I’m not sure if it’s the pink button nose or the rosy cheeks, all I know is I can’t help but “aawwww…” out loud when I see these adorable Santa Christmas cake pops. They are sure to be the cutest Christmas treat on the table at any holiday party!
Supplies for Santa Christmas Cake Pops
To make Santa cake pops you will need:
-
White cake balls
-
Red, white, and peach candy melts (or white candy melts and candy coloring)
- Red disco dust (optional)***
- White sparkling sugar
- White tiny sugar pearls
- Pink sugar pearls
- Pink luster dust (optional)
- Black confetti sprinkles
- Toothpicks
- Tweezers (clean and used for food only)
- Small paint brush (clean and used for food only)
How To Make Cake Balls
Start by making your cake balls and chilling them in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to start dipping your Santa cake pops.
For step-by-step directions for making and dipping cake pops like a pro, see How To Make Cake Pops | A Step-By-Step Tutorial.
How to Make Santa Christmas Cake Pops: The Face
Start by microwaving your peach candy melts in a bowl on low power for 30-seconds at a time. Stop and stir after each 30-second interval then repeat until the coating is completely melted. Do not overheat the candy melts or your coating will become lumpy. If the coating is too thick, add a small amount of vegetable oil to thin it out.
Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted coating and then into a cake ball, gently pushing until the stick is about half way through the cake ball. Complete this step for all cake balls then set them in the fridge until they are chilled.
Helpful Hint: Work with just a handful of cake balls at a time. Rotating them in and out of the fridge ensures that you are always working with perfectly chilled cake balls. This is where it comes in handy to have a few petite cake pop stands to rotate around!
For the next step, you will need to have pink sugar pearls and black confetti sprinklesready to apply with tweezers.
If your peach coating has cooled or thickened, repeat the microwave heating process.
Helpful Hint: A tall narrow bowl works best for dipping cake pops. Keeping the coating warm throughout the entire dipping process is key to having a smooth coating on your cake pops. To avoid having to repeatedly reheat your coating, a chocolate melting pot is a great tool.
Dip each cake pop straight down into the peach coating until the cake ball is completely covered and sealed. If you need to angle the cake pop, gently tilt it in one direction and then another. Remove the cake pop from the melted coating by pulling it straight up. Then, turn the cake pop at an angle and gently tap off any excess coating. Turn the cake pop upright. If you have trouble with cake pops falling off of the sticks, check out 5 Tricks to Stop Cake Pops from Falling Off Sticks.
Before the coating hardens, use tweezers to place two black confetti sprinkles about half way down the cake pop for Santa’s eyes. Then, set a pink sugar pearl another quarter of the way down for the nose. Stand your Santa cake pops upright in a cake pop stand to dry.
Once the coating has completely hardened, you can give your Santas rosy cheeks at any time by brushing on a small amount of pink luster dust.
How to Make Santa Christmas Cake Pops: The Hat
To make the hat on your Santa cake pops, be ready with marshmallow bits, red disco dust, and white sparkling sugar.
Melt the red candy melts. Turn each cake pop upside down and dip it into the coating to cover half the distance between the top of the pop and Santa’s eyes. If you would like your Santa cake pops to have sparkly hats (more sparkle = more cuteness!), gently sprinkle red disco dust on the wet coating. Place one marshmallow bit on top of the cake pop to make the ball on Santa’s hat. Let the red coating harden then wipe off any excess disco dust with a clean, dry paint brush.
***UPDATE: Please note that since this blog post was written, I have discovered that there is some debate over the use of disco dust on food products. It is marketed for cake decorating, but it is not FDA approved and is labeled only as “non-toxic”. My understanding is that it is not digested by the body and will pass through harmlessly in small amounts. For an edible alternative to disco dust, try Wilton Cake Sparkles or Sugarpaste Crystal Colors.***
Melt the white candy melts. Use a toothpick to spread the coating around the rim of Santa’s hat. Sprinkle white sparkling sugar onto the coating while it is still wet. Then, set the cake pops aside until all the coating has hardened.
How to Make Santa Christmas Cake Pops: The Beard
For the next step, you will need to have white tiny sugar pearls ready to apply. If your white coating has cooled or thickened, repeat the microwave heating process.
Use a toothpick to spread white coating around the sides and under the nose to make Santa’s beard. Sprinkle white sugar pearls onto the wet coating and set the Santa cake pops aside until completely dry.
These cake pops were inspired by stunning Santa sugar cookies made by Lisa of The Bearfoot Baker. If you’re looking for decorated Christmas cookie inspiration, you can see some of Lisa’s amazing work, along with many other talented cookie artists, in 51 Decorated Christmas Cookies with Tutorials.
These are so cute! You do some amazing work on some cake pops! I admire your patience to put those tiny little pearls on. Cake pops are so much fun!
Ellora @ Creatively Southern recently posted..{Christmas Clothespin Craft}
Thanks, Ellora. Cake pops definitely take patience but the final product is so worth it!
So cute! I love the noses and sparkly hats.
Agos recently posted..The first day of Christmas: strawberry milk pudding and a Sprinkle Bakes giveaway!
Thanks, Agos! Everything is better with a little sparkle!
So cute!
Diana Rambles recently posted..Mega Mint Brownies
Thanks, Diana!
These are absolutely adorable. I’ve never made cake pops but I have to attend a party this Saturday and I may just try these. I know they will be the hit of the party…pinning this.
Let me know how they turn out if you give them a try, Crystal!
Very cute! I found you via Parlo & Logi’s F-it Friday, and I’m your newest follower
Melanie recently posted..Link-ups, Blog Hops & Networking [oh my!]
Thanks for following, Melanie!
Those are SO cute!! I have never made cake balls just yet but I love eating them and these are perfect for the holidays!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by, Kayla!
That is the cutest Santa face ever, I love it! Thanks so much for sharing at “I Gotta Try That” Have a great weekend.
Marcie
I Gotta Try That recently posted..Christmas Tree Cookies
Thanks for stopping by, Marcie!
This looks adorable! Real kids Christmas treat! Great recipe! Thanks you shared it at my link party!
Vera Zecevic – Cupcakes Garden recently posted..Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes
Thanks for hosting, Vera!
Holy Cute Fest! Love these! Thanks for sharing and linking them up to the No Rules Christmas Party!
Jen
Jen @ Four Marrs & One Venus recently posted..Gangnam Style meets Kitchen
Thanks, Jen! And thanks for hosting the link party!
These are absolutely adorable! Great job!
Erin @ Making Memories recently posted..Candy Cane Pudding Cookies
Thanks so much, Erin!
I can’t believe you made this!!! They are amazing! and thanks for the tutorial
would love it if you could share this on my link party @ http://www.serenityyou.com
Natasha xx
Natasha recently posted..Serenity Saturday : 67
Thanks for the invite, Natasha. I would love to!
These are ADORABLE. Why oh why can’t we have an extra weekend in December?? So many things I’d like to try!
Karen
I hear ya, Karen. My to-do list is growing and the month is slipping away!
Awww! They’re so cute!
Thank you for partying with the Wildly Original Crowd.
<3 Christina at I Gotta Create!
Christina at I Gotta Create! recently posted..Frosty Little Snowman Jar Candles
Thanks for stopping by, Christina!
These are adorable!!! I love the beard and the cute rosy cheeks! Awesome idea to make cake pop Santa’s:)
Thanks, Lisa! And thanks for providing the template for these cake pops with your Santa cookies!
ADORABLE, Janine!! Thanks for linking up to Tasty Thursdays at The Mandatory Mooch. Can’t wait to see what you link up this week. Thanks, Nichi
Nichi – The Mandatory Mooch recently posted..Tasty Thursdays #21
Thanks for stopping by and for hosting a great link party, Nichi!