Fun and Festive Grinch Cupcakes are perfect for the holidays. The cupcakes are made with a cake mix and topped with green frosting.
Making fun and festive holiday desserts really gets us into the holiday spirit. My kids love making Grinch themed treats for Grinch Movie Night and this cupcake recipe is one of their favorites.
With only a few ingredients these Grinch Cupcakes are easy to make and delicious. They are so simple that you will also have time to make Grinch Dip and Grinch Fruit Kabob.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
This recipe is perfect to make for your kid’s class party or even for your holiday dinner. We love using a red velvet cake mix, but you can use any flavor you prefer. It is the perfect cupcake to make while watching your favorite Grinch movie or putting up your tree.
The green frosting is easily made with simple ingredients. Make sure to add a red heart or red sprinkles for a fun and festive treat.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cake Mix. You can use any brand you prefer.
- Red Cupcake Liners. These go perfectly with the theme.
Icing
- Butter. Always use real butter for best results.
- Clear Vanilla Extract. Make sure to use clear vanilla so the icing will have a more vibrant color.
- Confectioners’ Sugar. Sifted to remove lumps.
- Milk. Whole milk will make the icing the richest.
- Green Gel Food Coloring. I recommend gel food coloring.
Decorations
- Red Heart Sprinkles. Heart sprinkles complete the Grinch theme and add the perfect festive touch.
Skip to the bottom of the post and find the complete ingredient list and instructions.
Variations
- Peppermint extract. Feel free to flavor the frosting if desired.
- Cake Flavors. We used red velvet but you can use any type of cake mix you love.
How to Make Grinch Cupcakes
Step 1. While the oven is preheating, make the cupcakes according to the box instructions and pour into cupcake pans. Bake and remove from the muffin tins. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack.
Step 2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and butter until combined and smooth.
Step 3. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar. I add 1 cup at a time and use low speed. Mix until well combined.
Step 4. Stir in the vanilla extract and milk until combined. Then add a few drops of the green food coloring until the white frosting is a bright green color.
Step 5. Use a 1M piping tip and a decorator’s bag, fill it with the green frosting. Frost each cupcake. Slowly build up the frosting on top of the cupcake and swirl using a circular motion. Then top with a red heart.
Step 6. Then the cupcakes are ready to serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Cookie Scoop – Save time and use a cookie scoop! I have a set of stainless steel cookie scoops that I love and they make baking so much easier.
- Mixer – You certainly can use a hand mixer but we love our stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It gets a ton of use and to this day is such a good investment. We bake a lot so it is so handy and we love our mixer.
- Cool Cakes – Make sure the cupcakes are really cool before icing.
- Use good quality ingredients. Pure vanilla extract and gel food coloring will result in the best results.
FAQ’s
We like to use a piping bag to frost the cupcakes. This allows you to easily form a tree on the cupcake. Easily pipe the frosting in a circulation motion with a 1M piping star tip.
Make sure to add the sprinkles and red heart immediately after you frosting. The sprinkles will not stick if the frosting has already fully set.
Yes, you can easily make a red velvet cake from scratch. This Red Velvet Cupcake recipe it is easy to make. Mix together the flour mixture – all purpose flour, baking powder baking soda.
Then add in the butter, sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract to easily make this recipe. This cupcake recipe is light and fluffy and one of my favorites.
Store the leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Yes, you can freeze red velvet cupcakes. Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, wrap them in plastic wrap and foil. The double layering of the cupcakes allows them to stay fresh.
Once you are ready to serve, thaw the cupcakes in the refrigerator overnight. We recommend not frosting if you are going to freeze the cupcakes. Once the cupcakes have thawed, then you can frost.
More Easy Grinch Desserts
More Christmas Cupcakes
Try this recipe for the holidays and please leave a comment once you make them.
Grinch Cupcakes
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 1 Red Velvet Cake Mix
- *Plus the ingredients to prepare the cake mix based on the package instructions
- Red Cupcake Liners
FOR THE ICING:
- 1/2 cup Solid Vegetable Shortening
- 1/2 cup Butter softened at room temperature
- 1 tsp Clear Vanilla Extract
- 4 cups Confectioners’ Sugar sifted
- 2 Tbsp Milk
- Green Gel Food Coloring
FOR THE DECORATIONS:
- Red Heart Sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the red velvet cake mix based on the cupcake instructions using the red cupcake liners and all the cupcakes to cool completely at room temperature.
- In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and butter until combined and smooth.
- Then slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar (1 cup at a time) on low speed until well combined.
- Then stir in the vanilla extract and milk until combined. Then add a few drops of the green food coloring until the frosting is a bright green color,
- Then use a 1M piping tip and a decorator’s bag, fill it with the green frosting.
- Gently frosting each cupcake. You want to slowly build up the frosting on top of the cupcake using a circular motion.
- Then place a red heart on the top of each cupcake.
- Then the cupcakes are ready to serve and enjoy!
