Patriotic Cake Pops

If you’re into food blogs, you’ve probably heard of Bakerella, the queen of all things cake pop. If you’ve been to a bakery, dessert shop, or even a Starbucks in the last few years, you’ve probably tried a cake pop. It’s understandable why they are so popular. They are an adorable little mini dessert. They’re also the perfect little sweet treat  to bring to a barbeque or cookout where everyone has stuffed themselves to capacity, and they require no utensils. In keeping with the theme of this coming Memorial Day weekend, I decided to make some patriotic cake pops. I got the idea for the flag pops here.

There are lots of tutorials on how to make cake pops on the internet such as this one, so I won’t add another one. Here are some tips that might help you out.

1. The brand of candy melts you use makes a difference in the consistency of the coating. The Wilton candy melts tend to be a little bit thick, so if you add some shortening, you will get a better consistency. Guittard candy melts work well, but are more expensive and not as easily available. I haven’t tried Merckens, but I’ve heard those work well.

2. If you can’t find dark blue candy melts, add some dark blue candy coloring to white candy melts. Make sure you are using an oil based food coloring that is specifically made for candy. The water based food coloring that you find at the grocery store won’t work. I used this.

3. Make sure the balls are chilled (I know, I know, that’s what she said) before you attempt to coat them. If they are at room temperature, they may break apart when you dip them in the candy coating.

4. Make sure you bring enough to the party. Cake pops always go quickly, especially if there are kiddos around.