These Halloween Cake Pops are easy jack-o’-lanterns made with chocolate cake mix, orange candy melts, and a simple drawn-on face for about $0.84 each. They are a fun Halloween treat that kids can help decorate and enjoy.
I make these cake pops for Halloween because they are always a fun treat for kids to decorate. My family enjoys creating different jack-o’-lantern faces, and everyone can make their cake pop a little different.
This uses the same method as our Starbucks Copycat Cake Pops.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Budget-friendly – About $20.13 for 24 cake pops, a fraction of bakery prices.
- Kid-friendly decorating – My kids love drawing their own jack-o’-lantern faces.
- Make-ahead friendly – Roll the cake balls the night before and dip the next day.
I have been baking and developing dessert recipes for more than 14 years, and I love creating festive treats that are simple enough to make at home. These cake pops are a fun example of how a few easy decorating details can turn a basic cake mix into a special holiday dessert.
You may also like to try Halloween Puppy Chow, Halloween Dirt Cups, and Easy Halloween Witch Cookies.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Box Cake Mix. The cake mix keeps it simple. You can use any brand you like.
- Chocolate Fudge Frosting. Add it a spoonful at a time. The mixture should hold together like damp sand when squeezed. Too much frosting makes the balls soft, and they’ll slide off the sticks.
- Orange Candy Melts. I use candy melts instead of chocolate chips because they melt smooth and set firm at room temperature with no tempering. That gives you a shiny orange shell that holds up on a party table.
- Confectioners Sugar. This turns into the thick green paste for the pumpkin stems. Sift it if it’s lumpy so the stems pipe on smoothly.
- Green Food Gel Coloring. Gel is best and looks so vibrant.
- Black Writing Gel Icing. Find the writing gel in the baking section. These little tubes make it easy to draw the faces.
- Lollipop Sticks. Use sturdy 6-inch sticks. They’re thick enough to support the cake pops and long enough for little hands to hold.
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom for the recipe card.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1 – Make cake recipe and bake according to package instructions in a 9X13 pan. Then let the cake cool at room temperature.
Step 2 – Trim off the browned edges of the cake, then crumble the soft center into a large bowl. Stir in the frosting until the mixture holds together.
Step 3 – Scoop into 1-inch balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
Step 4 – Follow “How to Dip Cake Balls” below to add the sticks, chill, and coat.
How to Dip Cake Balls
- Melt the candy melts. Put the orange 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.
- Coat the cake ball sticks. Dip each cake pop stick into the melted candy. Then place them into the cake balls about halfway into the balls. Then place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (do not freeze for longer than 15 minutes).
- Dip in the candy melts. After the cake pops have been chilled. Dip each cake pop into the melted candy melts (you may need to re-melt it 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.
- Allow to dry. Then place the stick of cake pops in a block of Styrofoam while the candy dries and solidifies. Continue until all the cake pops have been covered.
How to Decorate
Once the orange coating is fully dry, stir ½ cup powdered sugar with ½–1 teaspoon water and a drop of green gel coloring until it’s a thick paste. Use a toothpick to dab a small stem on top of each pop, then draw a jack-o’-lantern face with the black writing gel. Let dry before serving.
Cake Pop Troubleshooting
The coating cracked. The cake balls were too cold. A frozen ball expands as it warms inside the hard candy shell. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes, no longer, and if they sat in the freezer too long, let them rest on the counter for a few minutes before dipping.
The cake ball fell off the stick. The mixture was too soft, usually from too much frosting. It should feel like damp sand when squeezed. Always dip the stick tip in melted candy before inserting it so it sets like glue.
The coating is thick and lumpy. The candy melts got too hot or need thinning. Melt at 50% power and stir in a little vegetable or coconut oil, ½ teaspoon at a time, until the coating drips off a spoon in a steady ribbon.
Little bumps or leaks appeared after drying. Air or moisture escaped through the coating as the cold ball warmed up. Dab a little melted candy over the spot with a toothpick to patch it before decorating.
Pro Tips
- Thin the candy melts. If the coating is too thick, stir in a small amount of vegetable oil or coconut oil, ½ teaspoon at a time. Thinner coating gives a smoother, more even shell.
- Use a cookie scoop. Every cake ball comes out the same size, and rolling goes much faster.
- Dry them upright. Stand the dipped pops in a Styrofoam block. They dry perfectly round, with no flat spot like you’d get on a baking sheet.
- White chocolate swap. You can use white chocolate instead of candy melts and tint it with orange food coloring. Use an oil-based candy coloring, since regular food coloring can make white chocolate seize.
- More decorating options. Black candy melts or black nonpareils work well for the jack-o’-lantern faces.
More Halloween Cake Pop Designs
- Little Monsters – Make these green using green candy melts. Then use black writing gel icing to create scary faces on each one. Make sure to add candy eyeballs for a fun look.
- Mummies – Dip in white candy melts or almond bark, drizzle on “bandages,” and add candy eyes. Full directions in our Easy Mummy Cake Pops Recipe.
- Sprinkles – Dip into any color you prefer for Halloween. Orange, white or green would be great options. Then use festive sprinkles for each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
Yes. Roll the cake balls the night before, cover them, and keep them in the fridge. The next day, add the sticks, chill for 10 to 15 minutes, then dip and decorate. You can also finish them completely up to 3 days ahead and store them in an airtight container.
Cake pops can be frozen up to 6 weeks. Store them inside an airtight container. I also like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Yes, but only chilled, not frozen solid. Ten to 15 minutes in the freezer firms the cake balls so they hold onto the stick and the coating goes on smooth. Any longer and the cake balls get so cold that they expand as they warm up inside the hard candy shell, which is what causes cracks.
Usually the mixture has too much frosting, so the ball is too soft to grip the stick. It should feel like damp sand when squeezed. Dipping the stick tip in melted candy first acts like glue, and a short chill lets it set before you dip the whole pop.
More Easy Halloween Desserts
If you made these Halloween Cake Pops, make sure to leave a star review. We can’t wait to hear how they turned out!
Halloween Cake Pops
Ingredients
- 1 box Chocolate Cake Mix 15 oz
- *Plus ingredients to prepare the cake on the back of the box
- 1/3 cup Chocolate Fudge Frosting I use pre-made
- 16 oz. Orange Candy Melts
- 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
- Green Food Gel Coloring
- Black Writing Gel Icing
- Lollipop Sticks
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Make cake and bake according to box instructions in a 9X13 pan. Then let the cake cool at room temperature.
- Remove the cake from the pan. Remove the outside layer from the cake and throw it away. Crumble up the remaining cake into a large bowl.
- Add the chocolate 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 orange 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 melted candy and then place them into the cake balls about halfway into the balls. Then place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (do not freeze for longer than 15 minutes).
- After the cake pops have been chilled, dip each cake pop into the melted candy melts (you may need to re-melt it 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.
- Continue until all the cake pops have been covered.
- Once all the cake pops are dry, mix the confectioner’s sugar with some green gel food coloring to form a thick green icing. Use a toothpick to make a stem on each cake pop with this mixture. Then draw a jack-o-lantern face on each cake pop with the black writing gel.
- Let the decorations dry and then the cake pops are ready to enjoy!
