These Circus Animal Cookie Pops will make you feel like a kid again! Transform the classic pink and white sugar cookies into easy no-bake truffle balls using simple ingredients for a sweet sprinkle-coated treat.
Remember circus animal cookies? Animal crackers covered in pretty pink frosting are a childhood staple. But they’re also so much fun to add to desserts! I’ve tossed them into no-bake recipes like these animal cookie rice krispie treats and these light, refreshing cookie dream bars.
Using circus animals in cookie pops was the next obvious step! I love that these are even easier to make than cake pops. There’s no baking required in this easy dessert recipe. It takes just 31 minutes from start to finish. What could be better? Oh yeah. . . .they’re PINK!
SAVE THIS CIRCUS ANIMAL COOKIE POPS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
My circus animal cookie pops ended up looking a lot like the Starbucks birthday cake pops. They have the same fun rosy pink color and I couldn’t resist topping them with sprinkles. Unlike birthday cake pops, these cookies pops are made with crushed cookies.
I mixed the circus cookies with cream cheese, then coated them with melted pink and white chocolate. Dust them with sprinkles and voila! Perfect cookie pops!
Key Ingredients for Circus Animal Truffle Balls
Here’s everything I used to make these cookie cake pops.
- Circus Animal Cookies
- Cream Cheese
- White melting chocolate or candy melts
- Pink candy melts
- Coconut oil
- Rainbow sprinkles and / or rainbow nonpareils
Frosted circus animal cookies are sweet enough without needing to add confectioners sugar, like many recipes. If you want less sweetness, you can use regular animal crackers instead, and they’ll still be super delicious.
For a smooth coating, make sure to use white chocolate that’s designed for melting. Find white chocolate melting wafers or packages labeled “candy melt” in the baking aisle. If you can’t find pink chocolate melting wafers, you can use the white ones with a drop of pink food gel mixed in.
To make the circus animal truffles into pops, you will also need a lollipop stick or cake pop stick for each of them. I used the 6 inch ones in my batch.
How to Make Circus Animal Cookie Pops
Making this cookie pop recipe couldn’t be easier.
- First, crush the cookies into fine crumbs in your stand mixer or a food processor. Then mix the cookie crumbs with cream cheese until you have a smooth paste.
- Roll cookie dough balls with your hands. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Melt your white chocolate and pink chocolate in separate bowls with a bit of coconut oil.
- Dip the ends of the sticks in the melted chocolate then into the cookie balls. Chill for 1 minute.
- Dip the whole thing into melted chocolate, gently using a circular motion to coat it completely. Add sprinkles for an extra pop of color. Let the cookie pops set for about 10 minutes before eating.
Making them as gifts? This reuseable Cake Pop Set comes with everything you need including silicone molds, lollipop sticks, bags and twist ties!
Tips for Perfect Cookie Pops
We’ve all been there. You find the perfect Pinterest-worthy cake pop recipe, only to have your turn out looking like a failed preschool art project.
Making pro quality cookie pops and cake pops is easier than you think. You just need a few expert tips. Here’s what I’ve learned from many years of making oreo truffles and other kinds of homemade pops.
- Mix thoroughly. You want the cookie and cream cheese mixture to be smooth and pasty. I use a stand mixer to achieve the right consistency.
- Shape with your hands. Use clean hands to “smoosh” the dough BEFORE you shape it into a ball. This helps work out any remaining lumps.
- Thin the chocolate. The coconut oil in this recipe helps thin the melted chocolate to give the pops a shiny, smooth outer layer. You want the chocolate to be the same consistency as paint. Otherwise, the cookie pops will look sloppy.
- Tap off excess chocolate. Use a spoon or fork to remove excess chocolate from the cookie pops before they set for a smooth texture and neat appearance.
- Don’t skip the chilling. Refrigerating helps the dough hold it shape. If the dough isn’t chilled, it will slide right off the stick when dipped in chocolate.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these circus animal cookie truffles without cream cheese?
You can use buttercream frosting in place of the cream cheese in this recipe. The cream cheese adds a tanginess that complements the sweet cookies and chocolate. Vanilla frosting makes these sweeter and richer, more like a birthday cake flavor.
Can I use White Chocolate Chips instead of the candy melts?
Yes, you can use white chocolate chips as a substitution. Place the chips into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and then heat again in 10 second increments, stirring in between until completely smooth and melted. Be VERY careful not to overheat as the white chocolate can seize easily (harden) and there’s no going back.
If the consistency is too thick, add a teaspoon at a time of coconut oil until you reach the right consistency.
What else can I use to thin the chocolate?
When I’m feeling fancy, I like to thin melted chocolate with Paramount Crystals. It’s what professional confectionary makers use to create velvety smooth chocolate shells. It’s harder to get a hold of than coconut oil and I never seem to remember to buy them ahead of time. That’s why I went with coconut oil in this recipe!
When using the Paramount Crystals, use 1 teaspoon for every 2 cups of the coating. So, you’ll need one teaspoon each for both the white chocolate and the pink chocolate.
If you don’t have coconut oil or Paramount Crystals, a bit of vegetable or canola oil will work instead.
How do I store cookie pops?
I serve my cookie pops with circus animal cookies immediately. You can also cover them tightly and place them in the fridge until ready to eat. Due to the cream cheese in the recipe, the cookie pops shouldn’t be left at room temperature for more than a couple of hours.
Wondering if you can freeze circus animal cookie pops? You can, but the quality may not be the best after freezing and thawing. I find my candy coating tends to crack or break due to the changes in water content.
A better choice would be to freeze the cookie ball dough before dipping it into the melted chocolate. You can prep the balls up to a month in advance and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to dip in chocolate and serve.
Dessert Recipes with Cookies
The nostalgic, whimsical taste of pink and white animal cookies is hard to resist and are a great dessert idea for a birthday party. Using store-bought cookies is one of my hacks for whipping up crowd-pleasing desserts without having to spend hours in the kitchen. Try a few of my other favorite cookie-based dessert recipes for your next perfect treat.
- Oreo Balls
- Easy No Bake Oreo Pie
- Circus Animal Puppy Chow
- Oreo Candy Corn Truffles
- Funfetti Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- Circus Animal Cookie Dream Bars
- Circus Animal Cookie Rice Krispie Treats
No Bake Desserts
Need more inspiration? From ultra decadent to light and fruity, I have a no-bake dessert recipe for every craving.
- Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies Recipe
- No-Bake Blueberry Pie
- No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- Easy Funfetti Puppy Chow
- Funfetti Rice Krispie Treats
- Strawberry Cheesecake Dream Bars
- No Bake Pumpkin Lush
- Orange Creamsicle Dream Bars
Use frosted animal cookies to make these Circus Animal Cookie Balls for a super sweet day and reminisce with some childhood favorites!
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Circus Animal Cookie Pops
Equipment
- 11 lollipop sticks
Ingredients
- 9 ounces frosted circus animal cookies I use Mother's
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 12 ounces white chocolate candy melts
- 12 ounces pink chocolate candy melts
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Rainbow Sprinkles or colored nonpareils for coating optional
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place your circus crackers into the bowl of your mixer and mix on medium speed until small crumbs form. Add in the cream cheese and mix until the mixture is smooth.
- Scoop up about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough. Use your hands to smoosh the dough, then shape it into a ball. Set ball on lined baking pan. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
- Place white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl with the coconut oil. Heat in 30 second increments and stir until mixture is smooth. Repeat with the pink chocolate.
- Dip the ends of each lollipop stick into the melted chocolate. Then place the sticks into the prepared balls of dough. Place cookie balls with sticks in the refrigerator for 1 minute.
- Dip half the cookie pops into the white chocolate and half into the pink chocolate. Add sprinkles to each cookie pop as you go. Let cookie pops set for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is firm.
Notes
- Animal crackers can be substituted for circus animal cookies.
- Vanilla buttercream frosting can be substituted for cream cheese.
- In place of the coconut oil, you can use 1 teaspoon of Paramount Crystals in each of the chocolates to help make it smooth and satiny as professional bakers do.
- See the post for more tips and tricks, too!
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