Skip to Content

Pumpkin Cake Pops

These pumpkin cake pops taste just like Fall and look like it too!! They’re made with moist pumpkin cake and dipped in white chocolate to look just like little pumpkins.

image of pumpkin cake pops sitting in a tray filled with oreo crumbs to look like a pumpkin patch

How to Make These Pumpkin Cake Pops

To make sure these cake pops turn out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! Below is a video along with step-by-step pictures.

Step 1: Make the Pumpkin Cake Batter

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F/175°C. Then line an 8-inch round pan with a parchment round and grease with non-stick cooking spray or homemade cake release.

Make the pumpkin cake batter following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through to help it bake evenly.

image of a pumpkin cake layer being made to make pumpkin cake pops

Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Step 2: Make the Buttercream & Cake Pop Dough

Next, we make the buttercream. While the cake itself is quite moist, it needs a bit of buttercream to give it the right texture and shape it into a little pumpkin.

Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or cream into a small bowl. Stir together with a spatula or spoon until the ingredients are combined and the frosting is smooth.

If the butter isn’t soft enough, it can make the frosting hard to mix. If you run into this, pop the bowl into the microwave and heat in 5-second increments until you’re able to stir the ingredients together. Set aside.

Flip the cake layer (it’s ok if it’s still warm) into a large bowl. Use a fork to break the cake layer up into crumbs, then mix in the buttercream. Mix until it reaches a dough-like consistency.

Step 3: Scoop and Shape the Pumpkin Cake Pops

Use a 3-tbsp cookie scoop or a Tablespoon measure to make dough balls that use roughly 2.5 Tbsp of dough.

You should end up with about 13 balls. Use your hands to roll them into spheres, then place them on a parchment-lined pan.

Use a cake pop stick to make 6 vertical indentations around the dough balls to look like the panels of a pumpkin.

image of pumpkin cake pops being scooped and shaped with a cake pop stick

Then melt 1/4 cup of milk or dark chocolate in a small bowl. Cover about 1 1/2 inches of a cake pop stick with the melted chocolate, then press it into one of the dough balls.

I found that rolling the stick against the bottom of a spatula was the easiest way to coat each stick.

About 1 cm of the chocolate-covered portion of the stick should remain visible above the cake pop to look like a pumpkin’s stem.

image of pumpkin shaped cake pops being shaped

Repeat with the remaining cake pops, then place them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up.

Step 4: Decorate the Pumpkin Cake Pops

Then it’s finally time for the fun part, decorating the cake pops!

You can coat these cake pops in one of the following:

  • 2 1/2 cups white chocolate wafers + oil-based food coloring
  • 2 1/2 cups orange candy melts
  • or 2 1/2 cups good-quality white chocolate + 2 tsp flavorless oil (like vegetable, canola, or coconut) + gel food coloring. I prefer this option!

Whatever coating you choose, melt it in a short, heat-proof glass. A short glass makes them way easier to dip!

I like to use a heavy, thick glass because it retains heat well and keeps it fluid throughout the dipping process (it takes a while to dip 13 cake pops!). Heat them at half power in 15-second intervals, stirring between, until smooth.

image of orange white chocolate being melted and made to coat pumpkin cake pops

Mix the coloring in once the coating is melted, and be sure to use the right type of coloring outlined above, or else the coating can seize.

Remove the cake pops from the freezer and carefully dunk them one at a time. You want to fully cover the cake pop, but not cover up the stem.

This takes a bit of practice, but I promise it gets easier as you go.

Gently shake off any excess, then use the back of a butter knife or a small spatula to gently remove some of the coating from the indents around the pumpkin.

It tends to pool there but will flow off with a little encouragement.

image of pumpkin cake pops being dunked into orange white chocolate

Then carefully scrape the bottom of each cake pop on the edge of the glass to prevent the coating from pooling at the base. Place them back on the parchment paper to firm up.

If the cake pops start to soften or fall off the stick as you try to dunk them, you may need to either pop them back in the freezer to firm up or heat the melting wafers or white chocolate a bit more (at half-power) to make it more fluid.

If desired, brush a bit more chocolate around the stem with another cake pop stick to give it a bit of texture.

You can also brush a bit of cocoa powder around the pumpkins to give them more dimension.

image of white chocolate pumpkins being dipped and brushed with cocoa powder to give them more dimension

Then use a small circle cutter (about 1/2 inch) to cut out 13 circles from a green fruit roll-up. Pinch the ends with your fingertips to make them look like little leaves.

Dab a tiny bit of leftover chocolate onto the bottom of each leaf, then gently press a leaf on top of each pumpkin cake pop.

image of a fruit roll up being cut into small circles to make leaves for pumpkin cake pops

I like to serve these on a little tray filled with crushed-up Oreos so it looks like a little pumpkin patch and twist the leftover fruit roll-up scraps into vines.

image of pumpkin cake pops that are being served in a platter with crushed up oreos to look like a pumpkin patch

Substitutions and Swaps – Pumpkin Cake

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have them all on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

  • All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend or cake flour if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend changing the type or reducing the amount of sugar because it will change the texture of the cake layers.
  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this cake recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and also omit the salt)!
  • Pumpkin Puree – While the ground spices give this cake most of its flavors, the pumpkin puree gives these layers a tender texture and a bit of color. If you don’t have any pumpkin on hand, you can use 1 large egg + 1 large egg white in its place.
  • Buttermilk – You can also use full-fat yogurt, whole milk, sour cream, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy-free.
  • Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil will work in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
image of pumpkin cake pop dough that's been mixed in a glass bowl and is ready to be scooped

Substitutions and Swaps – Buttercream Frosting & Cake Pop Coating

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
  • Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
  • White Candy Melts – I like to coat these cake pops in Ghirardelli white melting wafers because it sets in a nice, even way. However, you can also use orange candy melts (following the heating instructions on the package) or 2 1/2 cups of chopped-up, good-quality white chocolate plus 2 tsp of vegetable, coconut, or canola oil to thin it (add the oil once the chocolate is fully melted).
  • Orange food coloring – If you are adding coloring, you need to use oil-based food coloring to prevent it from seizing.
  • Green Fruit Roll-Ups – Green fruit by the foot or green fondant can also be used to make the leaves for the pumpkins.
image of a pumpkin cake pop being dipped in orange colored white chocolate

Can This Recipe Be Doubled?

This recipe can be doubled (bake 2, 8-inch cake layers) or tripled (baked 3, 8-inch cake layers) if you want to increase the yield. Bake time will remain the same.

It can also be halved and baked in a 6-inch cake pan, and bake time will remain the same.

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Cake Pops

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • If the cake pops start to soften or fall off the stick as you try to dunk them, you may need to either pop them back in the freezer to firm up or heat the melting wafers or white chocolate a bit more (at half-power) to make it more fluid.
  • Use oil-based food coloring to color melting wafers, melted white chocolate, or candy melts! Gel or liquid food coloring can make the coating seize.
  • Don’t let your cake pops chill for too long in the freezer before dipping them. If you do, they can crack once they’re dipped in the white chocolate due to temperature shock.
image of pumpkin cake pops sitting in a tray filled with oreo crumbs to look like a pumpkin patch

Making These Pumpkin Cake Pops in Advance & Storage Tips

These cake pops can be made in advance and keep super well! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.

bitten into pumpkin shaped cake pop

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make these pumpkin cake pops, I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know by leaving a rating and comment below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets use #chelsweets if you share on social media so that I can see your amazing creations.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 13 cake pops

Pumpkin Cake Pops

image of pumpkin cake pops sitting in a tray filled with oreo crumbs to look like a pumpkin patch

These pumpkin cake pops are so delicious and equally adorable!! They're made with moist pumpkin cake layers and are dipped in white chocolate to look just like little pumpkins.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (130g)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
  • 1 tsp baking powder (4g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves - optional
  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp (70g)
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (110g)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature (120g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)

Buttercream

  • 3 Tbsp (the rest of the stick) unsalted butter, softened (42g)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (125g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g)
  • 1 tsp milk of your choice or heavy cream (5g)

Cake Pop Decorations

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COATINGS:

  • 2 1/2 cups white melting wafers
  • 2 1/2 cups orange candy melts
  • 2 1/2 cups good-quality white chocolate, melted with 2 tsp flavorless oil like vegetable, canola, or coconut oil

Instructions

Pumpkin Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line an 8-inch round pan with a parchment round and grease with non-stick cooking spray or homemade cake release.
  2. Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional) in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
  3. Gradually mix 5 Tbsp room-temperature unsalted butter into the dry ingredients at a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
  4. Mix in 1/2 cup pumpkin puree on low until just incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  5. Then mix in 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 tsp of vanilla extract on a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula one more time, then beat on a medium speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through to help it bake evenly.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Buttercream

  1. Next, we make the buttercream. While the cake itself is quite moist, it needs a bit of buttercream to give it the right texture and shape it into a little pumpkin. Add 3 Tbsp (the remainder of the stick) of softened butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp of milk or cream into a small bowl.
  2. Stir together with a spatula or spoon until the ingredients are combined and the frosting is smooth. If the butter isn't soft enough, it can make the frosting hard to mix together. If you run into this, pop the bowl into the microwave and heat in 5-second increments until you're able to stir the ingredients together. Set aside.

Make the Pumpkin Cake Pop Dough

  1. Flip the cake layer (it's ok if it's still warm) into a large bowl. Use a fork to break the cake layer up into crumbs, then mix in the buttercream. Mix until it reaches a dough-like consistency.
  2. Use a 3-tbsp cookie scoop or a Tablespoon measure to make dough balls that use roughly 2.5 Tbsp of dough. You should end up with about 13 balls. Use your hands to roll them into spheres, then place them on a parchment-lined pan.
  3. Use a cake pop stick to make 6 vertical indentations around the dough balls to look like the panels of a pumpkin.
  4. Then melt 1/4 cup of milk or dark chocolate in a small bowl. Cover about 1 1/2 inches of a cake pop stick with the melted chocolate, then press it into one of the dough balls. I found that rolling the stick against the bottom of a spatula was the easiest way to coat each stick.
  5. About 1 cm of the chocolate-covered portion of the stick should remain visible above the cake pop to look like a pumpkin's stem. Repeat with the remaining cake pops, then place them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up (you don't want them to get too cold or else it can cause the coating to crack!).

Decorate the Pumpkin Cake Pops

  1. Then it's finally time for the fun part, decorating the cake pops! You can coat these cake pops in 2 1/2 cups white chocolate wafers + oil-based food coloring, 2 1/2 cups orange candy melts, or 2 1/2 cups good-quality white chocolate + 2 tsp flavorless oil (like vegetable, canola, or coconut, added after the white chocolate is melted) + gel food coloring. I prefer using white chocolate +oil!
  2. Whatever coating you choose, melt it in a short, heat-proof glass. A short glass makes them way easier to dip! I like to use a heavy, thick glass because it retains heat well and keeps it fluid throughout the dipping process (it takes a while to dip 13 cake pops!). Heat them at half power in 15-second intervals, stirring between, until smooth.
  3. Mix the coloring in once the coating is melted, and be sure to use the right type of coloring outlined in step 1, or else the coating can seize.
  4. Remove the cake pops from the freezer and carefully dunk them one at a time. You want to fully cover the cake pop, but not cover up the stem. This takes a bit of practice, but I promise it gets easier as you go. Gently shake off any excess, then use the back of a butter knife or a small spatula to gently remove some of the coating from the indents around the pumpkin. It tends to pool there but will flow off with a little encouragement. Then carefully scrape the bottom of each cake pop on the edge of the glass to prevent the coating from pooling at the base. Place them back on the parchment paper to firm up.
  5. If the cake pops start to soften or fall off the stick as you try to dunk them, you may need to either pop them back in the freezer to firm up or heat the melting wafers or white chocolate a bit more (at half-power) to make it more fluid.

  6. If desired, brush a bit more chocolate around the stem with another cake pop stick to give it a bit of texture. You can also brush a bit of cocoa powder around the pumpkins to give them more dimension.
  7. Then use a small circle cutter (about 1/2 inch) to cut out 13 circles from a green fruit roll-up. Pinch the ends with your fingertips to make them look like little leaves.
  8. Dab a tiny bit of leftover milk chocolate onto the bottom of each leaf, then gently press a leaf on top of each pumpkin cake pop. I like to serve these on a little tray filled with crushed-up Oreos so it looks like a little pumpkin patch and twist the leftover fruit roll-up scraps into vines.

Notes

Substitutions and Swaps

If you want to know what ingredients can be substituted or swapped, please check out the "Substitutions and Swaps" section in the post above.

Can This Recipe Be Doubled?

This recipe can be doubled (bake 2, 8-inch cake layers) or tripled (baked 3, 8-inch cake layers) if you want to increase the yield. Bake time will remain the same.

It can also be halved and baked in a 6-inch cake pan, and bake time will remain the same.

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Cake Pops

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • If the cake pops start to soften or fall off the stick as you try to dunk them, you may need to either pop them back in the freezer to firm up or heat the melting wafers or white chocolate a bit more (at half-power) to make it more fluid.
  • Use oil-based food coloring to color melting wafers, white chocolate, or candy melts! Gel or liquid food coloring can make the coating seize.

Making These Pumpkin Cake Pops in Advance & Storage Tips

These cake pops can be made in advance and keep super well! They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition Information

Yield

13

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 202Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 22mgSodium 172mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 1gSugar 23gProtein 2g

Skip to Recipe