Gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe – a beginner-friendly recipe that makes use of a boxed gluten-free cake mix and ready-made buttercream.
Gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe, anyone? A super fun, yet incredibly simple bake which in reality… barely feels like baking at all! Perfect for those will budding little bakers in the kitchen.
I can’t really tell you why a ball of cake crumbs and buttercream on a stick is more fun than just eating a conventional slice of cake on a plate… but it just is!
But as these cake lollipops are coated in a layer of milk chocolate, it transforms them to being way more like chocolate cake truffles rather than just ‘a bit of cake on a stick’.
So if you’re on the fence about making these, think of them as chocolate cake truffles on a stick, because that’s far more descriptive than just saying ‘cake pops’ if you’re not familiar with them!
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe…
Gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe: What you’ll need…
- Gluten-free chocolate cake mix: To keep things simple, I use a boxed chocolate cake mix to make these – this one specifically which is widely available in supermarkets. You’ll also need vegetable oil, water and eggs in addition to the cake mix, as well a 9in square baking tin.
- Ready-made chocolate buttercream icing: This is literally a tub of ready-made buttercream that you’ll find easily in supermarkets – I used this one. As it’s ‘buttercream-style‘, it’s a lot softer than real buttercream (made with actual butter) so it’s nice and easy to mix into the cake crumbs.
- Milk chocolate: Any milk chocolate that melts well will do here.
- Gluten-free colourful sprinkles: Ensure yours are definitely gluten-free as sprinkles have a terrible habit of containing wheat starch! I used gluten-free colourful funfetti sprinkles that I bought online a while ago.
So what do my gluten-free cake pops taste like? Well as I said, like chocolate cake truffles on a stick!
As the cake in the middle is actually a combo of chocolate cake crumbs and buttercream, it’s super fudgy, sweet and indulgently chocolatey.
The milk chocolate coating creates a lovely chocolate shell that delicately cracks with each bite and the sprinkles add a welcome crunch factor. Ultimately, they taste as good as they look!
Lets kick things off with the ever important FAQ before I get to the recipe…
Gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?
It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.
How do I make this recipe dairy-free?
It’s super simple to make this dairy-free:
- Use a dairy-free cake mix like this one. You’ll need dairy-free milk and vegetable oil to add to this one too.
- Use ready-made dairy-free buttercream.
- Use dairy-free chocolate (melted) to coat the cake pops.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe vegan?
If you follow the dairy-free advice above and using the products linked, it’ll be vegan too!
Is this recipe low FODMAP?
As this recipe uses products that aren’t low FODMAP certified, I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying it’s safe for the elimination phase of the diet.
However, if you make your own chocolate sponge and buttercream using this recipe (follow the instructions in the FAQ section of that recipe to make it low FODMAP) and you use lactose-free chocolate to coat the cake pops, it’ll be 100% low FODMAP!
Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free cake pops recipe?
Certainly not! Just some lolly sticks or skewers (trimmed to around 4in long) and a simple 9in baking tin like this will do.
Which gluten-free chocolate cake mix did you use?
I used this one which is readily-available in supermarkets. But in reality, as long it’s gluten-free, any chocolate cake mix will work!
Do I have to use boxed gluten-free chocolate cake mix or ready-made buttercream? Can I just make my own sponge and icing?
You certainly don’t have to use a boxed cake mix or ready-made buttercream – feel free to make your own of both using this recipe.
Gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe: Tips for perfection!
- Use a 9in square baking tin for the chocolate sponge. Since there’s no need to create two separate sponges as we’re not making a proper sandwich cake, you’ll be able to fit all the mixture into one tin without problem.
- Either coat the balls in chocolate when they’re on sticks (as instructed in the written recipe below – it’s a little less messy) or coat the balls first and insert the sticks once the chocolate has set (as seen in the video below). Either works, but after making this a few times, I find that coating them in chocolate is easier once they’re already impaled.
- Decorate with sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet – they won’t stick otherwise!
- Ready trays that’ll fit in your freeze before you roll the cake mixture into balls. You don’t wanna be rooting around for trays with messy hands!
- Freezing the cake balls is to ensure they’re nice and firm and ready for coating in chocolate. Don’t skip this part or things could get very messy, very fast!
Gluten-free Chocolate Cake Pops Recipe
Ingredients
- 425 g gluten-free chocolate cake mix mine called for vegetable oil, water and eggs to be added
- 400 g ready-made chocolate buttercream icing
- 300 g milk chocolate broken into small chunks
- gluten-free colourful sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the chocolate cake using the mix by following the packet instructions. Mine called for 125ml vegetable oil, 250ml water and 4 medium eggs to be added, but this will vary depending on which cake mix you're using – see the FAQ section for a link to the one I used. I made mine in a 9in square tin which took around 25 minutes in the oven at 160C fan. Allow to cool.
- Once cooled, use your hands to break and crumble the chocolate cake into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the tub of chocolate buttercream into the cake crumbs so it’s really well combined.
- Roll the mixture into balls using your hands and place onto a suitably sized tray that'll fit into your freezer. Freeze for around 30 minutes (don't forget and let them freeze solid!) or chill in the fridge for 2+ hours.
- In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring in between short blasts until fully melted. Place each ball onto the sticks (mine were wooden skewers that I chopped down to size) and dip the balls into melted chocolate until well-coated. Place onto a cooling rack and immediately decorate with sprinkles quickly before they set!
- Allow the chocolate to fully set and enjoy. Store in the fridge.
Nutrition
Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free chocolate cake pops recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram or TikTok and leaving me a comment on a recent post!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
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