Dense, fudgy, and perfectly portable: Brownie Cake Pops are ideal for parties or bake sales.
I have a confession. I have a complicated relationship with cake pops. I think they’re adorable and great handhelds for parties. But I don’t really like how they taste! The buttercream mixed with the cake is just too sweet and heavy for me. And I love cake. It wasn’t until I happened on this brownie cake pop recipe that I found a cake pop I liked.
Traditional cake pops have been popular since around 2008, thanks to Starbucks and social media. They’re usually made by mixing baked cake with buttercream frosting and forming them into balls. Insert a stick, cover with fondant, and add sprinkles or other decorations as desired. The flavor combinations and decoration options are endless. Brownie cake pops are a great variation because brownies are naturally moist and easy to mold into a ball shape. No need for added buttercream!
Brownie cake pops are easy to assemble and full of luscious chocolate flavor. The dense, fudgy texture of brownies delivers a rich chocolate taste, and making the coating is simple. Even if you don’t consider yourself a candy maker, you’ve got this! The coating is simply semisweet chocolate candy melts and a little vegetable oil. It couldn’t be easier. And you can add custom sprinkles in whatever colors you want to create festive and tasty cake pops.
Semisweet chocolate candy melts
Semisweet chocolate candy melts are sometimes also called melting wafers. It’s important for this recipe to get semisweet chocolate vs. just “chocolate candy melts,” as the latter has less chocolate flavor. A great brand to look for is Ghirardelli, available in most supermarkets or online. So, how are these different than just melting a bunch of regular chocolate chips? You get a smoother, shinier chocolate melt because these little discs have no stabilizers added (like chocolate chips, so they keep their shape when baked). Go easy when melting; slow and low heat is best, so you stop the heat as soon as it’s melting. The result is a rich, easy-to-work-with chocolate coating.
How do I store leftovers?
Leftovers are easy with brownie cake pops. Since you chill them before serving anyway, you should just pop any leftovers back in the fridge. They will technically keep for up to 1 week in the fridge, but the chocolate coating and sprinkles will soften a bit as time goes on. Also, always store them in an airtight container so the cake pops don’t absorb other flavors of the surrounding food in your fridge.
Serving suggestions
Brownie cake pops are wonderful treats to serve at birthday parties, school bake sales, potlucks, or graduation parties. Since you can customize the decoration colors, you can go with a party theme or school colors. As far as what shape of sprinkles, you can go with jimmies (shown here), nonpareils, or themed sprinkles like hearts for Valentine’s Day.
If you’re serving brownie cake pops with other desserts, go with other make-ahead desserts that are easy handhelds. For instance, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Snickers Cookie Bars, or Salted Peanut Butter Pretzel Cowboy Cookies all work very well and taste great. You also can’t go wrong with ice cream with any kind of cake pops. For brownie cake pops, serve with a scoop of classic vanilla or strawberry.
Brownie Cake Pops
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix prepare according to the package instructions with oil, water, and eggs
- 24 lollipop sticks
- 16 ounces semisweet chocolate candy melts
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Sprinkles as desired
Instructions
- Prepare brownies per package instructions and let them cool completely. Remove the brownies from the pan and cut off the outer crust edges.
- Crumble the brownies in a large bowl, mixing until they become a thick paste. Scoop about 24 portions and roll them into 1 1/2-inch balls. Insert a lollipop stick into each ball and freeze for 2 hours.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate melts and oil. Microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Dip each frozen brownie ball into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off, and immediately sprinkle with your chosen sprinkles.
- Place the cake pops in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set.
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