Find out the best tips and tricks to make copycat Starbucks Cake Pops Recipe. These are perfect for snacks, parties and more for a fraction of the cost.
I don’t know about your family, but my kids beg for cake pops at Starbucks along with Starbucks Brownies. They taste amazing and look so pretty. It is hard to resist a Starbucks birthday cake pop.
The store-bought treats are expensive, so I have been making them at home for years. It’s an easy Cake Pop Recipe and anyone can make these.
The kids also like Starbucks Lemon Cake Pops Recipe, Starbucks Marshmallow Dream Bar and Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe.
If you love pink, try pink champagne cupcakes. We also love to make these Dessert Cup Recipes.
What's in this post: Starbucks Cake Pops Recipe
Why We Love This Recipe
- Perfect for birthday parties. Cake pops make a great treat or party favor.
- Saves money. You can make homemade cake pops for a fraction of the price of the store.
- Delicious flavor. They are so sweet and tasty.
Ingredients
- Box of classic cake mix (Try Homemade Cake Mix.)
- Vanilla Frosting. I used store bought frosting but homemade frosting is great too.
- Pink Candy Melts. Candy melts are easier to melt, and they have a smooth appearance.
- White Sprinkles. White nonpareils will resemble Starbucks the closest.
Find the complete list of ingredients and full recipe at the bottom of this post.
Variations
- Coating. You can use white almond bark or white chocolate instead of the candy melts for the outside coating if you prefer. Use food coloring to dye it pink prior to dipping the cake pops in the mixture. If using melted chocolate, you will need to add shortening or vegetable oil or coconut oil to the mixture. Chocolate fans might like chocolate candy melts.
- Cake flavors: chocolate cake mix, strawberry, red velvet cake and lemon. The kids also love Chocolate cake pops. Get creative and try new variations for lots of fun treats. I have even made red velvet cake pops with this recipe.
- Frosting; chocolate, Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting, strawberry and more. Just use what you love.
- Sprinkles- holiday sprinkles, birthday and more. We love to make these for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays and more. Game day would be fun too. The ideas are endless with various decorations.
How to Make Starbucks Cake Pops
Step 1. First, make the cake mix following the box instructions in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2. Pour the batter in a cake pan.
Step 3. After you remove from the oven, let it cool until it is room temperature. Then remove from the pan. There will normally be a brown outside layer on the cake. Remove that and throw it away.
Step 4. Then crumble the cake into a large bowl.
Step 5. Next, add the frosting to the crumbled cake. Stir everything together in the mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed.
Step 6. Finally, take the cake mixture and shape it into cake balls.
Step 7. Next, place each cake ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 8. You will need a small microwave-safe bowl to put the pink candy melts in. Microwave in intervals until it is completely melted.
Step 9. Dip each cake pop stick into the melted candy. Then place them into the cake balls about halfway through the balls. Finally, place in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 10. Remove the cake pops from the freezer and dip into the melted candy melts.
Step 11. As you dip the cake pops, make sure that the candy covers the entire cake pop. Put the vanilla cake pops in a block of Styrofoam block or cake pop stand.
Step 12. Also, add the sprinkles right away before the candy dries. After they dry, you can serve or place in cellophane if doing so.
Pro Tips
- Crumble the cake really fine. You don’t want any large chunks. The finer it is the smoother it will be to mix the cake crumbs with the icing.
- Cookie Scoop. I used a cookie scoop to ensure that each one is approximately the same size. This saves a bunch of time making the balls and really helps them to be uniform.
- Discard outer layer. Don’t forget to toss the outer layer of the cake before making the cake balls. It is usually dry and will make the cake balls crumble.
- Dip into candy coating. Try not to swirl the cake pop in the chocolate. For best results, dip straight down into the candy melts. You can pour the melted candy into a tall glass to make holding the cake pop down easier to do.
- Add sprinkles right away. They will not stick if you don’t put them on right away.
- Don’t freeze too long. Do not keep the cake pops in the freezer longer than 15 minutes or you will have trouble with the coating. It will cause it to solidify too soon and then the sprinkles will not stay on.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are best stored at room temperature inside an airtight container. They will keep up to 5 days at room temperature.
You can store them in the fridge up to a week. Just make sure to individually wrap each cake pop in plastic wrap. Then place inside an airtight container.
If you live in a hot climate or it is just very warm in your house, I would recommend refrigerating the cake pops. Too much heat will cause the cake pops to melt and lose their pretty appearance.
Yes you can freeze cake pops! Learn how to Freeze Cake Pops so you can have these Starbucks cake pops anytime you want!
Each cake pop is $3.45.
It makes 24 cake pops making this significant savings!
More Copycat Dessert Recipes
- Copycat Little Debbie Brownies Recipe
- Strawberry Cake Pops Recipe
- Homemade Star Crunch Cookies
- Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Recipe
- Birthday Cake Pops
- Copycat Nothing Bundt Cakes
I’m so excited for you to try this new Starbucks Copycats recipe. Please come back and leave a comment once you make them.
Starbucks Cake Pops
Ingredients
- 1 box classic cake mix and ingredients called for on box to make the cake
- 3 Tbsp Vanilla Frosting I used pre-made
- 24-36 Cake Pop Sticks or Lollipop Sticks
- 12 oz Pink Candy Melts
- White Sprinkles
Instructions
- Make cake and bake according to box instructions. Then let the cake cool at room temperature.
- Remove the cake from the pan. Remove the brown outside layer from the cake and throw away. Crumble up the remaining cake into a large bowl.
- Add the frosting to your crumbled cake and stir everything together until well combined.
- Shape mixture into about 24-36 cake balls (depending on their size) and place on a lined cookie sheet. I used a cookie scoop to ensure that each one is approximately the same size.
- Put the pink candy melts in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Then continue to heat in 30 second intervals stirring between each one until the candy melts are fully melted and creamy.
- Dip each cake pop stick into the pink melted candy and then place them into the cake balls about halfway threw the balls. Then place in freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- After the cake pops have been in the freezer. Dip each cake pop into the melted candy melts (you may need to remelt if it has solidified some). Make sure that the candy covers the cake pop completely. Allow the excess melted candy to drip off back into the bowl.
- Then place the stick of cake pops in a block of styrofoam while the candy dries and solidifies. Add the sprinkles immediately before the candy dries.
- Continue until all the cake pops have been covered. Once all the cake pops are dry, they are ready to serve and enjoy!
Cake pops are such a fun treat for my grandkids!
We love cake pops!! Especially the ones from Starbucks ๐ I have also discovered a love of red velvet cake pops too. So good.
These birthday cake pops are my favorite! Iโm so excited to try and make these.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I love the cake pops from Starbucks!
I’m glad you sent this email. I have 5 grandchildren. 3 girls and 2 boys. This would be wonderful to make for them. There is so many different flavors and colors you can make.
I have never tried these before but I would bet they would be delicious as mint chocolate chip with mini chocolate chips in the cake part. I will , definitely, need to make these.
I love these. Would I change anything no way. They are just the right amount of sweetness.
I love cake pops! These look awesome. I think that I will use softened cream cheese instead of store bought icing. This will help with too much sweetness. I also love cream cheese!๐ฅฐโค๏ธ
Plan to try this soon!
Love cake pops! My kids will love this!
My nephew loves cake pops from Starbucks, now I can’t wait to try your recipe. This recipe, he & I can make on weekend, he enjoys baking, last night he discovered, I had a pouch of chocolate chip cookies. He mixed & put on the cookies on the cookie sheet. I put the cookies in the oven. After baking & cooled. He had cookies and milk. I know he loves chocolate cake pops. We will do chocolate for Halloween.
I luv these cake pops๐๐
You could try different toppings to go with the season or holiday. Also you could use different flavored cake mix. It would depend on your preference.
Love the pop cake
My daughter asks for these from Starbucks all the time! She’ll love making them.
First off I never tried Starbucks pops. I really dislike their coffee so I stay as far away from them as I can get. lol But I am going to try this recipe it absolutely looks and sounds delicious. We have family events and I don’t cook anything so I am going to surprise the gang with these little gems.
I am going to make lemon, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Now I can’t wait till we have another big get together. :O)
Thanks so much for this recipe. Was defiantly worth the time it took to read it.
C-pops, as my granddaughter calls then, are her favorites! Canโt wait to make these!!
Those look yummy delicious ๐
I ‘ll have to make some for our cook out this Saturday.
Chocolate cake with strawberry icing
Oh that sounds delicious!
This recipe is easy to make very tasty. Next time I will make yellow cake with Chocolate icing. They turned out very moist. Will make more as they are a good size if you are on a diet and just need something sweet.
Oh I love that idea!
I think the cake pops at Starbucks are so cute and fun but a bit expensive. They look fun to make at home though!
And easy to make at home too.
I have never actually tried Starbucks cake pops, the price being the most significant factor. These homemade ones look good. I think it would be cool to decorate them with holiday themes, for Halloween you could have ghosts, pumpkins, witches, etc., or you could find some adorable sprinkles to put on. The possibilities are endless.
Yes, way cheaper to make at home!
My kiddos are obsessed with these cake pops! Can’t wait to try the recipe!! Thanks for posting this.
You’re going to love them!
I make these for my son, he loves them.
The recipe looks fun and easy enough. I will definitely try!
I like Starbucks coffee more than the Cake pops but I’m willing to try to make them , I do LOVE baking & cooking!
I have been making these way before Starbucks ever had them! I used to make these 15+ years ago when I was in high school haha I love doing a carrot cake one with cream cheese frosting or a cookies and cream one or the best is a spice cake with a pumpkin flavoring and spices in the candy coating on the outside! Soooo yummy!
These look delicious and fun! I think we are gonna try chocolate on chocolate!
Starbucks birthday cake pops are favorite of my autisic grandson .We get them any chance we can get them.
I love the birthday cake pops for sure!
Me too!
These look delicious and I want to try them !
I am looking forward to trying these for St Pats Day. But throw the cut cake away??? oh my NO ๐
Hahahaha! You can definitely save it Angela! I hope you enjoy these cake pops!