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These vegan cake pops are healthy, gluten-free & simple to make! No baking required. + They call for plant based protein powder for added nutrition.
Chocolate Vegan Cake Pops Recipe
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. Find a brand that doesn't contain added sugar. 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.
The chocolate chips I use for this recipe are by Enjoy Life - they are soy-free, vegan, and non-GMO. I could eat these things by the handful! And I do.
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 cake pop, but asked for another one. Healthy eating / mom WIN.
--> These vegan cake pops are TODDLER APPROVED, guys.
Making Cake Pops
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!
Chocolate Vegan Cake Pops (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour*
- 1 Tbs cocoa powder
- 2 Tbs vegan protein powder
- ½ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup chocolate chips + 2 Tbs coconut oil, melted together
- ¼ cup chocolate chips optional add in
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.
- Stir in the melted chocolate chips + coconut oil.
- Mix in chocolate chips (optional add in).
- Roll mixture 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.
Notes
TO REITERATE since I get a ton of comments about this: ONLY coconut flour will work in this recipe - any other type of flour will leave the batter FAR too runny. Coconut flour soaks up a lot of the moisture and makes for the perfect texture for these no-bake cake pops.
