What a difference a decade makes. It’s fun to see where I started and how much better my cake pops look now after making so many of them over the years. These little reindeers are an example of hard work and a lot of learning on the job.
Here are the first reindeers I ever made if you want to see a comparison of what I am talking about.
The ones in this post are definitely a lot more detailed, but they are just an example of what’s possible, you can certainly decorate them down so to speak, but I like to make them a little extra for you guys to see and hopefully inspire even more ideas for you.
For these, I’m going to start by talking all about antlers. You can make them ahead of time and have them ready for when you want to make the pops.
I wanted the antlers for these sweet little deers to look very specific and the only way to really do that was to build them. So, I broke apart pretzel sticks into two smaller sizes … about 1 inch and a 1/4 inch give or take.
(NOTE: You can definitely make these with regular broken pretzel twists for a more casual look and a lot less effort, too.)
Once the pretzel pieces are broken into two smaller sizes, I used melted candy coating to attach the tiny pieces to the larger ones. This is where it got a little tricky and where you just have to regroup, learn and figure things out as you go.
My plan was to dip them in melted chocolate coating right after this stage, but the melted coating basically melted the chocolate holding the pretzel appendages together and they fell apart immediately. Big, big bummer after building all the little antler parts.
So to try and fix it, I added more melted coating across the three pieces of pretzel (See above left photo). Use your finger or the end of a lollipop stick dipped in the coating to apply. My hope was that the coating would act like a connecter piece and add more support when dipping. And it did! I also … and this is important… froze them for several minutes before dipping.
Voila! Having them frozen and with more chocolate support before dipping was the answer. Submerge them in the melted candy coating with just the bottom bit of the pretzel exposed. You’ll probably get chocolate on your fingers… just wipe it off in between each dip.
Hold them to dry or the coating will pool if you lay them flat. You can speed this up by sticking them in the freezer for a few seconds while holding. I know, I know… annoying, but I was determined to make these little antlers. Once dry, you can store them until ready to use.
Okay, now for the pops. Here are my basic cake pop instructions. Follow them with your favorite cake flavor and then use the rest of the decorating instructions below.
You’ll need rolled cake ball shapes, almonds and melted candy coating tinted a light brown. (Just use vanilla candy coating and add a little chocolate candy coating to mix and lighten the color when melting.)
Place two almonds with the rounded side down in position for ears and use the melted candy coating as glue to attach them. Let dry in position.
Use a lollipop stick to press holes into the cake ball where you want the antlers to go. Do this before chilling and dipping. If you try to attach them without the indention after dipping, it makes it harder to keep the cake ball shape in tact. It will try to separate some.
Once ears are attached and indentions made, go ahead and chill the cake balls in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until firm.
Insert a lollipop stick into the bottom of a chilled and shaped cake pop and dip into melted and fluid candy coating. Remove and let any excess fall off. Immediately insert the prepared antlers in position and place in a cake pop stand to dry.
Now for the faces.
- I used white edible poppy paint to create two round shapes on the front of the pop using a brush.
- When dry, I emphasized the curves by applying melted candy coating using a toothpick.
- Sprinkle white sanding sugar on top and over a bowl for a furry look before the coating sets.
- Use melted coating as glue to attach a white candy eye in position for the snout and let dry. The ones I used are blank, but you can easily find them with black eyes in stores.
- Apply pink candy coating to emphasize the ears and sprinkle with more sanding sugar before it dries.
- Use more of the candy coating to dot on spots around the forehead using a toothpick.
Wow, they are really starting to come together. Just a few more details.
Add sweet lashy lids with a black edible-ink writing pen.
And of course, we need little red noses. I used these seasonal holly and berry sprinkles, but red sugar pearls would probably work, too. Attach them to the snouts with a dot of melted white candy coating as glue.
Oh deer, look how cute!
Here was my inspiration for these adorable little guys. A crochet account that I stumbled on through instagram with the cutest cuddly crocheted critters.
Hope these little guys brighten your day! Enjoy.
These reindeer cake pops are absolutely adorable! ? The improvement over the years really shows how practice makes perfect. The details are amazing and super inspiring for anyone who loves baking festive treats.
These reindeer cake pops are so charming! I love the playful design. Holiday sweets like this are perfect for cozy winter evenings. Even in seaside towns like Ko?obrzeg in Poland, enjoying festive treats like these after a walk by the sea would be wonderful.
These cake pops are so cute and festive! I love creative holiday desserts like this. Even during winter trips or camping adventures in beautiful places like the Masurian Lakes, bringing along sweet treats like these would make the experience even more special.
These reindeer cake pops are so creative and festive! I love how expressive they look. Baking treats like this is perfect during the winter season. In peaceful towns like I?awa in Poland, cozy evenings with homemade sweets like these sound absolutely perfect.
These reindeer cake pops are so creative and festive! I love how expressive they look. Baking treats like this is perfect during the winter season. In peaceful towns like I?awa in Poland, cozy evenings with homemade sweets like these sound absolutely perfect.
These cake pops look amazing and so festive! I love the reindeer design. Baking cute holiday treats like this would be perfect during a cozy stay in a small cottage. In places like Ciechocinek, spending a winter evening baking and decorating sweets like these sounds wonderful.
These are some of the cutest cake pops I’ve seen! I really like the festive idea. Creative baking projects like this are perfect for relaxing evenings. During a stay at a sanatorium in Ciechocinek, making or enjoying little holiday treats like these would definitely brighten the day.
These reindeer cake pops are incredibly cute! I love how much personality each one has. Desserts like this would look amazing on a holiday menu. After a nice meal at a restaurant in Ciechocinek, something sweet and festive like this would be the perfect ending.
Such adorable reindeer cake pops! The decorations are so creative and festive. Baking treats like these would be a great activity during winter trips. After a day of exploring places like Ciechocinek and walking through its parks and spa attractions, enjoying a sweet dessert like this would be wonderful.
These cake pops are so cute! I love the little details like the antlers and red nose. Treats like this would be perfect for a cozy winter afternoon. In peaceful spa towns like Ciechocinek in Poland, baking festive sweets and enjoying them with a warm drink sounds like the perfect way to relax.
These reindeer cake pops are absolutely adorable! I love how creative the decorations are. Fun treats like this always remind me of cozy holiday moments. During winter holidays in Poland, baking cute sweets like these and sharing them with family is one of the best ways to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
I love these reindeer cake pops! It’s inspiring to see how your skills have improved over a decade of practice. The little reindeer look so cute and festive. Thanks for sharing your baking journey.
great post
These reindeer cake pops look absolutely adorable! I loved how you highlighted the details—like the little antlers, eyes, and festive touches—which really show the effort and creativity behind them. Personally, I think treats like these make celebrations so much more fun because they’re both cute and delicious, turning simple desserts into memorable moments. It even reminded me of the DQ Blizzard Menu—carefully combining mix-ins can transform a regular dessert into something special, just like these little cake pops do. Which part do you think kids would enjoy most: decorating them, eating them, or both?
Beautiful work! I appreciate all the detailed photos showing each step. Makes it so much easier to follow along!
Adorable and festive Perfect for adding some holiday cheer to your treats table
The Really Cute Reindeer Cake Pops look adorable and festive I love the creative design Perfect for holiday treats or gifting Thanks for sharing the recipe I cant wait to try making them
The Really Cute Reindeer Cake Pops look adorable and festive I love the creative design Perfect for holiday treats or gifting Thanks for sharing the recipe I cant wait to try making them
I can’t get over how adorable these turned out. The transformation from simple cake balls to these expressive little reindeers is amazing. I love how honest you are about the trial-and-error, too it makes the whole tutorial feel so real and encouraging. Such beautiful work!
These little reindeer cake pops are absolutely precious! I love how much care you put into every tiny detail from the antlers to those sweet little lashes. Reading your process makes it feel like a cozy creative moment in the kitchen. Truly inspiring and so full of charm!
Hi! I love these Reindeer pops and look forward to making them for Christmas. I’m in Canada and cannot find Poppy Edible Paint anywhere in white, not even Amazon. I’m wondering if I could substitute ready to use cookie icing or melted white wafers? I’m thinking the icing might not harden enough now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thankyou!
I am more of the ten year ago reindeer maker – ha!
Those look very cute. I am sure they will be a hit with the kids. Happy Holidays and hope you have a very Merry Christmas.
These are ridiculously cute! I mean, OMG cute. I mean, wow, I hope mine come out nearly as good. Thanks for the great instructions for these reindeer cake pops!
You have made a lot of cute over the years, but these have got to be the cutest!! So sweet!
These put a big smile on my face. Thank you for your beautiful blog. Have a wonderful holiday season and Merry Christmas!
You are so talented and always make me smile!
These are adorable. They look so sweet.
These are adorable but I would never have the patience nor talent to pull them off! Keep inspiring us to try.
So cute and feminine looking!
How adorable!!! You did it again Angie!
These are so cute! My kids would absolutely love making these!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com