Get into the holiday spirit with these Christmas Grinch Cake Pops. The cutest candy-coated cake balls served on a stick, decorated with swirls of grinch green chocolate, sparking sanding sugar, and a red heart sprinkle.
Our easy Grinch Cake Pops recipe makes the most delicious desserts you’ll ever hold using my favorite cake mix hack: I combine a box of red velvet cake mix with milk and butter to bake the cake crumbles, then fold in a homemade cream cheese frosting.
There’s no shame in baking Christmas cake pops from a boxed cake mix, especially during the hectic holiday season. This simple cake pops recipe produces a moist middle that’s perfect for covering with a green candy coating.
Grinch cake balls look like my Grinch Christmas Truffles (made with crushed cookies instead of crumbled cake) with a lollipop stick – they’re the perfect reminder that even the grumpiest Grinch deserves a delicious dessert during the Christmas and holiday season.
Why We Love Grinch Cake Pop Recipes
- Easy to make with a cake mix.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Great activity to keep little hands busy during the holidays and a fun way to get the kids involved in the kitchen.
- Individually portioned, portable mini desserts make festive Grinchmas goodies.
- Perfect for a Grinch-themed party, a Christmas cookie tray, or a holiday dessert platter.
Grinch Cake Pops Ingredients
- Red velvet cake mix
- Milk
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Kosher salt
- Powdered sugar
- Green candy melts
- Green sanding sugar
- Red heart sprinkles
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Make With A Different Cake Mix: You can use any cake mix (including gluten-free) or brownie mix to bake your cake filling. Just be sure to follow the instructions below and not those found on the cake box. Try yellow cake, devil’s food cake, strawberry cake, or chocolate cake, or you can use a homemade sheet cake recipe.
- Swap The Sprinkles: If you cannot find candy hearts or sprinkles, use red hot candy hearts, red M&Ms, or make your own red heart with red sugar cookie icing.
- Skip The Stick: Serve these treats as cake balls, bites, or truffles simply by skipping the stick.
How to Make Grinch Cake Pops
- Bake The Batter: Mix together the cake mix, milk, and melted butter. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
Pro Tip: You don’t want to bake this like a conventional cake (you don’t want it to brown). - Cool The Cake: Cool for 15 minutes at room temperature and then chill in the fridge for an additional 15 minutes.
- Make The Cream Cheese Mixture: Beat the cream cheese and salt until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat at a reduced speed until smooth. Increase the speed and beat until the frosting is fluffy.
- Crumble The Cake: Divide and crumble half of the cake (the remaining half can be frozen for another use). Fold in the cream cheese mixture (Image 1). Scoop out rounded balls and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Insert The Stick: Melt the candy melts according to package directions. Place ¼-inch of the stick into the melted candy and then insert it into the cake ball (Image 2).
- Dip And Decorate: Dip the cake pop into the melted candy and place it on the baking tray (Image 3). Once the coating has hardened, melt the remaining candy melts and pipe swirls around the cake pop (Image 4). While the drizzle is still warm, dust with sanding sugar and add the candy heart.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making Grinch Cake Pops
- For making well-rounded balls, I find using my hands and gently rolling the dough between my palms works the best.
- Allow your cake balls to properly set once the stick is inserted; otherwise, your cake ball could fall off and end up in your melted candy.
- If your melted candy is too thick for dipping, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to achieve perfect dipping consistency.
- I like to use a deep, narrow cup or tall drinking glass to submerge the cake ball into the coating. It is the perfect depth for dipping the cake pops.
- You can use a cake pops stand, a shallow cup, or a soft styrofoam block to display your cake pops.
How to Store Grinch Cake Pops
- To Store: You can store your cake pops covered, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your cake pops, well-wrapped and in a freezer-safe bag or container, for 3-4 months.
More Easy Christmas Recipes
Other Easy Christmas Treats
- Hot Chocolate on a Stick
- Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
- Reindeer Pretzels
- Christmas Chex Mix
- Eggnog Cookies
- Christmas Marshmallow Pops
- Christmas Puppy Chow
If you tried this Grinch Cake Pops Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Grinch Cake Pops
Serves — 33
Grinch Cake Pops have a moist cake middle and are coated in melted green candy with swirls of green chocolate, a sprinkle of sanding sugar, and signature red heart.
Prep Time 1 hour
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces package red velvet cake mix
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 24 ounces green candy melts
- Green sanding sugar
- Candy hearts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Add cake mix, milk, and melted butter to a large bowl and mix on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.15.25 ounces package red velvet cake mix, 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, You don’t want to bake this like a conventional cake (you don’t want it to brown). Let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack and then chill in the fridge for an additional 15 minutes, while you make the cream cheese mixture.
- In a medium-sized bowl, using a hand blender, beat cream cheese and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed on the blender to low, and slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Increase the speed to high and continue beating for an additional 1 minute (or until the mixture is nice and fluffy).4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1½ cups powdered sugar
- Divide the cake in half and crumble one half of it into a large bowl, (the remaining half can be frozen for another use).
- Fold in the cream cheese mixture.
- Using a 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, make 33 even-sized rounded balls about 1 inch in size. Place them on a parchment-lined on baking tray and allow to chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- In a microwave-safe bowl melt 18 ounces of the candy melts according to package directions. Place ¼-inch of the stick into the melted candy and then insert it into the end of the cake ball. Repeat with all cake balls.24 ounces green candy melts
- Quickly dunk the cake pop into the melted candy and lift out, shaking any excess candy from the cake pop, place on parchment line baking tray and repeat the process with the remaining ones.
- Once the candy coating has hardened, melt the remaining amount of candy melts and place in a piping bag. Snip the end off and drizzle swirls around the cake pop. While the drizzle is still warm, dust with sanding sugar.Green sanding sugar
- Place cake pops on a baking tray and add the candy heart.Candy hearts
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store your cake pops covered, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your cake pops, well-wrapped and in a freezer-safe bag or container, for 3-4 months.
- For making well-rounded balls I find using my hands and gently rolling the dough between my palms works the best.
- Allow your cake balls to properly set once the stick is inserted, otherwise, your cake ball could fall off and end up in your melted candy.
- If you find your melted candy is too thick for dipping, you can stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to achieve perfect dipping consistency.
- I like to use a deep, narrow cup or tall drinking glass to submerge the cake ball into the coating. It is the perfect depth for dipping the cake pops.
- You can use a cake pops stand, a shallow cup, or a soft styrofoam block to display your cake pops.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
No eggs in the cake mix?
Doesn’t the box call for eggs in the red velvet cake mix?