Starbucks Chocolate Cake Pops Copycat Recipe

These Starbucks chocolate cake pops taste like the ones in the case by the register, except you get a whole batch for the price of two. Moist chocolate cake rolled with frosting, dipped in chocolate, finished with white sprinkles.

So my Starbucks order is the same EVERY single time. Iced coffee and one chocolate cake pop. The coffee I learned to make at home ages ago. The cake pop at $3.75 a pop was the thing I kept caving on, until I worked out how to make a batch of about 24 for what a couple of them cost in the store.

Starbucks chocolate cake pops are bite-sized balls of moist chocolate cake mixed with chocolate frosting, dipped in a chocolate coating, and topped with white nonpareil sprinkles. This copycat starts with a box of chocolate cake mix and a tub of frosting, so there’s no from-scratch cake to babysit.

I’ve made these for baby showers, birthday parties, and one very chaotic Tuesday when I wanted exactly one and ended up with twenty four. They come out smooth and round and they hold up on the stick, which is the part everyone gets wrong the first time around.

If pink is more your thing, my Starbucks Birthday Cake Pops use the same method with a vanilla cake and pink coating.

Why You’ll Love These Cake Pops

1. They cost a fraction of the café version. One Starbucks chocolate cake pop runs about $3.75. One box of cake mix and a tub of frosting makes roughly 24.
2. No cake pop maker needed. You bake a regular sheet cake, crumble it, and roll by hand. The only specialty buy is the sticks.
3. They’re a make-ahead win. Roll and freeze the balls days ahead, dip the morning of your event, and you look like you spent half a day on them.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The full measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here’s what each thing is doing.

• Chocolate boxed cake mix: I used Betty Crocker chocolate. Any brand you reach for works. A gluten-free box mix swaps in 1:1 if you want these GF, since Starbucks’ own cake pops contain wheat and the homemade route is the only way to get a gluten-free one.
• Chocolate frosting: I used Betty Crocker French Chocolate. This binds the crumbled cake into a rollable dough and keeps the centers fudgy. Vanilla frosting works too if that’s what you have.
• Chocolate candy melts: the coating. They set firm and smooth and they’re more forgiving than melting real chocolate. White candy melts work, they just won’t match the Starbucks look.
• White sprinkles: the little white nonpareils on top are the Starbucks signature.

Equipment

Nothing fancy. You’ll want lollipop or cake pop sticks, a 9×13-inch baking dish, a cookie scoop so your balls come out the same size, and a baking sheet that fits in your freezer. A block of styrofoam is handy for standing the pops up to dry, but a lined sheet pan does the job too.

How to Make Starbucks Chocolate Cake Pops

1. Bake the cake. Mix the chocolate cake per the box directions and bake in a greased 9×13-inch dish at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool all the way down.
2. Crumble it. Break the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large bowl with a fork.
3. Mix in the frosting. Stir the chocolate frosting into the crumbs until it forms a dough that holds together when you press a bit between your fingers.
4. Chill the dough. Cover and freeze until firm. Cold dough rolls into rounder, smoother balls.
5. Roll the balls. Use a cookie scoop and your hands to roll even balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Line them up on a parchment-lined sheet.
6. Freeze again. Freeze the balls until hard so they stay put when you dip.
7. Set the sticks. Melt a small amount of candy melts, dip the tip of each stick, and push it halfway into a ball. This is what glues the stick in so it doesn’t slide off later.
8. Coat the pops. Melt the rest of the candy melts, dip each pop to cover it fully, and let the extra drip back into the bowl.
9. Add sprinkles. Scatter white sprinkles on while the coating is still wet, then stand the pops up to set.

Pro Tips

The number one reason cake pops crack is temperature shock. If your balls are rock-hard frozen and you drop them into hot coating, the outside sets while the inside is still expanding and you get a split right down the side. Let the frozen balls sit out for 2 to 3 minutes before dipping, and keep the melted coating warm but never scalding.

If a pop slides off its stick mid-dip, one of two things happened: you skipped dipping the stick tip in melted candy before pushing it in, or the ball wasn’t cold and firm enough to grip it. Both are quick fixes next batch.

And don’t rush the second freeze. Soft balls fall apart in the warm coating, so give them the full chill until they feel solid.

Variations and Substitutions

• Gluten-free: swap in a gluten-free chocolate box cake mix and double-check that your frosting and candy melts are GF. The method stays exactly the same.
• White or two-tone coating: dip in white candy melts for a different look, or do a chocolate base with a white chocolate drizzle on top.
• Switch up the sprinkles: holiday colors, crushed candy cane at Christmas, or pastel nonpareils for a baby shower.
• Flavor twist: a half teaspoon of peppermint or orange extract stirred into the dough changes the whole vibe.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Coated cake pops keep at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days. You can also roll the un-dipped balls and freeze them for up to a month, then dip the day you actually need them. Dipped pops freeze well too, just thaw them in the fridge so the coating doesn’t sweat when it warms up.

Starbucks Chocolate Cake Pops FAQ

How much are Starbucks chocolate cake pops? As of 2026, a Starbucks chocolate cake pop costs about $3.75 each. A single box of cake mix and a tub of frosting makes around 24 at home for close to the price of two in the store.

How many calories are in a Starbucks chocolate cake pop? A Starbucks chocolate cake pop has about 150 calories each. Your homemade version will land in a similar range depending on the cake mix, frosting, and coating you use.

What are Starbucks cake pops made of? Starbucks chocolate cake pops are made from chocolate cake blended with frosting, rolled into balls, coated in chocolate, and topped with white sprinkles. This copycat uses the same building blocks with a box-mix shortcut.

Can you make these gluten-free? Yes, at home. Starbucks’ own cake pops contain wheat, so they aren’t gluten-free in the store. To make a GF version, use a gluten-free chocolate box cake mix and GF-friendly frosting and candy melts. This recipe as written uses regular cake mix, so it is not gluten-free unless you make those swaps.

Why do my cake pops crack or fall off the stick? Cracking comes from dipping rock-hard frozen balls in hot coating. Let them sit out a couple minutes first and keep the coating warm, not hot. Pops slide off when the stick wasn’t dipped in melted candy before inserting, or the ball was too soft to hold it.

More Cake Pop Recipes

• Carrot Cake Pops With Cream Cheese Icing
• Strawberry Cake Pops
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cake Pops
• Cookies And Cream Cake Pops
• Cookie Dough Cake Pops
• Red Velvet Cake Pops
• 3-Ingredient Funfetti Cake Pops

If you make these, I want to hear how they turn out. Leave a star rating and a comment below, and tag me @basicswithbails on Instagram or save it to Pinterest so I can come see your cake pops.