The Best Step By Step Recipe For Pop Tart Cake Balls

Pop Tart Cake Balls are an easy, 3-ingredient dessert. Tucked inside a candy-coated exterior is a cheesecake filling that’s packed with your favorite Pop Tart flavor. Your kids will go wild for these delicious treats.

Pop Tart Cake Balls Recipe

I love easy desserts – recipes that have few ingredients, taste delicious and are crowd-pleasers. If you are like me, then look no farther than these easy cake balls made with Pop Tarts. Yes, you heard correctly.  Those yummy breakfast treats that you ate as a child can be transformed into a finger-licking treat for dessert.

Let me tell you the story.  Katie Bug, my six year-old, middle child who walks to the beat of her own drum asked to make cookies one day. Much to my dismay, I ran out of chocolate chips.  Without missing a beat, Katie says it’s ok mom, we can crumble up Pop Tarts for the cookies instead. A light-bulb went off in my head, and that’s how these amazing Pop Tart Cake Balls were invented.

We experimented with Strawberry Cake Pops and Smores Cake Pops.  For the strawberry pop tart cake balls, we used strawberry Pop Tarts, white almond bark and red sprinkles, and for the Smores, we used Smores Pop Tarts, chocolate almond bark and crushed graham cracker crumbs. Both were home-runs. The combinations for other varieties of toaster pastry cake pops are endless.

Cake Balls are the perfect recipe to make with small children. There’s numerous steps that are easy enough for little people to do.  Katie and Sam (ages six and three) unwrapped the pop tarts, pressed the buttons on the food processor, helped pour the crumbs into the mixer, rolled the dough into balls and sprinkled on the toppings.

How To Make Pop Tart Cheesecake Balls

Step by Step Instructions

1. Using a food processor, pulverize pop tarts into small crumbs.
2. Pour the pop tart crumbs and cream cheese into a mixing bowl; mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms.
3. With a small cookie scoop, scoop mixture and make dough balls rolling between clean hands to make them uniform in size.
4. Place the cheesecake balls onto a parchment lined sheet pan; freeze for a minimum of 15 minutes.
5. Melt almond bark in the microwave (or over a double pan) according to package instructions.
6. Roll the frozen cheesecake balls in the melted almond bark; place on a parchment lined sheet pan and sprinkle with toppings.
7. Let set at room temperature until the almond bark hardens.
8. If you have any leftovers, store in the refrigerator.

For the full instructions for pop tart cheesecake balls, scroll to the bottom of this post. 

Recipe FAQs

• Using room temperature cream cheese is key for a smooth cheesecake filling. Let it sit out for approximately an hour on the counter before starting the recipe.
• Our two favorite flavors are strawberry and smores pop tarts. Use whatever is your favorite.
• To get small crumbs, use a food processor to pulverize the pop tarts.
• For a smooth filling, use a mixer to combine the pop tart crumbs and cream cheese. Use a low setting, and wait until a ball of cheesecake dough forms in the bowl.
• A sheet-pan lined with parchment paper is the perfect vessel to use so that you can easily flash freeze these before coating with almond back.
• The best way to coat with almond bark is to use 2 forks to roll around and pick up.
• Be creative with the toppings using sprinkles, marshmallows, chocolate chips or whatever your heart desires.
• Store these in the refrigerator since the center contains cream cheese.

Recipe Variations

• Use any flavor or Pop Tarts (brown sugar cinnamon, S’mores, Raspberry, Strawberry, etc.)
• White or chocolate almond bark works.
• Replace cream cheese with cream cheese frosting.

Our Favorite No Bake Desserts

Love no bake desserts? Try some of our favorites:

• Grandma’s Cherry Fluff
• Apple Cheesecake Salad
• Payday Snack Mix
• Cream Cheese Mints
• Old Fashioned Fruit Salad

Linking up to Weekend Potluck. Linking up to Meal Plan Monday.