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Valentine’s cake pops are so easy and so much fun. An outer layer of hardened sweet chocolate coating a chewy, brownie-like center on a stick. Then decorated in sprinkles, glitz, and glam!

Valentine cake pops in glass jar.
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Easy Valentine’s Day Dessert

Celebrate your sweetheart with these adorable homemade Valentine’s day cake pops. Get your kids involved and come up with clever Valentine’s cake pop ideas for decorating. Different colored chocolate, sprinkles, jimmies, you name it!

It’s easy to see why cake pops are so popular. I mean, portable cake! Not only are they scrumptious (and slightly addicting) but they’re so pretty and so easy to make. Cracking open that chocolate exterior and discovering that chewy goodness on the inside is a dangerously delicious undertaking.

A bite-sized, and no-mess treat, means there’s always a reason to enjoy them. This easy guide to making cake pops will have you set for the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert and beyond. Food on a stick has never been so fancy and if you don’t have sticks, make this cake ball recipe instead.

Recipe Ingredients

Easy to make and even more fun to share with those you love! These cake pops are a special treat and have all the flavor and cuteness overload you need this Valentine’s day. Enjoy this sharable treat that everyone loves!

Candy melts and cake pop sticks.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Box cake mix: Pick your favorite box cake and cook it according to the package directions. I choose a chocolate cake mix.
  • Melting Wafers: Because it is a special heart day, I went with pink candy melts. You can even do red and white as well.
  • Sticks: This is not an ingredient but is needed for holding the cake pops upright.
  • Salted butter: Soften the butter before adding it to the cake mix. This will help keep the crumbled cake soft and crump it together.
  • Powdered sugar: Added for sweetness and texture.
  • Cocoa powder: When making a chocolate cake this adds that additional flavor and helps them blend together better.
  • Vanilla extract: Just a pinch for balance and flavor!
  • Heavy cream: Gives it that creamy texture and taste. You can also use milk if you don’t have heavy cream.

How to Make Cake Pops for Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s day is going to be extra special with this sweet treat added to it! Simply combine, roll together, and dip in chocolate. It is an easy recipe that can be made the day of!

  1. Prep. Make buttercream frosting as per the directions below (or use store-bought). Bake the cake according to the directions on the box and allow it to cool. Prepare space in the freezer for a tray of cake pops on a stick.
  2. Mix and roll. Crumble the cooled cake into crumbs. Remove the edges if they have browned and have become a little too dense. Mix in a couple of spoonfuls of buttercream frosting to combine. Mix with your hands or a spoon. Gradually add more frosting until the mixture binds together if squeezed. Roll it into a ball and place it onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining mix.
  3. Add the stick. In a small dish, melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave. Start with 30-second intervals, mixing in between. Once melted, dip one end of the cake pop into the melted chocolate then push it into the cake pop. Repeat until all balls have a stick, then place them into the freezer to solidify.
  4. Dip in chocolate. Just before taking them out of the freezer, melt the chocolate. Coat each cake pop in chocolate, making sure it’s entirely covered. Gently tap the excess drip off.
  5. Decorate. Before the chocolate hardens, decorate with sprinkles, jimmies, or whatever you’d like. If you’re going to decorate with a drizzle on top, let coated chocolate harden first, which takes about an hour. Otherwise, it will just blend together.
Dipping cake pop in pink melted chocolate.

Decorations

The decorations are the next best thing to eating one! There are many ways to decorate them but if we’re sticking to Valentine’s day theme, then let’s talk about all things pink and red! Below are a few easy and adorable ideas:

  • Add red, pink, and white sprinkles or jimmies
  • Drizzle with more melted chocolate. You could use red, white, pink, or milk chocolate.
  • Dye the batter with food coloring for a fun surprise when biting into them.
  • Make them into a cake pop bouquet to gift to your Valentine!

Flavor Variations

I made chocolate cake pops with this recipe. The chocolate cake contrasts with the pink coating very nicely, but you can really use any flavor. Oreo cake pops are a fun flavor variation too.

Classic buttercream frosting is also my favorite type of frosting to use, but since it’s Valentine’s day, kick it up a notch with chocolate buttercreamcream cheese frosting, or strawberry buttercream.

Below are a few different flavor combinations that would taste delicious:

  • White cake + classic buttercream
  • Chocolate cake + classic buttercream
  • Red velvet cake  + cream cheese frosting
  • Strawberry cake + strawberry frosting
Valentine's day cake pops.

5 star review

“These pops are super adorable! My kids request them every year!”

-Anna

Tips for Success

Follow these special tips to learn the special ways to make easy cake pops. Homemade cake pops are so simple to make and with these successful tips and ideas, you will have them made in no time!

  • An extra roll: Before dipping in chocolate, once you’ve taken your cake balls out of the freezer, give them an extra once-over roll. Sometimes it’s easier to roll it once it’s cold, so for a perfectly round shape, it’s best to do it once it has been chilled.
  • Holding upright: Use a pretty glass filled with rice or sprinkles or a styrofoam block to hold them upright. This means no need to transfer them for presentation. They’re already cute!
  • The right amount of frosting: Using too much frosting could cause them to have too much moisture and become greasy and soggy. It depends on the moisture level of your cake. You also don’t want the opposite problem, you will need more if your cake is dry and will fall apart after freezing.
  • Easy dipping: Use a deeper cup, about the size of a measuring cup for dipping. If you do use a shallow dish, make sure you have a spoon handy to scoop up the melted chocolate and pour it over to coat evenly.
  • Chill in the freezer: These are easier to work with when they are cold. It needs to solidify properly in order to hang on to the stick. Especially when it comes to dipping into the chocolate. Try just taking half of them at a time out of the freezer to coat, that way the other half doesn’t warm up too much while they wait.
  • Boxed mix, store-bought frosting: No one will be the wiser. If you’re looking to make life a little easier for yourself, buy all of it. If you have the time and would like to add a little something extra to these treats, then for sure make everything from scratch.

Recipe FAQs

What flavor is Valentine’s cake pop?

Valentine’s to me means chocolate. A rich chocolate cake with melted candy or frosting means to love and a sweet, delicious treat to share with those you care for.

How many days before an event can you make cake pops?

These can be prepared two to three days in advance. Keep your valentine’s cake pops in the refrigerator until ready to serve or if you have leftovers from your celebration.

What are the sticks called that you use for cake pops?

I used Wilton lollipop sticks from the grocery store. You can find them down the party or baking aisle. These are sturdy papered sticks that hold these cake pops perfectly.

What is the best kind of chocolate to use for cake pops?

The best kind of chocolate is candy melts, almond bark, or semi-sweet chocolate. It is best to chop it up if you are using a brick or bark. This will help melt it quicker and more evenly.

Bite out of valentine cake pop.

Do you love celebrating Valentine’s day?! Then you will want to try my favorite dinners like this chicken parmesan, pasta carbonara, or this popular steak recipe.

More Valentine’s Day Desserts

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bite out of valentine cake pop

Valentine Cake Pops

5 from 11 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
Valentine's cake pops are so easy and so much fun. An outer layer of hardened sweet chocolate coating a chewy, brownie-like center on a stick. Then decorated in sprinkles, glitz, and glam!
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Freeze: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 30

Equipment

  • 20 cake pop sticks

Ingredients 

  • 15 ounce box cake mix (bake according to package directions in a 9×13" pan)
  • 10 ounce package pink melting wafers (I prefer Wilton)

Buttercream Frosting

  • ½ cup salted butter , softened
  • 2-2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder , if doing chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk

Optional: Sprinkles, jimmies or other desired decorations

    Instructions

    Make Buttercream Frosting

    • In a medium bowl, whip the butter. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix until combined. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla and additional powdered sugar, a little at a time. Add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream or milk to make the frosting thick and creamy. It should hold a point.

    Make Cake Pops

    • Once the cake has cooled, crumble into fine crumbs. If the edges have browned, I like to remove the edges. Add 2 spoonful's of buttercream frosting to the cake. Combine with your hands or a spoon. Gradually add more frosting until the cake holds together if squeezed. You don't want it too crumbly or it won't hold together.
    • Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out 1 scoop of cake mixture. Roll into a ball and place onto a plate. Repeat until all of the mixture has been formed into balls.

    Dip in chocolate

    • In a small microwave safe dish, melt the chocolate wafers. Begin by heating for 30 seconds and then stirring. Repeat until all the wafers are melted. 
    • Dip the end of the cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and then push the stick into the cake pop. Repeat until all cake pops have a stick. Place the plate of cake pops in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
    • Right before they are ready to be taken out of the freezer, melt the chocolate. A deep, 2 cup measuring cup will allow you to dip the cake pop in the chocolate, or in a shallow dish, you can spoon the melted chocolate over the cake pop.
    • Once coated in chocolate, 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 sprinkles, jimmies or other decorations. If decorating with more chocolate, let the chocolate covering harden on the cake pop. Then, using a spoon or fork, drizzle with the additional melted chocolate if desired.
    • Push the cake pop stick into a styrofoam block or use a glass filled with rice (or beans) 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.

    Notes

    You can also use 8 ounces of frosting from the store (half of a 16 ounce can) to make it easier, I just prefer the homemade buttercream. 
    Make sure that you’re only working with about five cake pops at a time. Leave the rest in the freezer so that they don’t soften too much while you work on the others. You want them to be really cold when working with them. 
    After dipping the stick in melted chocolate, let it dry first before sticking into the cake ball. It’s easier to work with this way and is less likely to fall off when dipping the whole cake pop into melted chocolate.
    Discard any brown edges of the cake before crumbling. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

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