Easy Grinch Cupcakes (Baking with Kids)

If you're looking for a fun and colorful Christmas cupcake project for the kids, this is it! These simple Grinch cupcakes come together easily and quickly. And best of all, they start with a boxed cake mix!

Cupcake Fun with Kids!

If you've been following me for a while you know that I have a lot of grandkids. Nine, to be exact! I care a lot about baking with and for children. I devoted an entire post to it titled Baking with Kids.

Last Christmas I came up with a ton of Christmas cupcake ideas, sure to make kids happy.

I knew that I needed a new design this Christmas season, so I opted to go with a simple red, green, and white one--specifically, the Grinch!

This is one of those recipes that you'll be able to use with the kids. It's simple enough that children will enjoy it. They can color the frosting and the batter. They'll also enjoy piping the frosting onto the cupcakes and adding the tiny candy eyes.

Speaking of which, it's probably time to talk about ingredients. Here's what you'll need:

Grinch Cupcake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's a quick peek at the ingredients you're going to need to make these darling cupcakes.

For the Cupcakes:

• white cake mix
• vegetable oil
• water
• large eggs
• green gel food coloring

For the Dreamy Buttercream Frosting:

• salted room temperature butter
• softened cream cheese
• Crisco shortening
• powdered sugar
• clear vanilla extract
• whipping cream (or Italian sweet cream creamer) to thin down the frosting

Other Items You Will Need

• candy eyes
• green cupcake liners

How to Make Grinch Cupcakes

These came together so easily and quickly! As I said above, even the kids can make these adorable cupcakes (with your supervision).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Make Your Cupcakes

Combine cake mix and all wet ingredients. Mix until smooth. You can do this in a stand mixer with paddle attachment or with an electric mixer. I opted by do mine in a large bowl with a whisk. (Y'all, it was one of those days where I needed to get my aggression out. Just saying.)

Once the batter comes together it's time to add the green coloring gel. I opted for a light mint green. Isn't this a pretty batter?

Place green liners in muffin tins. Using an ice cream scoop, fill your cupcake liners to the ⅔ point. (Don't you just love that green batter?)

Place in preheated oven and bake for 16 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back to the touch.

Place on wire rack to cool. (Aren't these green cupcakes adorable?)

Make Your Buttercream

While the cupcakes are baking, make your buttercream. I happened to have a batch in the freezer, so I don't have pictures of this process, but here's how I do it.

Whip your butter in a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add room temperature cream cheese. Mix until smooth and light. Add shortening and continue to beat. Add vanilla extract and slowly work in the powdered sugar. Mix until fluffy. You can add whipping cream to add extra fluff if you like. Sometimes I add Italian sweet cream creamer.

Divide your frosting into three bowls. You won't need much for the white frosting (maybe half a cup or so). You'll need more for the green and red.

Color your frostings.

Place in piping bags with appropriate tips. I used a small round tip for the red icing and larger round tip for the green icing. I used a small star tip for the white. You can use whatever you like.

When your cupcakes are done baking, remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool. You'll want to let them fully cool before decorating.

How to Decorate Your Grinch Cupcakes

It might be fun (if you have several kids working together) to let one add the green frosting, another add the red, and so on. Give everyone a specific task!

Start by adding the green frosting to the top of each cupcake. Swirl it on, going around twice.

Now it's time to add the red hat. Squeeze your piping bag and swirl 3 - 4 times.

Now use your star tip to add the details to the hat. Give your pastry bag a little squeeze and a star will pop out!

It's time to add some eyes! Place the eyes onto the green frosting. Check out these cute Grinch cupcakes!

I placed my cupcakes into the fridge for a few minutes before serving. If you like, you can add a red velvet heart to each liner. I didn't take the time to do this.

Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

If you're transporting these cupcakes to an event, I've got the perfect idea for you. Check out these spacious throw-away cupcake carriers!

What to Expect from These Cupcakes

Expect that the kids are going to gobble them up! These fluffy cupcakes are so yummy and cute! You're going to love the addition of the dreamy buttercream with its luscious cream cheese. (If you're not a cream cheese fan you can skip it but you'll have to add more butter.)

Most of all, remember this: you're going to have so much fun with the kids on this (and other) projects! This cupcake doesn't require good piping consistency or skills. If the cupcakes aren't perfect. . .so what? The point is, you made them together!

Make it a Grinch Party!

Don't just eat these yummy cupcakes, friends! Here are some fun Grinch-themed ideas:

Have a Grinch Movie Night!

• Watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas while you eat the cupcakes. The whole family will enjoy this special day!
• Add a dot of peppermint extract to the cupcake batter or frosting.
• Make red velvet cupcakes for a different flavor and look.
• Make these sweet treats even better by holing out the center of the cupcake and adding a cinnamon gummy heart inside!
• Serve other green foods, like green rice Krispy treats or green milk. Make green popcorn and serve it in red and white striped bucket! (Cute!)
• Serve with Grinch Christmas cookies. (Use my sugar cookie recipe!)
• Here's a cute recipe for Grinch cake balls. They would be super cute at your party!
• Fill a jar with red and green M&Ms. Have a contest to see who can guess the number of candies in the jar.
• Decorate the room in red and green!
• Come in costume!
• Have fun with Grinch-themed crafts. Why not make these Toilet Paper Roll Grinches, just for fun?

Other Fun Christmas Goodies to Bake with the Kids

These cupcakes are so fun and perfect for a Christmas party with the kids. But I have plenty of other offerings, too!

Here are some fun recipes you can make with the kiddos in your world:

• Easy Christmas Cupcakes (to decorate with kids): Can cupcake baking get any cuter than this? I think not!
• Chocolate Covered Oreos (using a mold): We had a blast making our Chocolate Covered Oreos. We pretty much covered everything in chocolate, including the dining room table!
• Puppy Chow (aka Muddy Buddies): This is one of my favorite Christmas treats and the kids absolutely love making it!
• Copycat Lofthouse Cookies (with buttercream): These are easy to make and perfect to decorate with the kids, especially during the holidays.
• Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers: Another fun and simple treat during the Christmas season.
• Easy Holiday Peppermint Bark: Simple, fun, and oh, so tasty! The kids are going to have a blast helping you with this one.
• Easy 3-Ingredient Fudge: 3 ingredients? Yes, please! The kids will have a blast with this recipe.
• Best Holiday Sugar Cookies: You'll have to supervise with this one but it will be worth it. Every year we have a cookie decorating day with the grands and it's a blast!

That's it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoy baking with the kids this Christmas season!

See this recipe at

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.