These sweet, little treats are just perfect for any celebration!
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Use homemade red velvet cake or a boxed cake mix for easy prep
- The gorgeous red color is versatile and works for holidays year 'round
- Great make-ahead recipe and freezer-safe, too
Whether it's a special occasion or you're just craving something sweet, red velvet cake pops are an exciting, eye-catching, and fun dessert.
This cake pop recipe is simple. It's a great option if your kids want to get involved in preparing a delicious treat. Make them for the family, for an upcoming party, or to give as gifts!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Feel free to get creative using different colors. For example, swap the red sprinkles with pink and you have an easy Valentine's Day dessert. Or, add some blue and white sprinkles for a patriotic twist—it works for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day!
- If you're not concerned about the color on the outside, you can dip the pops into melted chocolate instead of almond bark. Dark chocolate tastes great with red velvet treats.
- Homemade cream cheese frosting works just as well as store-bought. However, you can use chocolate or vanilla frosting to switch the flavor.
- Leave 'em off the sticks and you have red velvet cake balls. Yum!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Crumble cake in a large bowl. Mix with cream cheese icing, and form into balls.
- Dip cake pop sticks into melted bark and insert one into each cake ball.
- Dip chilled cake balls into the melted white chocolate almond bark.
- Add sprinkles immediately, if using. Melt candy melts and drizzle candy coating over the rest of the cake pops.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Red velvet cake pops are a great treat to make ahead of time. They'll last for about a week, as long as they're refrigerated and sealed with plastic wrap (or in an airtight container.)
Note: Typically, I don't recommend refrigerating cakes—it dries them out. However, these cake pops are made with cream cheese frosting, so they can't stay at room temperature for more than a few hours. (Don't worry—the coating "insulates" the cake and prevents it from drying out.)
Frozen cake balls keep for up to three months. Just be sure to wrap them extra well in plastic and then seal the pops in heavy-duty freezer bags.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: If the almond bark coating starts to crack, it means the temperature difference is too drastic. Let the melted bark cool and the cake pops warm up a bit, and try again.
- Don't want to bake? Buy a pre-made red velvet cake. Scrape off the frosting before crumbling it, but save some to mix in again later!
- Avoid shallow dishes for dipping—it'll be too difficult to get the cake pop submerged fully. I like to use a small bowl, preferably one with taller sides, or a drinking glass.
- You might not be able to find red candy melts at your local grocery store. However, you can easily order them online or find them in the baking section of popular craft stores.
- Wear food-safe gloves. The red dye in the cake will tint your skin!
- If you have a "melt chocolate" setting on your microwave, feel free to use that. Stir often so the bark and candy melts don't burn.
- Craft a cheap, DIY cake pop stand out of a styrofoam block.
- Or, use a jar and vase filler to make a functional and delicious dessert centerpiece, as I did in the photos.
- If the almond bark coating starts to crack, it means the temperature difference is too drastic. Let the melted bark cool and the cake pops warm up a bit, and try again.
👩🍳 FAQs
You'll have to follow the package directions carefully. They usually don't take long—an hour or two depending on how quickly you work!
The red velvet flavor goes well with chocolate, so use a light hand and dust some cocoa powder over top. You could also save some of the cake crumbs and sprinkle those over the almond bark as it sets.
Sure thing! In the store, they might actually be called lollipop- or treat-sticks. Just avoid the flat popsicle sticks (they're a little too big for bite-sized treats.)
There is a lot of red food dye in red velvet cake - if you don’t wear gloves you will end up with red dyed hands.
📚 Related recipes
- Out of all the cake ball recipes, these Bumble Bee Cake Pops are just about the cutest treat ever. Great for showers, parties, and more!
- Gender Reveal Cake Pops are colorful on the outside, but the inside reveals a special surprise—is it a girl? A boy? You'll have to eat and see!
- Smooth, silky, and packed with more richness than seems possible, Chocolate Truffles elevate your dessert table and make a great gift.
🍽️ Serve with...
If you're having a party why not go with a whole red velvet theme?
- Red Velvet Martinis are a sweet, vodka-based, adults-only treat and they happen to go perfectly with a red velvet cake pop... or two.
- 2-Ingredient Fudge tastes nostalgic and rich. It's a great way to use up leftover cream cheese frosting. (See the flavor combinations section!)
- Red Velvet Puppy Chow makes a perfect Valentine's Day or pink-themed party treat. Its flavor goes well with the cake pops, but offers guests another option for snacking!
📞 The last word
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Cake Pops
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 red velvet cake, prepared and cooled
- 5 tablespoons cream cheese frosting, homemade or from the store
- 24 ounces white almond bark
- 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, Crisco
- 1 cup red candy melts
- red sprinkles
Instructions
- Crumble the red velvet cake into a large mixing bowl and mix in the cream cheese frosting, until completely mixed.
- Using gloves, add 3 tablespoons of the mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining cake mixture and line up on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
- Melt the almond bark and vegetable shortening in a bowl in the microwave, then dip the tip of a treat stick (about 1”) into the melted almond bark . Push it into one of the cake balls - about halfway.
- Repeat with all the cake balls then place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Check the consistency of the almond bark mixture, if it needs another blast in the microwave, give it another 30 seconds.
- Dip each cake pop into the melted almond bark. If you’re using sprinkles make sure to sprinkle the cake pop before the almond bark sets.
- For those that you’re using the red candy melts to decorate, allow to set up.
Decorating the Cake Pops
- Be sure the coating is completely set on the pops.
- In a piping bag, add the red candy melts and twist the top closed.
- Place in the microwave and heat for 30 second intervals, removing and squishing with your hands until all the candy melts have melted.
- Snip the end of the piping bag and pipe onto the cake pops how you like.
Notes
- Don't want to bake? Buy a pre-made red velvet cake. Scrape off the frosting before crumbling it, but save some to mix in again later!
- Avoid shallow dishes for dipping—it'll be too difficult to get the cake pop submerged fully. I like to use a small bowl, preferably one with taller sides, or a drinking glass.
- You might not be able to find red candy melts at your local grocery store. However, you can easily order them online or find them in the baking section of popular craft stores.
- Wear food-safe gloves. The red dye in the cake will tint your skin!
- If you have a "melt chocolate" setting on your microwave, feel free to use that. Stir often so the bark and candy melts don't burn.
- Craft a cheap, DIY cake pop stand out of a styrofoam block.
- Or, use a jar and vase filler to make a functional and delicious dessert centerpiece, as I did in the photos.
- If the almond bark coating starts to crack, it means the temperature difference is too drastic. Let the melted bark cool and the cake pops warm up a bit, and try again.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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