Remember those big, round cake lollipops on popsicle sticks? We’re bringing them back for Halloween—with a little VanillaPura twist, of course.
This is one of those recipes where easy is part of the fun. Start with a boxed vanilla cake mix, add Salted Caramel Vanilla Extract, and suddenly that simple cake-mix recipe has a warm caramel-vanilla flavor that feels perfect for fall.
That’s one of our favorite things about extracts. You don’t have to reinvent a favorite recipe to make it something special. Sometimes a couple teaspoons of extract is all it takes to make something familiar taste completely new.
Then comes the best part: frosting—store-bought keeps it easy, homemade makes it even better—plus Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, and little candies. Nothing fancy. Nothing needs to look perfect. Just put everything on the counter and let the kiddos have at it.
Halloween Cake Lollipops
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp Salted Caramel Vanilla Extract
- 20–24 wide popsicle sticks
- 1 container vanilla frosting—or use your favorite homemade frosting (even better!)
- Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, and small candies for decorating
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, beat the dry cake mix, water, eggs, and Salted Caramel Vanilla Extract on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Insert a popsicle stick about 1 1/2 inches into the edge of each mound of dough.
Bake for 8–11 minutes, or until puffed and almost no indentation remains when lightly touched.
Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then carefully transfer the cake lollipops to a wire rack and cool completely.
Once cooled, frost and decorate. Set out the Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, and candies and let everyone make their own.
Makes 20–24 cake lollipops.
A Little Tip
Give these plenty of room on the baking sheet. They spread as they bake, and we want those nice, big, round lollipops.
And when it comes to decorating, keep it simple. Frosting and a handful of Halloween sprinkles are more than enough. These are supposed to look like something the kiddos made—not something that came out of a professional bakery.
Turn It Into a Halloween Cooking Show 🎃
Now take that simple recipe and turn it into an afternoon.
Pull out the aprons and chef hats, put on some Halloween music, line up the frosting and sprinkles and let the kiddos put on their own Halloween cooking show.
Will there be frosting everywhere? Probably.
Will half the sprinkles end up on the counter? Absolutely.
That’s part of the fun.
Have Favorite Kiddos Far Away?
Send the whole experience to them!
Pack a box with the cake mix, frosting, popsicle sticks, Halloween sprinkles and candies, aprons, chef hats, the recipe and a little bottle of Salted Caramel Vanilla Extract. Tuck in a sweet note telling them you’re thinking about them and can’t wait to see what they create.
And there’s a little bonus hiding in that box: you’re helping Mom out, too.
You’ve just sent her a Halloween activity that’s already planned and ready to go. No shopping for supplies. No hunting for a kid-friendly recipe. No trying to come up with something festive at the last minute.
She opens the box, puts everything on the counter, and the Halloween cooking show can begin.
The kiddos get a package, a project and a little Halloween magic. You get the pictures afterward.
And everyone gets cake lollipops made just a little sweeter with Salted Caramel Vanilla Extract.
Keep Making Life a Little Sweeter.
