What better way to enjoy the Christmas season and spread the joy than with these gingerbread cake pops? These delightful, flavorful pops are a quick and tasty treat.
This simple recipe is a great treat to make by yourself, with friends, or with children if they like to get involved in the holiday baking. They are made in a cake pop baker without a cake pop coating and can be enjoyed as a snack or dessert.
Made with seasonal ingredients and warm spices, they are indeed the best way to ring in the Christmas season. Great for bringing to holiday parties, or eating while curled up around a crackling fire, they're sure to become your next holiday tradition.
Serve them with this hot gingerbread latte for even more gingerbread flavor. You can check out more of my holiday recipes for Christmas and cake pop recipes, if you're interested.
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🫚 Ingredients
- brown sugar - For deeper, richer flavor than white sugar.
- cinnamon and nutmeg - Cinnamon and nutmeg are classic gingerbread spices.
- molasses - I recommend fancy/light molasses for this recipe but cooking/dark molasses also works. Dark molasses isn't as strong as blackstrap but has a deeper flavor than fancy so the flavor should come through really well.
- ginger - This recipe uses fresh ginger but you can substitute with dried: 1 teaspoon ground ginger = 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger.
- powdered sugar - To sprinkle over the cake balls. I also provide instructions for an alternative gingerbread sugar coating if you prefer. It's delicious and my kids love it!
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
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🥄 Equipment
You will need a cake pop maker for this recipe. It bakes the cake batter into little round balls within a few minutes, saving you on a large amount of prep time. For more details check out how to use a cake pop maker.
🥣 How to Make Gingerbread Cake Pops
Step 1. Make the gingerbread cake batter.
Step 2. Transfer the batter to a preheated cake pop maker and bake for 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool.
Step 3. Insert treat sticks into the center of the cake balls and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve the gingerbread cake pops!
Chef's Note: There is no need to adhere the treat sticks to the cake balls like you would with classic cake pops, because they don't have a chocolate coating, which keeps them light.
🤎 Alternative Gingerbread Sugar Coating
You can use this gingerbread sugar coating instead of the powdered sugar for the cake balls, if desired. I like to make half a batch of each and let guests pick their favorite.
Combine white sugar with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and spread it out on a plate. Dip the cake balls into a glaze made of icing sugar, milk and vanilla, then roll them into the gingerbread spice sugar. Let them set for at least 30 minutes and serve!
*See recipe card for ingredient amounts.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- You can serve them with or without the treat sticks. Gingerbread cake balls without lollipop sticks (as seen in the image above) are just as delicious and easy to serve.
- Enjoy these gingerbread cake pops in the morning with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, or try dipping them in hot chocolate (I make these homemade hot chocolate spoons you could try) or hot apple cider.
- Chocolate lovers can trade out the powdered sugar topping for cocoa powder or a decadent chocolate coating.
🌡️ Storage
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place like your cupboard or pantry for up to 1 week.
- You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
🎄 More Tasty Holiday Recipes to Enjoy
If you tried this Gingerbread Cake Pops Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Gingerbread Cake Pops
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cake Pops
- ½ cup butter - softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup fancy molasses - or light
- ¼ cup water
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon ginger - minced
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar - to dust the cake balls with
Optional Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Gingerbread Cake Pops
- Plug in the cake pop maker to preheat it. In a medium bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses, water, egg and ginger and mix well.½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup fancy molasses, ¼ cup water, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon ginger
- Combine the dry ingredients (except for the powdered sugar) and then add them to the wet mixture.1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add the batter to a piping bag to make it easier to add to the cake pop maker, or you can use a teaspoon. Fill the cake pop maker holes until almost full (leaving about 1mm on top).
- Close the lid and bake in the cake pop maker for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Remove from cake pop maker and let them cool for a few minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Insert treat sticks into the center of the cake balls, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Optional Gingerbread Sugar Coating
- Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and spread it out on a plate.¼ cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder, 2 teaspoons ginger powder, 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- Combine the icing sugar, milk and vanilla in a measuring cup to form a glaze.1 cup icing sugar, 2 ½ tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dip the cake balls into the glaze, then roll them into the gingerbread spice sugar. Let them set for at least 30 minutes and serve!
Equipment
Notes
- Treat sticks: There is no need to stick the treat sticks to the cake ball using melted chocolate because they don't have a coating, which keeps them light. You could even skip the treat sticks and serve them as cake balls instead.
- Optional sugar coating for the cake balls: You can use the gingerbread sugar coating instead of the powdered sugar for the cake balls, if desired. Or, check out this alternative frosting for cake pops with tips and step by step photos.
- Ginger powder: If you want to use ginger powder instead of fresh, you will need 1 teaspoon. However, I highly recommend using fresh ginger for its amazing flavor in the cake balls.
- Room temp. storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place like your cupboard or pantry for up to 1 week.
- Freezer storage: You can freeze them in a freezer safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
These are so tasty! My kids especially enjoy them with the gingerbread sugar coating.
Charlene says
A small cookie scoop (= 1 TBS) works great! Leaves no mess & portions the right amount.
Joss Dyckson says
Great idea, Charlene. Thanks for the comment!