Protein Cake Pops

These protein cake pops taste like the real thing: soft vanilla cake dipped in chocolate, but each one has 5g of protein and just 74 calories. They are baked from scratch, gluten-free, easy to make ahead, and endlessly customizable with vanilla or peanut butter frosting.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 2

Serving Cake Pops

Ingredients

The Cake

1¾ cups oat flour, spooned and leveled
½ cup whey protein powder, spooned and leveled
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar
1 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk of choice, oat, almond or cow’s

Vanilla Frosting Variation:

½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ - ½ cup powdered sugar, or powdered sweetener, to taste

Peanut Butter Frosting Variation:

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ –½ cup powdered sugar, to taste

For Coating (Optional)

Melted chocolate
Sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Protein Cake:

Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, whey protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Make the batter: Add half of the milk, then half of the dry ingredients. Repeat with the remaining milk and dry ingredients. Start with a whisk, then switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes, or until the cake is set, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Because this is a very moist cake, it may need an additional 5–10 minutes, depending on your oven.
Cool completely: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting:

Make the frosting (vanilla): In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ cup powdered sugar until smooth. Add more powdered sugar to taste.
Or make it peanut butter: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ cup powdered sugar until smooth. Add more powdered sugar to taste.

Make the Cake Pops:

Make the cake pop filling: Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl with your hands until no large pieces remain. Add about ¾ of the frosting mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed. Add more frosting if needed.
Roll the cake pops: Using a 2-tablespoon spring cookie scoop, scoop and roll the mixture into smooth, round balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. The cake balls must be completely cold for best results when dipping.
Melt the chocolate: Melt your chocolate of choice with 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a mug or microwave-safe bowl. White chocolate is my favorite, but any chocolate works.
Insert the sticks: Dip ⅛–¼ inch of each cake pop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert it into the center of each cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake balls. This helps keep the cake pops securely on the sticks while dipping.
Dip the cake pops: Carefully dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate, gently tap off the excess, and place upright in a cake pop stand or a box with small holes.
Decorate: Immediately add sprinkles or other decorations before the chocolate sets. Let the chocolate harden completely before serving.
Store: Keep the cake pops in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour and protein powder to keep these fully gluten-free.

Protein powder: Whey works best for a soft, tender crumb. Plant-based protein bakes drier, so add a splash more milk if the batter looks stiff. I don't recommend casein here, as it turns dense.

Chill before dipping: The cake balls must be completely cold before dipping, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Cold balls hold their shape and won't slide off the stick.

Keep the stick in place: Dip about ¼ inch of each stick into the melted chocolate before pushing it into a cake ball. It sets like glue and anchors the pop while you dip.

Make ahead and freeze: Freeze the cake balls undipped for up to 3 months. Arrange them on a baking sheet until frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight or 30 to 60 minutes on the counter, then insert sticks, dip, and decorate.

Storage: Keep finished cake pops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition: Values are for the vanilla version at 74 calories and 5g protein per pop. The peanut butter frosting version runs slightly higher, around 85 calories per pop.

Nutrition

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

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