Grinch cake pops are made with moist red velvet cake and decorated with green candy coating and a little red heart. A festive Christmas dessert inspired by the classic movie!
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Grinch-Themed Cake Pops
These Grinch cake pops will fit in nicely with your Grinch punch and the Grinch cookies this year, whether for a specifically Grinch-themed party or just for something extra fun at this year’s Christmas party!
They’re a fun twist on the classic cake pops, made with just 3 ingredients. All you need is a boxed red velvet cake mix, green melting wafers, and the signature red candy heart, and because if your cake is already baked, they’re ready in an hour!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s an easy recipe made with just 3 ingredients and ready in an hour.
- They’re perfectly portable, great for party bags and gifting to friends.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- A box of red velvet cake mix: You’ll also need the ingredients listed on box (usually eggs, oil, etc). Bake cake according to package directions, then discard edges.
- Green melting wafers: Using green wafers will make life easier, but if you have white candy melts or almond bark and green food gel, you can go that route instead.
- Red heart sprinkles: I add 1 per cake pop, but have a few extra in case some escape onto the floor!
How to Make Grinch Cake Pops
Crumble the cake in a large bowl. Use a cake pop press or medium cookie scoop, scoop the cake mixture, and roll it into a ball. Place it on a plate and repeat with the remaining cake mixture. Freeze them for about 10 minutes.
Melt the wafers in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Dip a lollipop stick into the chocolate and then into the center of each cake pop. Chill until set.
One by one, dip the cake pops in the melted chocolate. Gently tap the stick on the side of the dish to allow the excess chocolate to fall. Add the red heart sprinkle in the center before the chocolate hardens.
Stand the cake pops upright in a styrofoam block holder or a glass filled with rice. They will set in about 1 hour.
Recipe Tips
- You can mix the cake crumbles with buttercream frosting recipe or cream cheese frosting to help the cake hold together. It also gives it a sweeter, chewier center.
- Turn these into cake balls by skipping the sticks! Use a fork to dip them, then place them directly on parchment paper.
- Add the melted green candy melts to a tall glass or skinny jar. It makes it easier to dip the Grinch cake balls.
- Work with 5 cake pops at a time while the rest wait in the freezer so they don’t soften too much as you work.
- Once you’ve dipped the stick into the melted chocolate and then into the cake ball, let it dry first so it won’t fall off while you’re dipping.
- For extra decoration, feel free to drizzle extra melted chocolate on the outside of the cake pops once they’re done setting.
More festive Christmas treats to try include: Christmas Oreo balls, peppermint Oreo balls and snowman Oreo balls.
More Cake Pop Recipes
Grinch Cake Pop Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 ounce box red velvet cake mix , plus ingredients on the box
- 12 ounces green melting wafers
- 24 red heart sprinkles
Instructions
- Bake cake according to package directions in a 9×13" pan. Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes. Discard any brown edges of the cake before crumbling. Then use hot pads to dump hot cake into a large bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix on low speed until you can form the cake into a ball.
Make Cake Pops
- Using a cake pop press or medium cookie scoop and scoop cake mixture. Roll into a ball and place onto a plate. Repeat until all the cake mixture has been formed into balls. Freeze balls for about 10 minutes.
Dip in chocolate
- Right before they are ready to be taken out of the freezer, melt the chocolate wafers in a microwave safe bowl. Begin by heating for 30 seconds and then stirring.
- Dip each lollipop stick into the chocolate and then into the center of the cake pop. Return to the fridge or freezer until chocolate is set. Pour chocolate into a glass cup or skinny jar and then dip cake pops, one by one. Gently tap the stick on the side of the melting dish to let the excess drip off. You can also spin or twirl the cake pop to remove the excess.
- Before the chocolate starts to harden, add heart sprinkle in the center.
- Push the cake pop stick into a styrofoam block or use a glass filled with rice to hold them upright. The chocolate will be set in about an hour. Store for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a cool place.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
- Work with about five cake pops at a time, keeping the rest in the freezer so they stay firm.
- Dip each stick in melted chocolate and let it dry before inserting into the cake ball to help it hold when dipping.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Recipe FAQs
This could be due to the hot temperature of your melted candy and cold cake balls coming together at extreme temperatures. You can let the chocolate cool slightly and let the cake balls warm slightly before adding the candy coating.
This recipe works with all types of cake mix! Red works with the Grinch cake balls theme, but you can use whatever cake mix you want. Chocolate, vanilla, or even a spiced cake mix.
These can be kept covered in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days.
You can! These will keep frozen for up to 3 months. The thing to watch out for is when they start to thaw, the condensation may cause these festive Grinch cake pops to crack. Prevent this by letting them sit out at room temperature for a few hours.
Alisha
Super cute way to present cake pops for the holidays! They would make for a fun addition to a Grinch movie night! – Alisha, recipe tester
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Agreed these Grinch cake pops are so adorable!