the color.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this to help you get into the Christmas spirit? Try these:
What to Serve with Easy Grinch Cupcakes
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these adorable Grinch cupcakes:
Easy Grinch Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake Pan
- Cupcake Liners
- piping bag
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix plus required ingredients like eggs, oil, and water as per the package instructions
- 16 ounces green frosting store-bought or homemade
- 24 Santa Hat themed Hershey Kisses
- Red heart sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the cake mix box. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Prepare the cake batter following the instructions on the box. Typically, you’ll need to mix the cake mix with eggs, oil, and water until well combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with the cake batter. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven as per the package instructions. Use a toothpick to check if they’re done – it should come out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Once baked, let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost the tops with green frosting.
- While the frosting is still soft, gently press a Santa themed Hershey’s Kiss into the top of each cupcake.
- Sprinkle the hearts over the icing.
- Allow the decorated cupcakes to set for a little while, so the decorations stay in place.
Notes
- If you are using an electric mixer to mix your cake batter, be sure to not overmix it. Mix for no more than two minutes. Otherwise, you may have tough cupcakes.
- I like to an ice cream scoop to portion out the cupcake batter so that I get evenly sized cupcakes every time.
- I used white frosting and dyed it green with green food coloring gel. You can save time by purchasing premade green frosting.
- Don’t have a piping bag? You can use a ziplock bag and cut off the corner to make a piping bag.