This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
These Christmas Cake Pops are sweet, flavorful treats that make darling holiday gifts or decorative centerpieces to your holiday celebrations.
Featured with this recipe
- Ingredients in Christmas Cake Pops
- Steps to Making Cake Pops
- Homemade Frosting Option
- Additional Flavors to Try
- Themed Cake Pops
- Creating a Cake Pop Display
- How to Store Christmas Cake Pops
- Why are My Cake Pops Not Holding Their Shape?
- More Holiday Gift Treats
- How to Make Christmas Cake Pops
- Christmas Cake Pops Recipe
These Christmas Cake Pops are bite-sized treats decorated in festive sprinkles and colors to elevate your holiday gatherings. They’re perfect for class parties, neighbor gifts, a DIY activity for your kids, just about any occasion. These cake balls are easy to make, with cake crumbles mixed with frosting, shaped into small balls and dipped into a white chocolate or colorful candy coating. Decorate with festive sprinkles or candies and you have the kind of treat that rivals even the most decadent Christmas desserts.
Ingredients in Christmas Cake Pops
Cake pops are easy to make and can be made uniquely festive with holiday decorations and colors. Here’s what you need for a basic cake pop recipe:
- White box cake mix – mix and bake the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. You’ll need oil or butter, eggs, and water. Mix cake batter with an electric mixer at low speed until incorporated, then bake as instructed.
- Vanilla frosting – for this recipe I used a can of vanilla frosting from the grocery store.
- White melting chocolates – one and a quarter cup of white melting chocolates. Find them at most grocery stores or at Hobby Lobby or on Amazon.
- Dark green and red candy melts – one cup of each color
- Sprinkles – these are optional, but are fun to decorate for the holidays.
- Lollipop sticks – you’ll use about 30 sticks, using one cake pop stick for each treat.
Steps to Making Cake Pops
These homemade cake pops are simple to make; they just take a couple of easy steps:
- First, bake the cake according to the cake mix instructions. Let the cake cool.
- Next, crumble the cake with your hands into a large bowl.
- Then, add the can of frosting to the cake crumbs and stir to combine.
- Use a standard cookie scoop to scoop out a ball of cake mixture and roll it with your hands into a cake ball.
- Place each ball on a pan or baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper to avoid sticking.
- Melt about a quarter of a cup of the white candy melts in the microwave, stirring until they’re melted. Dip each lollipop stick into the chocolate, then insert the sticks into each cake ball, about halfway through.
- Place the lined baking sheet of cake balls and sticks in the fridge or freezer for an hour or two to chill. This will help the balls maintain their shape when you dip them in the chocolate.
- Melt chocolate or candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl, then dip each cake pop into the coating, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off.
- Finally, add add sprinkles or decorations while the coating is still wet.
Homemade Frosting Option
If you prefer homemade frosting, try our basic buttercream recipe using powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and unsalted butter. Check out our Halloween Cake Pops for a delicious frosting recipe.
Additional Flavors to Try
I used a vanilla cake and vanilla frosting combination to create these Christmas Cake Pops, but you can use any combination of cake and frosting you like for adorable and delicious bite-sized desserts:
- Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
- Make Chocolate cake pops with peppermint flavored frosting
- Gingerbread cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting
- Vanilla cake with eggnog flavored frosting. Add a couple of tablespoons of eggnog for a deliciously rich holiday flavor.
Themed Cake Pops
This basic cake pops recipe can be switched up and decorated all kinds of ways for different holiday occasions:
- Use white melting chocolate to create a snowman cake pop. Use orange frosting to make a carrot nose, and some black chocolate melts for eyes and a hat
- Shape the cake and frosting mixture into a triangle and decorate as Christmas tree cake pops.
- Make a reindeer cake pop using pretzel antlers and a red hot to make Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Creating a Cake Pop Display
If you’re serving these cake pops at a school party, church potluck, or Christmas house party, use a Styrofoam block as a base, then insert each lollipop stick into the block. Then place the block into a decorative bowl or wrap fresh greenery around the Styrofoam for a gorgeous display.
How to Store Christmas Cake Pops
Store these pops in a Ziplock bag for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Or single wrap them in little plastic baggie, and tie them with a bow for the perfect holiday gift.
Why are My Cake Pops Not Holding Their Shape?
I have ran into this problem in the past and I found my cake mixture was too dry. Just add a little more frosting to the cake crumbles until they easily hold their shape.
Read More: 25+ Christmas Dessert Ideas
More Holiday Gift Treats
Food always makes the perfect holiday gifts. Who doesn’t love fresh baked treats or festive candy wrapped up with a bow? Try some of these adorable, edible Christmas gift ideas:
How to Make Christmas Cake Pops
Christmas Cake Pops
Video
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix (prepared)
- 1 cup vanilla frosting
- 1 1/4 cup white melting chocolates
- 1 cup dark green candy melts
- 1 cup red candy melts
- sprinkles (optional)
- 30 lollipop sticks
Instructions
- Bake cake according to package directions in a 9×13 baking dish and allow to cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, crumble cake with your hands.
- Add frosting and combine.
- Using a standard cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of cake mixture and roll it with your hands into a cake ball. Place on cookie sheet.
- Melt ¼ cup of white candy melts according to package directions in the microwave. Dip the lollipop tip into the candy melts and stick into a cake ball.
- Place cookie sheet of cake balls with sticks in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 cup of green candy melts according to package directions. Dip cake ball into the candy melt, allow the excess to drip off, place sprinkles on top and place on cookie sheet to dry.
- Allow cake pops to completely dry then serve, wrap or store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Add more frosting if the cake crumble is not holding together. It needs to be dense enough to hold it on the stick, but still soft when it’s eaten.
- It will help to dip the cake pops while they are cold.
- Store wrapped in a Ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
