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Wholesome Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Pops

Wholesome Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Pops - featured image
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These wholesome turkey cake pops use sweet potato for natural sweetness and moisture, making them a healthier holiday treat that kids and adults love. Perfect for Thanksgiving gatherings, they’re cute, festive, and actually good for you.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 small sweet potato)
  • ¼ cup milk of choice
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate chips (60% cacao)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 24 lollipop sticks
  • 48 candy eyes
  • ¼ cup orange candy melts or orange frosting
  • 2 tablespoons red candy melts or red frosting
  • 24 pretzel sticks, broken in half
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
  2. Roast sweet potato: Poke a small sweet potato with a fork, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F for 45 minutes. Cool, scoop out flesh, and mash until smooth. Measure ½ cup.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat melted coconut oil and maple syrup together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla and mashed sweet potato.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Add dry ingredients to wet in two additions, alternating with milk. Mix until just combined. Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
  7. Crumble cake: Once cool, break cake into chunks and pulse in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Alternatively, crumble by hand.
  8. Form cake balls: Transfer crumbs to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons mashed sweet potato and mix until crumbs hold together when pressed. Roll into 24 balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons each). Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
  9. Chill: Refrigerate cake balls for at least 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes.
  10. Melt chocolate: Combine dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.
  11. Attach sticks: Dip tip of each lollipop stick into melted chocolate, then insert halfway into a cake ball. Repeat with all 24. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
  12. Dip cake pops: Holding the stick, dip each cake pop into melted chocolate until fully covered. Gently tap stick against bowl to remove excess. Do not swirl.
  13. Add feathers: Before chocolate sets, press 3-4 pretzel stick halves into the back of each cake pop in a fan shape. Press a mini chocolate chip at the base of each pretzel.
  14. Set upright: Place cake pops in a styrofoam block or cardboard box and let set completely, about 20 minutes.
  15. Melt orange candy melts: Transfer to a small piping bag or zip-top bag with corner snipped off.
  16. Pipe beaks: Pipe a small triangle in the center of each cake pop below where eyes will go. Let set 5 minutes.
  17. Pipe feet: Pipe two small lines downward from the bottom of each cake pop with three tiny toes at the end (optional).
  18. Melt red candy melts: Pipe a small teardrop shape under the beak for the wattle.
  19. Attach eyes: Using a tiny dab of melted chocolate, press two candy eyes above the beak. Let set 10 minutes.

Notes

Don’t skip the chilling time—cold cake balls are essential for successful dipping. Thin chocolate with coconut oil for a smooth coating. Work in small batches, keeping unused cake balls in the fridge. Use a deep, narrow container for dipping. Tap the stick gently to remove excess chocolate; do not swirl. Cake pops can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: turkey cake pops, Thanksgiving dessert, healthy cake pops, sweet potato cake pops, wholesome treats, holiday baking, kid-friendly dessert

Find it online: https://fizzlefork.com/wholesome-thanksgiving-turkey-cake-pops-best-easy-treats/