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Discover 5 festive Christmas cake pop ideas that will impress your holiday guests! From Rudolph faces to Santa’s belly. December is almost here, and I cannot wait to start my holiday baking marathon. Last year I went a bit overboard with the traditional Christmas cookies my kitchen looked like it had been hit by a flour bomb. This year I am switching things up with these adorable Christmas cake pops that have become my new obsession.
Why Christmas Cake Pops Are My New Holiday Baking Favorite
I have always loved baking during the holidays. There is something magical about the scent of vanilla and cinnamon filling the house while Christmas music plays in the background. But sometimes you need a break from the usual Christmas cookie routine.
Enter cake pops those delightful little bites of cake and frosting on a stick. They are not just tasty but also perfect for gifting and displaying at holiday gatherings. Plus, my kids go absolutely crazy for them. What is better than seeing their faces light up when I bring out a tray of festive Christmas cake pops?
I started experimenting with holiday cake pops last December after my sister brought some to our family gathering. They were such a hit that I had to learn how to make them myself.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
My first attempt at holiday cake pops was turning them into little Rudolph faces. I used chocolate cake mixed with chocolate frosting for the base. After dipping them in milk chocolate coating, I added pretzel pieces for antlers (breaking them into the right shape is trickier than it sounds!), candy eyes, and of course, a red M&M for that famous nose.
The first batch ended up looking more like strange chocolate blobs with sticks poking out. My friends jokingly called them “Rudolph after the fog rolled in.” But practice makes perfect they say , and now they actually resemble cute reindeer faces. Sometimes the imperfect ones taste the best anyway.
Sparkling Snow Globes
A new ideas came to me while me and my son was shaking his best snow globe. Why not make cake pops that look like tiny snow globes? I used chocolate cake for these, dipped them in white chocolate, and before the coating dried, I sprinkled edible pearl dust and fine white sugar for that snowy effect.
For an extra special touch, I used blue candy melts to create a small base at the bottom. These are perfect for winter wonderland themed parties, and they give that magical feeling that only comes during the holiday season. My neighbor asked me how I got them so “professional looking” if only she knew about the three batches that ended up looking like melted snowmen
Santa’s Belly
These Santa belly cake pops always disappear first at my holiday gatherings. I use red velvet cake because what is more Christmas than red velvet mixed with cream cheese frosting. After forming the balls, I dip them in red candy coating for the top two-thirds and leave the bottom third for the white candy coating to create Santa’s iconic outfit.
A small yellow candy button and some black icing for the belt complete the look. Last Christmas, my son insisted on helping with these. Let me tell you an enthusiastic 7-year-old with melted chocolate is an adventure in itself. Some of our Santa bellies ended up with rather crooked belts, but they were made with love.
Festive Christmas Trees
Green and Christmas just go together, what do you think? For these Christmas tree cake pops, I use a vanilla cake base tinted with green food coloring. After dipping in green candy coating, the fun part begins decorating I use colorful sprinkles as tiny ornaments and a yellow star sprinkle on top.
The trick is to add the sprinkles before the coating dries. I learned this the hard way when I tried to glue sprinkles on with additional candy coating and created what my family now refers to as the leaning towers of Christmas. Now I work quickly and have everyone in the family help with decoration duty.
Gingerbread People
My absolute favorite Christmas cake pops to make are the gingerbread people. I use spiced cake mixed with cinnamon cream cheese frosting to really bring out that gingerbread flavor. I shape them slightly to resemble little gingerbread people before dipping them in light brown candy coating.
Then comes the fun part using white icing to pipe on simple faces and buttons. Sometimes I add little candy scarves or hats if I am feeling extra creative. These take a bit more time than the others, but the smiles they bring to people’s faces make it all worthwhile.
I brought these to my office holiday party last year, and they disappeared in minutes. My colleague from accounting even asked if I would make some for her daughter’s class party. Nothing feels better than sharing holiday joy through baking.
Reference
Harrison, E. L., & Bowers, T. (2023). Creative food presentation and its impact on children’s consumption patterns during holiday celebrations. Journal of Child Nutrition & Development, 19(3), 155–168.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture. (2024). Homemade food gifts: Safety guidelines for preparation and storage. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/how-we-work/extension/family-consumer-sciences/food-safety
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Healthy eating for a healthy weight. Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html
National Confectioners Association. (2024). Holiday confectionery trends report: The growing popularity of customized mini-desserts. https://www.candyusa.com/research/reports