Satisfy your sweet tooth and have some festive Halloween fun with these pumpkin cake pops! They’re perfectly decorated as jack-o-lanterns and easy to customize with your favorite flavors and colors!
It’s pumpkin season! And carving jack-o-lanterns seasons. And making painted pumpkins season. For many (including my oldest son), it’s a GREAT time of year!
We always make certain treats, such as pumpkin bread, Crock Pot pumpkin butter, and pumpkin waffles!
When the Cake pop craze took off a few years ago, we dipped our hand into making some fun cake pop recipes:
- S’mores Cake Pops
- Valentine Cake Pops
- St. Patrick’s Day Homemade Copycat Starbucks Cake Pops
And we’ve even done some fun twists on the traditional cake pop, such as making Christmas Cakesicles (Christmas Cake Popsicles) and even Mermaid Cheesecake Pops – YUM!
Of course, no cake pop endeavor can leave out Halloween, so we made Witches Cauldron Easy Halloween Cake Pops, which were at HIT at the classroom party!
For this year’s class party, I’m taking these fun pumpkin cake pops!
What are Pumpkin Cake Pops?
They are made by mixing crumbled cake with frosting, such as cream cheese frosting, and shaping the mixture into small, round balls. The cake balls are then dipped into orange candy chocolate coating, placed on lollipop sticks, and decorated as jack-o-lanterns, making them easy to serve and fun to eat.
Why Pumpkin Cake Pops Are Popular
These jack-o-lantern Cake Pops have a LOT going for them – here’s why you’ll love them:
- Seasonal appeal: Iconic pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) faces are highly associated with the fall season. During this time, people eagerly seek out this image.
- Portability: Cake pops provide a convenient way to enjoy cake and satisfy a sweet tooth without the mess and hassle of traditional cake slices. Their compact size and lollipop-like design make them easy to transport and super appealing.
- Visual appeal: The small, round shape of pumpkin cake pops makes them super adorable! Then, add the fun jack-o-lantern faces, and it’s #win!
- Customizable flavors: I kept these simple by using chocolate cake, but you can use ANY flavor of cake that you want! See more about that below, where I share my tips and ideas.
Required Ingredients for Pumpkin Cake Pops
Gather these ingredients in order to put these jack-o-lantern cake pops together.
INGREDIENTS
- Box chocolate cake mix
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Orange candy melts
- Coconut oil or paramount crystals
- Cream cheese frosting
- Dark chocolate or black frosting
- Piping bag
- Pumpkin Silicon Molds
- Lollipop Sticks
Preparation and Baking Process
I’m calling these Pumpkin Cake Pops, which refers to the shape and decoration of these cake pops rather than the flavor. HOWEVER, you can make these cake pops with both the flavor and appearance of a pumpkin! No matter what flavor you want to make, follow this basic process!
Making the Cake
- To start making your pumpkin cake pops, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, water) to the dry ingredients (cake mix) and combine.
- Once your cake batter is well combined, pour it into a greased 9×13-inch cake pan and place the cake mixture in the preheated oven. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before moving on to the next step.
Creating Cake Pop Filling
- After your pumpkin spice cake has cooled, crumble the cake into a large bowl. Ensure there are no large chunks left.
- Take the crumbled cake and mix it with some prepared frosting. Use just enough to make the cake crumbs stick together. Set aside.
Pumpkin Cake Pop Coating Process
- While the cake balls are chilling, melt your orange candy coating with the coconut oil over a double boiler or in the microwave (in 30-second increments).
- Cut the silicon mold and then create a slit large enough for the sticks, with the Xacto knife. NOTE: if your mold doesn’t have room for cake pop sticks, you can chill or freeze the dough, remove it, add a cake pop stick, then dip your cake pop into the melted candy and place your cake pops on parchment paper-lined tray until the melted candy sets (chill or freeze for 10 minutes).
- Add in the melted candy coating, making sure to coat the sides well.
- Slide the sticks in and then freeze for 10 mins
- Add in the pumpkin cake balls to create the pumpkin shape. Freeze again for 10-15 mins.
- Carefully pull the sides of the silicon mold outward releasing the cake pop and then push up through the slit.
- If your cake pops are not fully covered, add melted chocolate to the exposed cake pop dough areas with a knife (shown on photo)
- Use dark chocolate or black buttercream in a piping bag to make the eyes, nose, and mouth (or leave your pumpkin cake pops as is!).
Pumpkin Cake Pops Variations To Try
If you love pumpkin cake pops, you will be delighted to know that there are endless variations of this festive treat that you can try. Here are some ideas!
Change up the Cake Flavors
When I made these pumpkin cake pops, I used chocolate cake for the filling. However, you can use ANY flavor of cake to personalize these bite-sized treats!
Imagine the perfect combination of pumpkin spice cake mix and cream cheese icing, all covered in a smooth candy coating. Pumpkin spice cake pops will no doubt become your new go-to dessert for autumn events of all sorts!
Or if you love vanilla or yellow cake mix – or even red velvet – go with what you love! You could even mix vanilla and pumpkin spice or vanilla and chocolate.
Want orange dough? Add orange food coloring to vanilla cake dough!
Try Different Color and Decorating Combinations
Use dark chocolate or black candy coating – or white chocolate coating, white chocolate chips, almond bark, or white candy melts – for your cake pops and then use orange for the jack-o-lantern faces for a fun twist!
Experiment with your coating by adding sprinkles or create intricate swirl patterns in different colors for a playful touch. This is perfect for a fun and festive pumpkin cake pop treat.
Experiment with Different Oils
In terms of oil, you can opt for using vegetable oil or other alternatives such as paramount crystals, instead of coconut oil, to make your outer candy coating super smooth. Different oils can impact the overall texture and flavor of your cake pops, so don’t be afraid to explore different options!
How to Store Pumpkin Cake Pops
Here are some storage guidelines to help make sure your pumpkin cake pops always taste their best!
- You can store pumpkin cake pops at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days this way.
- If you want to make cake pops ahead of time, they can stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- You can freeze your pumpkin cake pops individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container. They should stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, take them out of the freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature.
Nutritional Information
As a dessert course, pumpkin cake pops should be served after the main meal, and they are ideal for special occasions, gatherings, and holiday celebrations. Here’s a quick breakdown of some key nutrients for a typical pumpkin cake pop:
- Calories: 200-250
- Total Fat: 8-12g
- Cholesterol: 20-30mg
- Sodium: 100-200mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 20-30g
- Dietary Fiber: 1-2g
- Sugars: 12-18g
- Protein: 2-3g
Just remember that these values may vary based on the ingredients and recipe used, and the size of each cake pop.
Pumpkin Cake Pops FAQs
To make pumpkin cake pops using a cake mix, you’ll need a box of cake mix and the other ingredients listed on the box (eggs, oil, and water). Prepare the cake dough as directed ont he box and bake it. Follow the rest of the directions in this recipe to turn your cake into cake pops!
Yes, you can try a no-bake version of pumpkin spice cake balls. To do this, mix together crushed graham crackers or cookies, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and pumpkin pie spice. Once the mixture is combined, roll it into balls and chill in the refrigerator until firm. Then, dip the chilled balls into melted chocolate or candy melts and let them set on a tray before enjoying.
Yes! Just use a gluten-free cake mix (or your own favorite gluten-free cake recipe). Then, make sure that the frosting and candy coating you use is gluten-free. It’s easy to make this special Halloween treat safe for people with gluten sensitivities or allergies!
More Halloween Inspiration
If you love these festive pumpkin cake pops, check out these other fun Halloween recipes!
- Halloween Snow White Poison Apple Cocktail Or Mocktail
- Bone Breadsticks For Halloween
- How To Make Easy Halloween Wicked Witch Cupcakes
- Graveyard Oreo Halloween Dirt Cups Dessert
Halloween Pumpkin Cake Pops
Satisfy your sweet tooth and have some festive Halloween fun with these pumpkin cake pops! They're perfectly decorated as jack-o-lanterns and easy to customize with your favorite flavors and colors!
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups orange candy melts
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or paramount crystals
- Cream cheese frosting
- Pumpkin Silicon Molds
- Popsicle Sticks
Instructions
Making the Cake
- To start making your pumpkin cake pops, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, water) to the dry ingredients (cake mix) and combine.
- Once your cake batter is well combined, pour it into a greased 9×13-inch cake pan and place it in the preheated oven. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before moving on to the next step.
Creating Cake Pop Filling
- After your pumpkin spice cake has cooled, crumble the cake into a large bowl. Ensure there are no large chunks left.
- Take the crumbled cake and mix it with some prepared frosting. Use just enough to make the cake crumbs stick together. Set aside.
Pumpkin Cake Pop Coating Process
- While the cake balls are chilling, melt your orange candy coating with the coconut oil over a double boiler or in the microwave (in 30-second increments).
- Cut the silicon mold and then create a slit large enough for the sticks, with the xacto knife.
- Add in the melted candy coating, making sure to coat the sides well.
- Slide the sticks in and then freeze for 10 mins
- Add in the cake pop dough. Freeze again for 10-15 mins.
- Carefully pull the sides of the silicon mold outward releasing the cake pop and then push up through the slit.
- If your cake pops are not fully covered, add melted chocolate to the exposed cake pop dough areas with a knife (shown on photo)
- Use dark chocolate or black buttercream to make the eyes, nose, and mouth (or leave your pumpkin cake pops as is!).
The post Easy Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Pops Recipe For Fall appeared first on Made In A Pinch.
