A Showstopper on the Dessert Table - Christmas cake pops, also known as holiday cake pops, are festive, bite-sized treats made from crumbled cake mixed with creamy cream cheese frosting, shaped into balls, and coated in a smooth layer of almond bark (candy melts or white chocolate).
These holiday cake pops are then decorated with seasonal sprinkles, making them a perfect, easy-to-make dessert for the holiday season. Loved by kids and adults alike, these delicious treats require just a few ingredients: cake mix, candy melts, cream cheese frosting, and holiday sprinkles. With less than five ingredients, Christmas cake pops are simple yet irresistible – an ideal addition to your holiday dessert table and parties!
You might also like these BEST holiday treats Andes Chocolate Mint Brownies and Dark Chocolate Almond Fudge.
Cake pops were invented in the early 2000s by a popular blogger and cake designer. The idea originated from using leftover cake scraps, which were crumbled, mixed with frosting, and shaped into small balls on sticks. Today, cake pops are a beloved treat for all occasions, with endless variations in flavors, coatings, and decorations. Like those creations, these Christmas cake pops are a delightful treat to enjoy with minimal effort and simple ingredients! I promise you won’t want to buy cake pops from the store anymore!
Jump to:
- Why should I make this Christmas cake pops recipe
- A Showstopper on the Dessert Table – Christmas Cake Pops!
- What’s in this Holiday Cake Pops Recipe?
- How to make this Best holiday cake pops recipe with cake mix
- Instructions
- Tips for successful outer chocolate coating
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Christmas Cake Pops with Cake Mix
Why should I make this Christmas cake pops recipe
Easy to Make - With just a few simple ingredients (cake mix, frosting, candy melts), this recipe is incredibly easy and quick to make, even for beginners. You don’t need advanced baking skills to create these delicious treats.
No special tools needed - Unlike many baked goods that require special tools, this recipe doesn’t require anything beyond basic kitchen equipment.
Perfect for the Holiday Season - Christmas cake pops are a festive and fun treat that captures the spirit of the season. Their bite-sized shape and holiday-themed decorations make them ideal for holiday parties, gift-giving, or as a sweet treat during family gatherings.
Great for Gift Giving - These christmas cake pops are perfect for wrapping up and giving as homemade gifts. Package them in a festive box or cellophane bag, and they make thoughtful, personalized gifts for friends,family and neighbors.
A Showstopper on the Dessert Table – Christmas Cake Pops!
With their colorful decorations and fun shapes, Christmas cake pops are sure to be the star of any holiday dessert spread. Their eye-catching presentation adds a festive touch to your holiday table.
These Christmas cake pops offer a delightful textural experience. The outer coating of candy melts provides a crisp and slightly crunchy bite, while the soft, moist cake center is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the frosting. Each bite delivers a perfect blend of textures and flavors, making these holiday cake pops an irresistible treat.
It's our family tradition to make these cake pops with my daughter every year during the holiday season 🙂
BEST to make with leftover cakes
Leftover cake usually has a rich, moist texture that works well when combined with frosting to create the perfect consistency for cake pops. The beauty of using leftovers is that you don’t need to bake a new cake.
Simply crumble the leftover cake, mix it with frosting, and proceed with the cake pop steps. This saves time and makes the process easier during busy times like the holiday season. Leftover cakes of any flavor—chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, etc., can be used, so you can create a variety of cake pops with different flavors based on what you have leftover.
What’s in this Holiday Cake Pops Recipe?
All you need is less than 5 ingredients to make this recipe!
- Yellow cake mix - This pre-packaged cake mix serves as the base for the cake pops, providing a soft, moist texture and a delicious vanilla flavor.
- Eggs - Add structure, moisture, and richness to the cake mix, helping it bake up fluffy and soft.
- Oil - Oil keeps the cake moist and tender.
- Cream cheese frosting - Creamy, tangy frosting binds the cake crumbs together to create the ideal consistency for shaping the cake pops.
- Vanilla almond bark - A coating that melts smoothly and hardens quickly, ideal for covering the cake pops.
- Holiday sprinkles - Decorative toppings that add a festive touch, enhancing both the look and texture of the cake pops.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this Best holiday cake pops recipe with cake mix
It all starts by making the cake using the instructions on the cake mix box. Once you prepare the batter according to the package instructions, pour it into the pan and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool—this step is important. Then, trim the edges and crumble the cake into pieces. Add cream cheese frosting and mix until well combined. I like to use a spatula for a mess-free mix.
Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized portions (I use a 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop) and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Melt white chocolate or almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl. Dip the tip of the cake pop sticks into the melted coating and insert them halfway into each cake ball—don’t go all the way through.
Freeze the cake pops for another 10 minutes. Dip the cake pops into the melted coating, tap to remove excess, and immediately decorate with holiday sprinkles. You can make 30 cake pops using 1 cake box mix. Once the coating has set, enjoy your festive holiday cake pops with friends and family!
Instructions
Step-by-step guide for making these delicious holiday cake pops.
- Step 1: Add the cake mix ingredients and mix well.
- Step 2: Pour the cake batter into the prepared sheet pan and bake.
- Step 3: Once done, allow the cake to cool down.
- Step 4: Mix crumbled cake and cream cheese frosting.
- Step 5: Roll the mixture into round cake balls.
- Step 6: Dip the pop sticks with melted white chocolate.
- Step 7: Insert the pop sticks into the Cake Balls and refrigerate.
- Step 8: Dip the cake pops in melted white chocolate.
Decorate the cake pops with festive holiday sprinkles immediately after coating. Once decorated, place the cake pops vertically, sticking the end of the stick into a foam block or a tall glass.
Once set, enjoy these delicious and festive holiday treats!
Hint: If the cake crumbs seem too dry or aren’t sticking together, you can add a little more frosting. The mixture should have a dough-like consistency that holds together well but isn’t overly sticky.
Tips for successful outer chocolate coating
- If using almond bark or candy melts, melt them in short bursts (20-30 seconds) in the microwave, stirring between intervals to prevent burning. If you're using white chocolate chips, you can add a small amount of vegetable oil or coconut oil to thin the coating and make it smoother for dipping.
- Tap the cake pops gently on the side of the bowl after dipping to remove any excess coating, which helps prevent drips and gives a cleaner finish.
- Be careful not to insert the cake pop stick too far into the cake ball, as it can cause the cake to crumble or break. Inserting it halfway helps keep the cake pop secure while still being easy to eat.
Substitutions
Vegan Version: Use a vegan cake mix and substitute the frosting with dairy-free options, such as coconut or almond-based frosting, to make vegan holiday cake pops.
Gluten-Free Version: Use a gluten-free cake mix and ensure that your frosting and coatings are also gluten-free for making gluten-free holiday cake pops.
Cream Cheese Frosting: If you prefer not to use cream cheese frosting, you can substitute with buttercream frosting for a sweeter, lighter filling.
Chocolate Coating Substitutions: Instead of almond bark or chocolate, you can use candy melts, which come in various colors and are easy to work with. If you prefer not to use white chocolate, substitute with dark or milk chocolate, ensuring it is melted properly.
Pop Sticks: If you don’t have cake pop sticks, you can use lollipop sticks, wooden skewers, or even drinking straws as alternatives.
Variations
Here are some variations you can try for your holiday cake pops:
Red Velvet Cake Pops: Swap the yellow cake mix for red velvet cake mix for a festive, vibrant twist.
Chocolate Cake Pops: Use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow for a rich, indulgent flavor.
Spiced Cake Pops: Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the cake batter for a warm, spiced flavor perfect for the holidays.
Candy Melts: Use different colored candy melts (like red, green, or gold) for a more personalized or themed look.
Sprinkles: Use different sprinkles like edible glitter, crushed candy canes, or themed confetti for a festive touch.
Equipment
Mixing Bowls: For combining the cake mix ingredients.
Hand Mixer: To blend the cake batter smoothly.
Sheet Pan: Used for baking the cake.
Ice Cream Scoop or Tablespoon: Helps scoop the mixture evenly for rolling the cake balls.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store the cake pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Refrigerate: If you need to store them for longer, you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
Freezer: You can also freeze the cake pops for up to 2-3 months.
Thawing: If frozen, allow the cake pops to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
FAQ
If your cake pops are falling off the sticks, it's usually because the stick wasn’t properly dipped in the coating. Before inserting the cake pop stick into the cake ball, dip the tip of the stick into the melted coating. This helps anchor the stick inside the cake pop, creating a 'glue' effect that prevents it from sliding out.
Yes, you can definitely make cake pops using a homemade cake from scratch! I used cake mix because it’s easy to make and hassle-free, especially during the holiday season.
Yes, you can make these holiday cake pops ahead of time. Preparing them in advance is a great way to save time, especially during busy seasons like the holidays. Check the storage notes above for easy guideline.
Yes, you can absolutely use different frostings in cake pops! Here are some of my recommendations; buttercream frosting, chocolate frosting, or even ganache will work in this recipe.
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Christmas Cake Pops with Cake Mix
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand Mixer
- Sheet Pan
- Cooling rack
- Meansuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 13.25 oz box super moist yellow cake mix (such as Betty Crocker)
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup unflavored oil such as vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cream cheese frosting such as Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy
- 12 oz vanilla almond bark or substitute white chocolate or candy melts
- 15 Cake pop sticks
- Holiday sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking sheet pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Use a hand mixer or whisk to blend everything together until the cake batter is smooth and well-combined, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely. After cooling, trim off the brown edges of the cake to create a clean surface. Then, break the cake into 4-5 large pieces and crumble them into fine crumbs in a bowl.
- Add the cream cheese frosting to the crumbled cake in the bowl. Mix it well until the frosting is evenly distributed, and the mixture becomes dough-like.
- Using an ice cream scoop, take a portion of the cake mixture about the size of a golf ball and roll it into a smooth ball. Place the formed cake balls on a plate. Refrigerate them for about 10 minutes to help them firm up.
- Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate or almond bark in short intervals (20-30 seconds), stirring after each interval until smooth and fully melted.
- Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert it halfway into each cake pop to help it stay in place. Return the cake pops to the plate and refrigerate again for 10 minutes to set the sticks.
- After the cake pops have chilled, dip each one into the melted white chocolate or almond bark until completely coated. Gently tap the stick to remove any excess chocolate and ensure an even coating.
- Decorate the cake pops with festive holiday sprinkles immediately after coating. Once decorated, place the cake pops vertically, sticking the end of the stick into a foam block or a similar surface to keep them upright.
- Allow the cake pops to come to room temperature and let the chocolate coating fully set. Once set, enjoy these delicious and festive holiday treats!
Notes
- Make sure to cool the cake completely before crumbling. This ensures the cake is firm enough to shape into pops and prevents the frosting from melting too much. I recommend leaving the cake on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before working with it.
- Chill the cake balls before inserting the sticks and after dipping them in chocolate. This helps them hold their shape and prevents the cake from falling off the stick when dipped.
Madhumita says
Looks super cute! I will try this for sure!
Abi Guna says
Thank you! Please feel free to share how it turned out 🙂