Chocolate Protein Cake Pops
These vegan cake pops are healthy, gluten-free & simple to make! No baking required. + They call for plant based protein powder for added nutrition.
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My son used to love the cake pops carried by Starbucks. Unfortunately, they contain animal products and are pretty full of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.
I made homemade cake pops once, in the traditional way where you bake a cake, let it cool, crumble it and turn it into cake pops. While those were delicious, the process just took way too long. I’m impatient that way! And so is my 3 year old.
I decided to try to figure out a healthy, vegan, cake pop recipe that did NOT require baking. So while these cake pops aren’t technically made from “cake”, they come out basically the same! That moist cake-y filling, surrounded in delicious chocolate. Nom nom nom.
Protein powder is also added into this recipe, because I have a thing lately where I try to add protein powder into everything! Plant based protein powders are super nutritious in more ways than just protein. I love Manitoba Harvest’s hemp protein powders. They’re made from hemp seeds – and hemp seeds are SO GOOD for you. Vega is also a great brand.
If you are a parent, you know that feeling when you make something new and you’re anxiously waiting to see if your child will devour that labor of love or spit it out in the sink? I just about jumped for joy when my incredibly picky son not only ate the first one, but asked for MORE protein cake pops.
Ingredients
- Coconut flour: I do not recommend a substitution – other flours don’t work the same.
- Cocoa powder
- Protein powder: Just use your favorite!
- Non-dairy milk
- Maple syrup: For added sweetness. You can use your sweetener of choice or leave it out and substitute with more milk to get the right consistency.
- Chocolate chips: The chocolate chips I use for this recipe are by Enjoy Life – they are soy-free and vegan. I could eat these things by the handful! And I do.
- Coconut oil
Instructions
Cake pops are pretty simple to make, especially these ones, but you will need a couple things you may not have: cake pop sticks (or lollipop sticks) and a cake pop stand. I find cake pop sticks right at my local Kroger.
For a simple, inexpensive cake pop stand/holder – purchase a foam block from your nearest craft store! You can press the sticks right into the foam block and it’s very stable.
If you’re displaying these at a party or event, you might want something a little more visually pleasing than a foam block. Wilton sells an inexpensive cake pop stand, or you can get something a little cuter like this tiered one!
Trying to go vegan? Sign up for our (FREE) Vegan Beginner’s Guide!
First, start by mixing together the dry ingredients. Then melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips with the coconut oil. Use the double boiler method or the microwave. If using the microwave, heat for 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each cycle. Make sure not to overheat or the chocolate will seize up and no longer melt.
Mix the melted chocolate into the dry mixture. Toss in additional chocolate chips if desired. Roll the dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
For the chocolate coating, melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Dip the end of a cake pop stick into the chocolate coating and gently press into a cake pop. Do this for each cake pop. The chocolate will help the cake balls adhere to the sticks.
Place the sheet of cake pops into the fridge for 20 minutes. Warm up the chocolate coating a little if it has cooled and thickened. Dip each cake pop into the chocolate coating, letting the excess chocolate drip off before pressing the cake pops into a block of foam.
Let the protein cake pops set in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Protein Cake Pops
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons vegan protein powder
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup chocolate chips leave half unmelted for an optional add-in
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Chocolate Coating
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 3 teaspoons coconut oil
Other Items You’ll Need:
- cake pop sticks
- cake pop stand or foam block
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, almond milk, and maple syrup.
- Melt together half of the chocolate chips with the coconut oil. Use a double boiler method or the microwave. Make sure not to overheat or the chocolate will seize up. Heat up for 10 seconds at a time and check. Stir the melted mixture into the flour mixture.
- Mix in more chocolate chips (optional add in).
- Roll the dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This recipe makes about 15 cake pops.)
- For the chocolate coating, melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil.
- Dip the end of a cake pop stick into the chocolate coating and gently press into a cake pop. Do this for each cake pop. The chocolate will help the cake balls adhere to the sticks.
- Place the sheet of cake pops into the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Warm up the chocolate coating a little if it has cooled and thickened. Dip each cake pop into the chocolate coating, letting the excess chocolate drip off before pressing the cake pops into a block of foam.
- Top with chocolate chips, hemp seeds, sprinkles, etc.
- Let set in fridge for 20 minutes.
I tried the recipe, it’s really good.
Do you use refined or unrefined coconut oil?
Only got 10 pops from this recipe and the mixture wouldn’t form balls at all, just disintegrated into a mass of crumbs.
does this reciepe work on lakeland cake pop maker?
I’m not sure, haven’t heard of it, sorry!
Hi, I’d love to make these, but I don’t have coconut oil. Whaat should I do?
Hey! You can omit the coconut oil and it will still work fine!
Should I add more chocolate chips to account for the lack of oil?
Sure! An extra couple of tablespoons will work.
Would this recipe work with another plant-based milk? I can’t have almond milk because of my nut allergy.
Sure!
Hi! We made these yesterday and they were AMAZING! Thanks for such a great recipe! My son has a gluten, egg and dairy allergy and it is always hard to find treats that he can have… these fit the bill perfectly! I used the enjoy life dark chocolate morsels (chips), and the Manitoba Harvest Unsweetened Protein Powder (balance protein + fibre). I didn’t add the extra chocolate chips as an add-in, as we thought they were rich enough on their own. Everyone in my family loved them! Thanks again!
This was great. I made them for a niece who has many good allergies.
The recipe doubled well too. I didn’t double the coco powder or the maple syrup, but everything else I did and it made 25 pops.
I used a different plant based protein powder and so therefore I think that’s why I wasn’t too crazy about the way they tasted, but idk for sure. That’s why I gave 4 instead of 5 stars.
The batter turned out perfect for me, and was easier to roll into balls after letting them sit for a little to let the coconut oil cool a bit so the batter wasn’t too soft. In general it was much easier that actual cake pops
I’m glad you found them to easy to make! Definitely used a protein powder you love – the flavor can be so hit or miss.
i LOVE your recipe! It turned out very good. My kids and husband love them! I’m going to use your recipe for my son’s upcoming birthday party. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Are they gluten free?
Yes – just make sure to buy gluten-free chocolate chips. Most are.
Could I use coconut brown sugar instead of maple syrup?
It might work. The batter would be a bit more dry without the maple syrup so you may need to add a little extra almond milk.
Hi Karissa,
I have a friend that is intolerant to almond, can you use another type of milk? e.g. coconut or normal?
Thanks!
Yes!
Can you use normal flour?
No, the mixture will be far too runny.
Im not sure what happened. I followed the recipe to a T and the batter was conpletely runny! I added another TWO cups of flour to get something that seemed like it could be rolled but it was waaaaay to sticky! I then proceded to completely mofify the recipe so i wouldnt waste all my ingredients. I turned the batter into something that could be baked. Very desapointed.
What kind of flour did you use? If you use anything other than coconut flour, the batter will be runny.
Have you tried using vanilla protein powder or just chocolate?
Yes, vanilla works fine, too!
Can I leave out the protein powder or substitute something else for it (powdered milk, coconut flour, etc)?
You could use more coconut flour.
Hey, how much more coconut flour then? sorry I’m really bad at baking but really want to make those, so I need to know 😉
1 tablespoon should work.
The first cake pops I ever made and they turned out to be perfect and soooo cute!
I also like that they are much more healthier than most other cake pops and were so easy to make. Will definitely start making them for small gatherings 🙂
Yay!
Can these be kept at room temperature or is it necessary that they maintain refrigerated? I ask since these are no bake & contain almond milk.
Awesome recipe btw 🙂
Best to refrigerate them.
What brand of Vegan Protein Powder to you use?
Recently, I’ve been using Vega. I’ve also tested Manitoba Harvest with this recipe.
Hi Nicole,
I just tested this recipe again after receiving your comment and they came out perfectly. The mixture should not come out runny. You likely added too much almond milk or not enough flour.