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Tropical Piña Colada Cake Pops

Bite-sized tropical getaways! These beautifully decorated cake pops feature a moist pineapple-coconut interior, dipped in chocolate and decorated to look like miniature pineapples and coconut drinks.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 36 pops
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Tropical
Calories: 180

Ingredients
  

Cake Pop Interior
  • 1 box yellow or pineapple cake mix 15.25 oz
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup crushed pineapple drained and squeezed dry
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1.5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.5 tsp rum extract optional
  • 1-2 tbsp coconut milk or heavy cream
Coating & Decorations
  • 12 oz yellow candy melts
  • 12 oz light brown candy melts
  • 0.5 cup green candy melts
  • 0.25 cup white candy melts
  • 0.25 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil for thinning chocolate if needed

Equipment

  • 9x13 inch baking pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Baking sheet
  • Cake pop sticks
  • Piping bags

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven per cake mix box. Mix cake mix, pineapple juice, eggs, and vegetable oil. Fold in drained crushed pineapple. Bake in a 9x13 pan until done. Let cool completely.
  2. Beat softened butter, powdered sugar, coconut extract, rum extract, and coconut milk together to make a thick frosting.
  3. Crumble the cooled cake into fine pieces. Knead in the frosting a few tablespoons at a time until the mixture holds together like dough.
  4. Roll half the mixture into 1-inch round balls (for coconuts) and half into oval/egg shapes (for pineapples). Chill on a baking sheet for 2 hours until firm.
  5. Dip the tip of lollipop sticks into melted chocolate and insert halfway into the chilled cake balls. Chill 15 more minutes to set.
  6. Melt yellow and brown candy melts (thin with coconut oil if needed). Dip the ovals in yellow and the rounds in brown. Tap off excess and let dry completely.
  7. For pineapples: Pipe yellow criss-cross lines on the yellow ovals. Top with piped green melted candy pulled up to look like leaves.
  8. For coconuts: Scratch the brown shell lightly with a fork. Top with melted white candy and shredded coconut. Add a blue fondant straw and edible flowers. Let set entirely.

Notes

Ensure cake pops are firm and chilled, but not frozen solid, before dipping to prevent the candy shell from cracking.