My easy Grinch cake pops are about to steal the show at your holiday party. They're chocolate fudge cake balls on a stick, dunked in bright green white chocolate, with a tiny red heart on top if you're feeling extra. Total Who-ville energy.

The best part? They start with a box of cake mix and a tub of vanilla frosting, so this is DIY baking for people who don't really bake. If you can crumble, roll and dip, you can make these.

Throwing a full Grinch party? You'll also love my Grinch Pretzels, these Grinch Fruit Skewers and my 25 No Bake Christmas Treats.

Things to Know Before Making Grinch Cake Pops

The cake has to be completely cool before you crumble it. Warm cake plus frosting turns into a sticky mess that won't roll.
Go slow with the frosting. You want a dough you can squeeze into a ball, not a gooey paste, so add it a little at a time.
Chilling is not optional. Cold cake balls hold their shape and stay on the stick when you dip them.
Use gel food coloring, not liquid. Gel gives you a bold Grinch green without thinning out the chocolate.
Plan for about 2 hours start to finish, but only about 45 to 60 minutes of that is hands-on. The rest is cooling, chilling and setting.

Ingredients You'll Need

White chocolate - one bar for the coating. Pick a real white chocolate bar (it'll list cocoa butter in the ingredients) since it melts smoother. Green or white candy melts also work if that's what you find.
Green gel food coloring - a few drops goes a long way. Kelly green or leaf green gives you that classic Grinch shade.
Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake mix - baked and fully cooled. Any brand of chocolate cake mix will work if your store is out.
Eggs - whatever your cake box calls for.
Oil - whatever your cake box calls for. Vegetable or canola oil are both fine.
Vanilla frosting - start with about ½ cup and add more as needed. Store-bought tub frosting is easiest. Cream cheese frosting works too and tastes a little tangier.
Lollipop sticks - 6 inch sticks are the easiest size to dip and display. You'll find them in the baking or craft aisle.
Sprinkles (optional) - red heart sprinkles for the Grinch's heart, or green sprinkles for extra sparkle.

How to Make Grinch Cake Pops

1. Bake and cool the cake. Bake the chocolate fudge cake following the directions on the box. Let it cool all the way, then crumble it into a big bowl with your hands until it looks like fine crumbs.

2. Mix in the frosting. Add the vanilla frosting a little at a time, starting with about ½ cup. Mix until the crumbs stick together like a soft dough. Squeeze a little in your hand: if it holds its shape, you're good. Stir in a few drops of green gel food coloring if you want some green in the middle too.

Cream cheese being spooned into a glass bowl of brown cookie crumbs, with the cream cheese tub alongside.

3. Roll and chill. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 to 1 ½ inches wide and set them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Pop the tray in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes so they firm up.

Round cookie dough balls on a wooden board beside a glass bowl of crumbly cookie mixture with a spoon.

4. Melt and tint the chocolate. Microwave the white chocolate in short bursts, stirring after each one, until it's smooth. Stir in a few drops of green gel food coloring until you love the shade. If it starts to thicken while you work, warm it again for a few seconds.

Overhead view of a cake ball on a stick resting in a pot of melted green coating, with bowls of green sprinkles and red hearts nearby.

5. Dip the cake pops. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the green chocolate and push it into a cake ball (the chocolate works like glue). Then dip the whole cake pop into the green chocolate, gently tap off the extra and add sprinkles right away, while it's still wet.

A cake pop being lifted from a pot of melted green candy coating, topped with green sugar sprinkles.

6. Let them set. Stand the cake pops up in a foam block or cake pop stand. Let them set at room temperature, or chill them for 15 to 20 minutes until the coating is firm.

A hand holding a green cake pop covered in green sugar crystals and red candy hearts, with more pops blurred behind it.

Substitutions and Variations

Go red velvet: swap the chocolate cake mix for red velvet for a red and green surprise when someone bites in.
Use white or vanilla cake: a white cake mix lets the green food coloring really show on the inside.
Make Grinch cake balls: skip the sticks and dip the balls whole. Serve them in mini cupcake liners on a platter.
Add a drizzle: drizzle a little melted white or red candy melt over the set pops for an extra fancy look.

What to Serve With Grinch Cake Balls

Set these on a dessert table with hot cocoa, sugar cookies and a big bowl of popcorn for a Grinch movie night. Stand them up in a cake pop stand or a mason jar filled with candy so they double as a centerpiece. Want more green treats for the spread? Add a batch of my Grinch Pretzels and a Christmas dirty soda bar.

Storage and Freezing

Store the finished cake pops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let them sit out for about 15 minutes before serving so the cake softens a little.

To get ahead, freeze the rolled cake balls (before dipping) in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, then dip and decorate.

FAQs

Why do my cake pops fall off the stick?

Usually the cake balls are too warm or too heavy. Chill them for the full 20 to 30 minutes and dip the stick in melted chocolate before pushing it in, so it works like glue.

Why is my white chocolate too thick to dip?

White chocolate thickens fast as it cools. Warm it again in 10 to 15 second bursts and stir until smooth. Using gel coloring instead of liquid also keeps it from seizing.

How far ahead can I make Grinch cake pops?

You can make them up to a week ahead and keep them in the fridge, or freeze the undipped cake balls up to a month ahead.