Red Velvet Cake Pops Recipe
Cake pops are adorable, but each pop can pack in nearly a day’s worth of added sugar.
For a healthier version, use this red velvet recipe adapted from QuestNutrition.com. With 80 percent fewer carbs, triple the protein and quadruple the fiber compared to traditional cake pops, these are gluten-free and a perfect Valentine’s Day treat!
Note: Registered dietitian Molly Kimball offers brand-name products as a consumer guide; she, along with Ochsner Health, do not solicit product samples nor are paid to recommend items.
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bar
- 1⁄2 cup Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
- 1⁄2 cup almond meal
- 1-1⁄2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Sweetener
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 tablespoon red food coloring (natural, if available)
- Coconut cooking spray
- Frosting
- 1 scoop Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
- 3-1⁄2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1⁄4 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate Coating
- 6 ounces sugar-free milk or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium-size microwave-safe bowl, heat unwrapped Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bar for 10 seconds.
- Using a rolling pin, roll bar out to 1⁄4-inch thickness. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for four minutes, or until bar is lightly crisped. Remove and allow to cool. Break crisped bar into pieces, place in mini blender and process into powder.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, add Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder, the powdered Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bar, almond meal, cocoa powder, zero-calorie sweetener, baking soda and salt and mix well. Add almond milk, vanilla extract and natural red food coloring. Mix cake base until fully incorporated and batter is dark red.
- Coat 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in batter. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and cake is springy. Remove and allow to cool. Break cake into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add frosting* to crumbled cake and mix together until all frosting is incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 20 minutes. (REFER TO #11)
- To assemble cake balls, remove cake from freezer. With your hands or a mini ice cream scoop, form 18 walnut-sized balls of cake. Place in refrigerator.
- To coat balls, break chocolate into even-size small pieces. Melt slowly over a double boiler or in a dry bowl that fits snugly over a pot. (Tips for melting chocolate: Before placing pot on top, simmer water in pot on low heat, then turn off heat and place the dry bowl or pot with chocolate in it on top. Stir when chocolate starts to melt until chocolate is shiny and smooth. Water should not touch pot or bowl of chocolate above it.)
- Once chocolate is ready, remove cake balls from fridge. Insert cake pop sticks into the balls. Then, carefully submerge each ball into melted chocolate. Gently tap edge to remove excess. If chocolate begins to harden, simply return to double boiler to melt.
- Insert each pop into a Styrofoam block to cool. (If you don’t have a block to insert pops into, you can dip balls in chocolate and then place them on wax paper before inserting the lollipop sticks.)
- Chill for 10 minutes in refrigerator, or until chocolate hardens and creates a shell.
- *To make frosting: In a medium-size bowl, add Quest Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder, cream cheese, zero-calorie sweetener, sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
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