These three-ingredient brownie pops are great for young bakers to make for Valentine's Day.
When I was a kid, I remember my mom always having an adorable table all decorated and set with fancy cupcakes at our place for Valentine's Day. Such simple gestures made the holiday feel so special. Now that it's my turn, I love making simple sweet treats for my little ladies for Valentine's Day.
My girls have been obsessed with the cake pops at our local coffee shop. I've always thought they looked like too much work, but I wanted to surprise them with something I knew they'd really love. I looked up how to make brownie pops and the method is so much easier than I ever would have guessed!
How to make super easy brownie pops in a pinch:
I stocked up on everything I needed at the grocery store:
- a simple box of chocolate fudge brownie mix
- a canister of creamy chocolate fudge frosting
- a bag of bright pink melting chips
- sweet little heart-shaped sprinkles
Pick your serving method:
You can serve them cake pop-style on a stick or call them "brownie truffles" and serve them in mini cupcake wrappers if you don't want the extra hassle. Be sure to add the lollipop sticks or cupcake wrappers to your shopping list!
Get the right ratio of soft brownie vs. crunchy edge texture:
To make the brownie pops, you simply bake up the pan of brownies according to the box instructions. I did it in an 8x8 baking dish to decrease the surface area of the crunchy edges and give me as much of the cakey middle part as possible.
When the brownies have cooled enough to handle, run a knife around the edge of the pan and release the whole brownie into a large mixing bowl. I highly recommend trimming the 4 corners to remove the crunchiest bit of the edge.
Then spoon in about half of the container of pre-made frosting and mix together with the brownies until completely combined. It's ok to use your hands and get in there, sometimes that's easier than a spoon.
How to add the candy coating to the brownie pops:
I used a tablespoon to scoop the dough and then roll just smaller than golf ball-sized balls of brownie dough. I lined them up on a lined baking sheet and placed them in the freezer to completely chill and harden.
Be careful: I don't recommend freezing them completely if you plan to use the pop sticks, you won't be able to insert them!
When I was ready to coat the pops, I put the pink melting chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them for 1 minute on 50% power. Stir the chips and then heat again in 30-second increments on 50% power, mixing after each burst until smooth.
Insert the pop stick, dip and swirl in the pink chocolate letting the excess run back into the bowl, sprinkle with hearts for garnish! That's it!
I used mason jars to hold the brownie pops until they were dry and hardened.
The girls were SO excited to come home to find these treats waiting for them. While I made them while they were at school, it is a great project for the kids to help with! Let them help with rolling the balls and dipping the final pops. Or assign your youngest to sprinkle duty!!
Since we didn't need that entire pan of brownies for the brownie pops, I did reserve many of the brownie balls for future dipping. Once they are fully frozen, I just wrapped them in waxed paper and we can thaw out what we need.
Wouldn't a green set I'm thinking a set be fun for St. Patrick's Day?!
If you love this easy recipe for kids to celebrate Valentine's Day, you really don't want to miss my latest cookbook:
The Ultimate Kids' Baking Book has 60 fun and festive recipes for kids to bake all year round. You can get your copy here.
More easy treats for kids to bake for Valentine's:
- The easiest chocolate croissant recipe for kids to make
- The only sugar cookies recipe you need for Valentine's Day
- How to bake the BEST peanut butter blossoms ever
Editor's note: This post was originally published on Feb 8, 2016 but has been updated for clarity.
leah thayer
How far in advance can you make these before serving?