Red velvet cake meets creamy frosting and green candy coating in these whimsical grinch cake pops—with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and candy hearts.
These little guys are part dessert, part edible art project, and 100% trouble to keep around once the coating sets. The red velvet interior is lush and cocoa-kissed, balanced with a tang from the cream cheese. Once you dip them in a pool of melty green goodness and pop on a tiny red heart? That’s it. You’ve gone full Grinch—but in the fun, “I made festive cake pops” way. They’re great for gifting or displaying on a holiday dessert table… assuming you don’t accidentally “sample” five before guests arrive. No judgment.
Table of Contents
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Why You’ll Love this Grinch Cake Pops Recipe
These don’t just look cute—they actually taste like something you’d want a second (or seventh) of. No dry cake middles or waxy tasting coatings here.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You just squish, smear, melt, and drizzle (basically, childhood crafts with sugar).
- Almost too charming to eat: The candy heart gives “Grinch with a soul”; it’s strangely heartwarming.
- Perfect for parties or cookie swaps: They hold up well, don’t need utensils, and disappear faster than you’d expect.
- Customizable and forgiving: You can tweak the decoration, cake flavor, or even the sticks if you’re improv-loving.
- Freezer friendly (hello, prep-ahead!): Make them in batches, then dip and decorate when you’re ready to shine.
- Sweet but balanced: The tangy cream cheese keeps the red velvet from going sugar overload mode.
Ingredient Notes
This one doesn’t ask for anything too wild, but here’s the scoop on what gives these cake pops their cheerful bite and look.
- Red velvet cake mix: Besides tasting great and looking scandalously pretty, it plays nicely with the green coating.
- Cream cheese: Adds a velvety richness with a tang that pulls everything back from “too sweet.”
- Powdered sugar: It sweetens the frosting, but also helps it set up into a sticky, mashable glue for cake crumb binding.
- Pinch of salt: Just enough to heighten the taste—don’t skip it, even though it looks tiny and harmless.
- Light green candy melts: The key to that cartoon Grinch hue; Wilton’s vibrant green works well, but if it’s too neon, blend with white.
- Vegetable shortening: Helps smooth and thin the candy melts without making them too runny (and no seizing, thank you).
- Cake pop sticks: Look for the 6-inch ones if you want that classic height—not the boba straws we all accidentally buy once.
- Red candy hearts: You can often find them in Valentine’s Day sprinkle mixes, or use red M&Ms in a pinch.
How To Make This Grinch Cake Pops Recipe
Alright, so let’s dive in. The process is super doable, I promise—you’ll just need a little patience and a willingness to get your hands slightly messy.
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Bake the cake as instructed: Start by getting that red velvet cake baked and cooled. Let it cool completely before moving on, or your frosting might try to bolt when it meets warm crumbs.
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Mix the frosting base: In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a teeny pinch of salt. You want this smooth and spreadable like fluffy spackle (appetizing comparison, I know).
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Crumble and mash: Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs. Add a scoop of frosting and fold it in gently using a spatula. Keep adding frosting a little at a time until the mixture holds together like playdough. If it’s too dry, more frosting; too wet, more crumbs. You get the picture.
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Shape into balls: Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions, give them a good roll between your palms until smooth, then set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Chill them down: Pop the whole tray into the freezer for 10 minutes, or chill in the fridge for 30. This helps them stay firm enough to stick onto the pops without flailing.
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Melt the candy coating: Use short bursts in the microwave and stir between rounds. Once fully melted, stir in that teaspoon of shortening. It really helps with that silky dip later.
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Prep the sticks: Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into your green coating, then insert it halfway into a chilled cake ball. That layer of candy helps “glue” the stick inside.
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Set the sticks in place: Stick them all back in the freezer for another 10 to 15, just to set that stick so no cakeballs slide off mid-dip (tragic).
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Dip ’em: Pour your candy melts into a tall glass or deep mug. Dip each pop straight down into the coating, then lift and gently tap off the excess by lightly knocking the stick on the rim. Let it drip down nicely.
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Decorate and chill: While the candy coating is still wet, press on a red candy heart. Alternatively, wait until dry and drizzle some extra green stripes on with a piping bag if you’re feeling extra.
Storage Options
Ok, let’s talk storage because I know what happens. You make 20 cake pops “for Friday’s party,” and by Thursday night, four are mysteriously gone. So saving a few extras is critical.
In the fridge, cake pops hold up like champs for about 4 to 5 days. Keep them in an airtight container so the coating doesn’t get weird (no breezy fridge air, please). I usually layer mine with parchment if stacking them.
Yes, you can freeze them! Just be sure to freeze before decorating if possible, or wrap them carefully to avoid condensation when defrosting. Once dipped, they’ll still freeze fine, but I recommend unwrapping them right before thawing to avoid splotchy coating.
Let frozen pops sit out at room temp for a good 30 minutes before eating again. Microwaving is a no-go—it’ll zap your hard candy shell into puddle territory.
Variations and Substitutions
This base recipe is pretty flexible. Once you do it once or twice, you’ll probably start dreaming up your own Frankenstein pops (in a good way). Here are a few ideas:
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Use a different cake flavor: Chocolate or spice cake both work beautifully and pair well with cream cheese frosting too.
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Try vanilla candy melts instead of green: Dip in white, then pipe green lines, and go full abstract Grinch if the light green melts are elusive.
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Swap the cream cheese frosting: Not a fan of tangy? Use store-bought vanilla or buttercream for a sweeter punch.
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Make them mini-sized: Use a small cookie scoop and go for half-tablespoon balls—a little trickier to dip, but highly poppable.
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Use heart sprinkles or red M&Ms: If you can’t find candy hearts, just grab something heart-ish or red from your sprinkle stash.
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Skip the pops entirely: No shame. Just form balls and chill. Dip them in the coating, then call them truffles and nobody will ask questions.
What to Serve with Grinch Cake Pops
These cake pops are sweet, festive, and bite-sized, which means they play well with other treats or even savory nibbles, depending on the crowd.
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If you’re balancing it out with something savory, a plate of copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets on the table always draws a crowd. It’s a nice protein pop between sugar highs.
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For a full treat table, pair these with homemade cookies, dipped pretzels, or anything peppermint. Bonus points if you’ve got a cocoa bar. The red and green theme? On point.
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Hosting a grown-up get-together? A platter of these next to something a little unexpected (like pan seared salmon with pomegranate reduction) makes for a weirdly delightful mix of fancy and fun.
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For kid-heavy parties, just add popcorn, marshmallows, and juice boxes. These pops are already their own entertainment.
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my cake pops falling off the stick?
This usually means the cake balls were too warm or too moist, or the stick wasn’t properly sealed in. Make sure you chill the cake balls thoroughly before inserting the stick, and dip the tip of the stick in candy coating first to act as edible glue. If things are slipping mid-dip, pop everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes and try again.
How do I get the candy coating super smooth?
The secret weapon here is a little vegetable shortening. It thins out the melts without breaking the consistency. Also, use a tall, narrow glass for dipping instead of a bowl so you can fully submerge the cake pop in one swift movement without having to swirl it around too much.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely. You can make, shape, and freeze the cake balls up to a month in advance. Just keep them in an airtight container between layers of parchment. You can dip and decorate a day or two ahead as well—just keep them cool and far away from heat/humidity to preserve the coating’s snap and texture.
What if I don’t have candy melts?
You can melt white chocolate and dye it with food coloring, though be sure to use oil-based coloring to avoid seizing the chocolate. Almond bark is another good substitute. Just note: these alternatives can be fussier when it comes to texture, so go slow and add a bit of shortening if it starts thickening too much.
Grinch Cake Pops
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box red velvet cake mix plus ingredients per box instructions (usually eggs, oil, water)
Frosting
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Coating and Assembly
- 12 oz (340 g) light green candy melts Wilton or similar; blend with white melts if needed for preferred shade
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable shortening
- 20 cake pop sticks 6-inch recommended
- 20 red candy hearts or red M&Ms or heart sprinkles
Equipment
- Baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Parchment paper
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Cake pop sticks
- Tall glass or mug
Instructions
- Bake the red velvet cake as instructed on the box. Let it cool completely.
- In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth and spreadable.
- Crumble the cooled red velvet cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl.
- Add frosting a scoop at a time and fold gently. Keep adding until the mixture holds together like playdough (not too wet, not too dry).
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and roll into smooth balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill cake balls in the freezer for 10 minutes (or fridge for 30) to firm up.
- Melt the green candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl in short bursts, stirring in between. Once melted, stir in the vegetable shortening until smooth.
- Dip the tip of each cake pop stick into the melted candy coating and then insert it halfway into a chilled cake ball. Repeat with all balls.
- Freeze the newly-stuck pops for another 10-15 minutes to set the stick.
- Pour melted candy melts into a tall glass or deep mug. Dip each cake pop straight down, then lift and tap gently on the rim to remove excess coating.
- While the coating is still wet, gently press on a red candy heart. For extra flair, drizzle green stripes with remaining melts once set.
- Let pops stand upright (in a styrofoam block or mug) until the coating is fully set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
