Christmas Cake Pops (Festive and Kid Friendly)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Crumble a baked vanilla cake and mix with 1/2 cup of frosting until it holds together, then roll into balls and chill 30 minutes. Dip lollipop sticks in melted white chocolate, push them in, chill again, then dip each pop in melted chocolate and decorate with green sprinkles, red noses and pretzel arms.
Christmas Cake Pops are the bite size dessert that steals the dessert table: vanilla cake and frosting rolled into balls, dipped in white chocolate and decorated as little trees and snowmen. They look like hours of work and take one calm afternoon.
Why you’ll love it
- One cake becomes 20 party ready pops with no special skill.
- Trees and snowmen that kids can help decorate.
- Dipped and set in an hour, with a clean snap to the coating.
- Make the balls ahead and dip the day you serve them.
- The dessert table star that costs less than a bakery box.
Ingredient notes
Vanilla cake: the base. One baked and cooled 9 by 13 inch cake, store bought or homemade, crumbles into the perfect crumbs. The cake must be fully cool or the frosting melts into it.
Frosting: the glue. Half a cup binds the crumbs into a mixture that holds together when squeezed. Add it a spoonful at a time, since too much makes soggy pops.
White chocolate melts: the coat. Melts stay fluid longer than chopped chocolate and set with a smooth snap. Melt them gently in short bursts so they never overheat.
Candy melts and sprinkles: the decoration. Green melts drizzle into trees, sprinkles add color, and a mini orange candy becomes a snowman nose.
Sticks and a foam block: the stand. Lollipop sticks pushed halfway in hold the pops, and a foam block keeps them upright while the coating sets.
The chill rule that makes or breaks it
One rule decides whether the pops dip cleanly or fall apart, and it is the chill. Rolled balls must be cold and firm before they meet the chocolate, or they slide off the stick and crumble into the bowl. Thirty minutes in the fridge is enough, and an hour is even safer. The second rule is the frosting amount. Add it a spoonful at a time and stop the moment the crumbs hold together when squeezed, like damp sand. The all at once batch always goes too far, and a soggy mixture cannot be fixed by adding more cake. Dip the stick tip in chocolate first so it glues into the ball, then dip the whole pop and tap off the extra.
Variations
- Chocolate cake pops: use a chocolate cake base and dip in dark chocolate for a brownie style pop.
- Peppermint pops: add peppermint extract to the coating and top with crushed candy canes.
- Reindeer pops: dip in milk chocolate, add pretzel antlers and a red candy nose.
- Snowball pops: roll the dipped pops in shredded coconut while the coating is still soft.
What we learned testing it
- Chilling the balls 30 minutes beat dipping at room temperature clearly. The room temperature pops fell off their sticks, while the chilled ones dipped cleanly.
- Adding frosting a spoonful at a time beat adding it all at once. The gradual mix stopped at the right texture, while the all at once batch turned soggy and needed more cake.
- White chocolate melts beat chopped chocolate bars for dipping. The melts stayed smooth and fluid, while the bar chocolate thickened fast and coated unevenly.
Read how we test recipes.
Christmas Cake Pops (Festive and Kid Friendly)
Makes about 20 cake pops · 1 hr 55 min total · Medium
Ingredients
Equipment
Mixing bowls · Baking pan · Lollipop sticks · Styrofoam block or cake pop stand · Microwave safe bowl
Instructions
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Crumble the cake and mix with frosting
Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl, breaking up any large pieces with your fingers. Add the frosting a spoonful at a time and mix until the crumbs hold together when squeezed, like damp sand. Too much frosting makes a soggy pop, so stop as soon as it holds.
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Roll balls and chill them firm
Roll the mixture into 20 smooth balls, about 1 1/2 inches across, and set them on a parchment lined tray. Chill for 30 minutes until firm. Cold pops dip cleanly, while warm pops fall off the stick into the chocolate.
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Dip in melted chocolate
Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one. Dip a stick tip in the chocolate, push it halfway into a ball, then dip the whole pop and tap off the extra. Stand the pops upright in a foam block to set.
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Decorate as trees and snowmen
While the coating is still soft, decorate half the pops as trees with green candy melts drizzled over the top and sprinkles, and half as snowmen with a mini orange candy nose and pretzel stick arms. Let them set fully before serving or packing.
Notes
- Chill the balls until firm before dipping. Warm balls slide off the stick and crumble into the chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate gently in short bursts. Overheated chocolate turns thick and will not coat smoothly.
- Tap the stick gently after dipping to shake off extra chocolate. A thick coat drips and pools at the base.
- Decorate while the coating is soft. Sprinkles bounce off once the chocolate sets.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Vanilla cake
- Use chocolate cake instead for a cocoa version. The same amount of frosting works, and the pops taste like a brownie bite.
- White chocolate melts
- Use milk or dark chocolate melts instead. The coating sets the same way, and dark chocolate suits a mint version with peppermint extract.
- Lollipop sticks
- Use short skewers or sturdy paper straws instead. Both hold the pop the same way, though straws need a wider hole.
Storage and make-ahead
Store finished cake pops upright in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered loosely so the coating does not sweat. Bring to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Freeze undipped balls for up to 1 month.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my cake pops fall off the stick?
The balls were too warm or too soft. Chill the rolled balls for 30 minutes until firm, dip the stick tip in melted chocolate first so it glues in, and let the pops set upright before moving them.
How much frosting do cake pops need?
Start with 1/2 cup for one 9 by 13 inch cake and add a spoonful at a time. The mixture should hold together when squeezed, like damp sand. Too much frosting makes soggy pops.
Can I make Christmas cake pops ahead of time?
Yes. Make and chill the balls up to 2 days ahead, or freeze the undipped balls for up to 1 month. Dip and decorate the day you serve them.
What chocolate is best for dipping cake pops?
Candy melts or white chocolate melts work best, since they stay fluid and set with a smooth snap. Chopped chocolate bars thicken fast and coat unevenly.
How do I store cake pops so they stay pretty?
Stand them upright in a foam block or a tall glass in the fridge, covered loosely. Laying them flat smudges the coating and snaps the sticks.
