Copycat Starbucks Cookies and Cream Cake Pops
These copycat Starbucks cookies and cream cake pops are made at home for a fraction of the price. Chocolate cake and crushed Oreos rolled into bites and dipped in white chocolate.
A Starbucks cookies and cream cake pop costs more than I want to admit I was spending, basically every coffee run. One box of cake mix makes a whole batch at home for what a couple cost at the register. So I cracked the copycat, and it’s one of Starbucks’ most popular cake pop flavors for good reason.
A Starbucks cookies and cream cake pop is a ball of chocolate cake mixed with frosting and crushed Oreos, set on a stick and dipped in white chocolate with more cookie crumbs on top. The trick that makes mine taste like theirs: I scrape the cream out of the Oreos and mix it into the cake, so the center carries that cookies-and-cream tang instead of plain chocolate.
I’ve made these for parties and for myself on a random Tuesday, and they vanish the same speed either way.
If you’re building a Starbucks cake pop spread, my Starbucks Birthday Cake Pops and Starbucks Chocolate Cake Pops are the other two to make.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Full measurements are in the recipe card below. Here’s what each piece does.
- Chocolate box cake mix: the base. I used Betty Crocker. Vanilla cake works too, it’ll just taste less like the Starbucks one.
- Frosting: binds the crumbled cake. Vanilla or chocolate both work.
- Oreos: twist the cream out and set it aside, then crush the cookies. The cream goes into the cake mixture, the crushed cookies get mixed in and saved for topping.
- White candy melts or almond bark: the coating.
- Lollipop or cake pop sticks
How to Make Copycat Starbucks Cookies and Cream Cake Pops
- Bake the cake. Make the chocolate cake mix per the box and bake in a greased 9×13-inch dish at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Prep the Oreos. Twist them apart, scrape the cream into a small bowl, and crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Set a few tablespoons of crumbs aside for topping.
- Crumble the cake. Break the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl.
- Mix. Stir in the frosting, the Oreo cream, and the crushed cookies until the mixture holds together when you press a bit between your fingers.
- Chill. Cover and freeze until firm so the balls roll smooth.
- Roll. Use a cookie scoop and your hands to roll ping-pong-sized balls onto a lined sheet.
- Freeze again until firm.
- Set the sticks. Melt a little of the coating, dip each stick tip, and push it halfway into a ball.
- Coat. Melt the rest, dip each pop to cover it, and tap off the excess.
- Top. Press the reserved cookie crumbs onto the wet coating, then stand the pops up to set.
Pro Tips
Use white almond bark or candy melts over plain white chocolate chips. They melt smoother and set with that clean Starbucks snap instead of seizing up and clumping in the bowl.
Don’t skip the crumb topping. Those dark cookie bits pressed onto the wet coating are what give the outside its speckled cookies-and-cream look instead of plain white.
Resist dipping a pop a second time to patch a thin spot. The extra coating adds weight that can pull it right off the stick. One clean dip and a tap is enough.
Variations
- Other Starbucks flavors: the same method riffs into their other pops, like a chocolate version without the Oreos or a red velvet base.
- Holiday colors: tint the coating or add seasonal sprinkles for parties.
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free chocolate box mix and gluten-free sandwich cookies. As written this uses regular cake mix and Oreos, so it isn’t gluten-free unless you swap both.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Store the finished pops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To get ahead, freeze them for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Starbucks Cookies and Cream Cake Pop FAQ
How much is a Starbucks cookies and cream cake pop? Around $3.75 to $4.50 each depending on your location. One box of cake mix makes a batch at home for the cost of a couple of them.
How many cake pops does one box of cake mix make? About 24 to 30, depending on how big you roll them.
What flavors of cake pops does Starbucks have? Starbucks regularly carries birthday cake, chocolate, and cookies and cream, and rotates seasonal flavors through the year.
Can you make these gluten-free? Yes, with a gluten-free chocolate box mix and gluten-free sandwich cookies. As written this recipe uses regular cake mix and Oreos, so it isn’t gluten-free unless you swap both.
Other Cake Pop Sweet Treats You May Want To Try!
- 3 Ingredient Funfetti Cake Pops
- Red Velvet Cake Pops
- Cookie Dough Cake Pops
- Strawberry Cake Pops
- Carrot Cake Cake Pops
- Lemon Cake Pops With Cream Cheese Icing
Copycat Starbucks Cookies and Cream Cake Pops
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix I used Betty Crocker
- ¼ cup vanilla icing I used Betty Crocker
- 12 oreos cream filling divided
- 1 bag white candy melts 12 oz bag
Instructions
- Start by preparing your cake batter by package directions. Beat cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or two 8×8-inch round cake dishes and bake in a 350 degree F oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, remove the oreo cream from the oreos, and blend the Oreo cookies in a food processor till they become fine crumbs. Set aside.
- Let the baked cake cool completely, then crumble it with a fork in a large bowl or in the baking dish. Stir the frosting and oreo cream into the crumbled cake, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until chilled.
- Use a cookie scoop and your hands to roll the mixture into evenly sized small balls and place on large baking sheet. You want to try make them all a consistent size – aim for the size of a ping pong ball.
- Freeze again until balls are hard. It’s easier to roll the cake & frosting mixture into perfectly round balls if it’s cold. The cake & frosting mixture is super moist, and at room temperature it makes it extremely difficult to shape them perfectly.
- Once they have been frozen, I give them another little roll to smooth out the sides. Then place on a cookie sheet.
- Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30-second intervals or in a double boiler. Dip lollipop sticks into the melted chocolate, then stick into one of the frozen cake balls.
- Do this with all of them and put back in freezer till they are solidified.
- Gently dip balls into the melted chocolate or spoon the chocolate onto balls and twirl to coat, letting the excess chocolate drizzle off onto parchment paper. Decorate with more Oreo crumbles.
- Place them upright in a styrofoam block, or a cardboard box to harden to 2-3 minutes. There you have it, you have easy Oreo crumble cake pops.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.
If you make these copycat starbucks cookies and cream cake pops, leave a star rating and a comment below, and tag me @basicswithbails on Instagram so I can come see your cookies and cream cake pops.
About Bailey
I love to bake, cook, exercise, and document all of the above. Nutrition is not low fat. It is not low calorie. It’s not feeling deprived or being hungry all the time. It’s nourishing your body with real, whole foods so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live your life to the fullest! Read more…
