Grinch Gnome Cookie Cups

5 from 1 vote

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The countdown to the holidays is on and these Grinch gnome cookie cups are the perfect treat for Christmas celebrations and movie watch parties.

What we love about these cookie cups are how incredibly simple they are to make. The fact that they taste great is a bonus!

grinch gnomes

In fact, they would look great next to these Christmas tree brownie bites or our original Santa gnome cookie cups with a cup of green hot chocolate.

Making cute food during the holidays is so much fun. And because we start with prepared items, it makes the process even easier.

What to Buy

Cookie cup treats have become one of our favorite desserts because of the delicious combination of cookies with icing and strawberries.

Want another fun Christmas idea? Check out our Buddy the elf cookie cups!

Here’s what you need to make these grumpy little guys.

grinch gnome cookie ingredients
  • Refrigerated sugar cookie dough (I prefer break and bake from Pillsbury)
  • White Icing in a tub
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Fresh Strawberries
  • Green candies (M&Ms are what I used)
  • Red heart sprinkles

You will also need a mini muffin pan and liners as well as piping bags for the frosting.

First, preheat oven to 350°F and line a mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners.

Place one cookie piece into each muffin cup. You don’t need to flatten or roll them. Just drop them in as pictured above.

NOTE: if you are using your own sugar cookie dough, I would use a heaping tablespoon.

While the cookies are baking take the tub of white frosting and remove about a quarter cup and add it to a piping bag. Set aside.

To the rest of the frosting, add green gel food coloring and stir. Continue adding more color until the icing reaches that glowing Grinch green.

add green gel coloring to frosting

Add the green frosting to a piping bag and refrigerate. I find this helps later on because the stirring tends to warm up the frosting and you want a stiffer consistency when making the gnomes.

When cookies are baked, remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool.

Take a small scoop to gently press each cookie into a cup shape. Then cool completely before removing from the pan.

Remove the paper liners.

create cup in cookie

We love our Grinch gnome cookies because they have hats made from fresh strawberries and the flavor combination is so good!

To prepare the hats, wash the strawberries and cut out the crowns in a v shape. Pat dry.

slice strawberry hats

This creates a hat shape in the strawberry when turned upside down.

assemble grinch gnome santa cookies

Decorate your Grinch Gnome Cookies

Now comes the fun part!

Take a fully cooled cookie cup and pipe green frosting into the cup. You want to be a little generous here.

Then push a strawberry on top of the icing and add a green candy nose just under the strawberry.

add green frosting and nose

Take a toothpick to spread some of the icing to create the green beard.

Place a heart sprinkle on the beard a little off center.

Then, with the white frosting, pipe a pom pom on top of the strawberry to create a Santa hat.

add a red heart to beard and top santa hat with white frosting

How stinkin cute are these little guys??

grinch gnome cookies with strawberry santa hats

Print the Recipe

Frosted cookies are simply delicious and when they can be cute too? It’s a total win.

If you make Grinch gnomes this year, I would love to see your finished product!

Feel free to share it on our Facebook page after you dig in!

Want more gnomes? Check out our Valentine’s Day Gnomes or Leprechaun Gnome cookies. Enjoy!

Grinch Gnome Cookie Cups

5 from 1 vote
These gnome cookies inspired by The Grinch will make your heart grow three sizes! So fun to make and eat!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 pkg Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough, Pillsbury works best – you will only need 12 of the 24 pieces
  • 16 oz White Frosting, one tub
  • 12 Strawberries
  • 12 M&Ms , green
  • 12 Heart sprinkles, red
  • Green gel food coloring, as needed

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a mini muffin pan with 12 paper mini cupcake liners.
  • Place one cookie into each muffin cup. You don't need to flatten or roll them.
  • Bake cookies for 20 minutes and place pan on a wire rack to cool.
  • While cookies are baking, remove 1/4 cup of white frosting and add it to a piping bag. Place in refrigerator.
  • To the rest of the white icing, add green gel food coloring and mix until combined. Keep adding color until the desired green is reached. Scoop into a piping bag and refrigerate until the frosting stiffens back up after mixing.
  • While the cookies are cooling but still warm, take a small scoop to gently press the cookies into a cup shape.
  • Cool completely before removing from the pan and remove the paper liners.
  • Wash strawberries and cut out the crowns in a v shape.
  • Take a fully cooled cookie cup and pipe frosting into the cup. You want to be a little generous here.
  • Then push a strawberry on top of the icing and add a green candy nose just under the strawberry.
  • Take a toothpick to spread some of the icing to create the Grinch beard.
  • Then place a heart sprinkle onto the beard.
  • Finally, place a dot of white icing on top of each strawberry for the Santa hat and enjoy!

Notes

See step by step photo instructions in the post if needed.
Optional: Dip strawberries in candy melts to add a variety of colorful hats.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 228kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 108mg, Potassium: 50mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 8IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American

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About Andrea Updyke

Andrea Updyke is a married mom of two boys living in Raleigh, NC. She is a published author and blogger of more than 18 years and loves to celebrate the little things that make life awesome.

Whether she's sharing tasty recipes, traveling or hanging with the family, Andrea's goal is to help make your days a little easier and a lot more fun! Email inquiries to andreaupdyke@gmail.com.


5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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