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Make cake balls the easy way using Zebra snack cakes – these Zebra Cake Balls (or cake pops) are delicious, bite-sized balls of cake made with only 3 main ingredients like zebra snack cakes, cream cheese, and dipping chocolate!
For more cake balls and cake pops don’t miss my Circus Animal Cookie Cake Pops and Donut Cake Pops. Make cake pops or cake balls out of any of the recipes.
Easy Zebra Cake Balls Recipe (Little Debbie Cake Pops)
Do your kids love those snack cakes like zebra cakes, cosmic brownies, and nutty buddy bars? My kids do! I don’t know what it is about them, but they’re always a kid-favorite. These zebra cake balls are such a fun, poppable, and delicious way to reinvent the classic zebra snack cake from the Little Debbie brand.
Simple to make with zebra cakes – which are vanilla sponge cakes covered in a white chocolate coating with a cream layer in the center, and then drizzled with chocolate over top – cream cheese and melting wafers!
Simple Ingredients Needed For Easy Cake Balls
- Zebra Cakes – These are from Little Debbie brand and they are the white sponge cakes with a cream center, covered in white chocolate, and then drizzled with chocolate across the top. They are like a double layer snack cake treat.
- Cream Cheese – Full fat or reduced-fat will work fine. I prefer the thicker texture of the full fat cream cheese so that is what I use.
- White Melting Wafers OR White Candy Melts – I like using the Ghiradelli brand white chocolate melting wafers. They come in a 10 ounce bag. The white candy melts come in a 12 ounce bag. Either one will work and you maybe have leftover dipping chocolate depending on the size of the cake balls.
- Coconut Oil – This helps the chocolate melt smoothly and gives it a shine. This is not absolutely necessary and you’ll probably be just fine melting the candy melts or wafers according to the package directions. You could also use a drop of canola or vegetable oil instead of coconut oil.
- Chocolate Melting Wafers or Chocolate Candy Melts – You only need about 1/2 cup of chocolate to melt for the drizzle over top. Even using some chocolate almond bark will work great for the drizzle. Or melt some milk chocolate chips instead. Watch it carefully in the microwave because they seize fairly easily if melted for too long. Using the coconut oil will help it not seize up and stay smooth.
How To Make Cake Balls With Zebra Snack Cakes (Printable Recipe Card Below)
Unwrap the zebra cakes and place them into the bowl of a stand mixer. I recommend using a stand mixer in order to get the best mixture on the cakes. A large mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer can also be used.
Beat the cakes and cream cheese on medium speed until it’s in fine crumbles and a smooth paste type mixture.
Use a medium cookie scoop, or smaller depending on size you want, to scoop the dough out. Place the scoops onto a plate or sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Make sure it’s something that can fit inside the fridge.
Refrigerate the cake scoops for 15 minutes.
Roll each scoop into a smooth ball. Smush the dough between your fingers to help it roll into a smooth uniform ball shape. Place them back onto the parchment paper.
Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, making sure to stir it well between each one. Once the chocolate is completely smooth and melted, you’re done.
Dip the zebra cake balls into the melted chocolate using a plastic fork with the middle prong broken off OR a truffle dipper. Place the dipped cake balls back onto the parchment paper when done.
While the chocolate sets, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl until completely smooth and melted. Place the melted chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip the bottom corner off of the bag. Drizzle the chocolate over top the white chocolate dipped zebra cake balls.
Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Enjoy right away or keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I prefer them chilled but they can also be kept and served at room temperature.
Tips and Tricks For Making Cake Balls or Cake Pops
- Fridge Time : Don’t skip this! It is absolutely necessary in order for the dough to not be sticky when you go to roll it into a ball.
- Roll The Dough After The Fridge Time : Yes, the recipe card is correct. Scoop the zebra cake ball dough into scoops first, and then put them in the fridge, and then roll the scoops into a tight round ball shape. When they are cold they roll smoother and not be as sticky.
- Smush The Dough Before Rolling : Smushing the dough with your fingers will help it roll into a smooth ball.
- Melting Chocolate Texture : If the chocolate is too thin it will show the cake pop underneath it. If it’s too thick, it will look sloppy and not smooth when dipped. Add more or less coconut oil, or more or less candy melts or melting wafers, depending on how thin or thick the chocolate is.
Substitution & Variation Ideas
- Switch out the snack cakes for any Little Debbie brand (or other brand) of snack cakes. They do need to be a spongey snack cake like Ding Dongs, HoHo’s, or another cake snack.
- Use 1/2 cup of vanilla or buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese. This will make the cake pops quite a bit sweeter (than they already are).
- Switch up the color of dipping chocolate. Try using chocolate melting wafers or chocolate brown candy melts instead of white. You can also skip the drizzle of chocolate and instead use chocolate sprinkles. Or do white chocolate meting wafers or white candy melts for the dipping and the drizzle over top. Lots of ways to switch it up if wanted.
Zebra Cake Balls
Ingredients
- 14 zebra cakes
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 10-12 ounces white chocolate melting wafers OR white candy melts
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 cup chocolate melting wafers OR brown candy melts (see notes)
Instructions
- Prep : Line a cookie sheet (12"x17") with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Unwrap the zebra cakes and place them into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream cheese into the bowl. Beat on medium speed until the cakes are in fine crumbles and it's a smooth paste type mixture. * I recommend using a stand mixer in order to get the best mixture on the cakes. A large mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer can also be used. If using a bowl + hand mixer, I recommend beating the cakes first and then beating in the cream cheese to ensure a smooth paste mixture.14 zebra cakes, 3 ounces cream cheese
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough out. Place the scoops onto the prepared cookie sheet with parchment paper.* No need to roll the cake balls into a ball shape in this step. Just scoop out the dough (it will be soft) and place the scoop on the parchment paper.
- Refrigerate the cake scoops for 15 minutes.
- After the fridge time, roll each scoop into a smooth ball. Smush the dough between your fingers to help it roll into a smooth uniform ball shape. Place them back onto the parchment paper.
- Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, making sure to stir it well between each one, until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted.10-12 ounces white chocolate melting wafers OR white candy melts, 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Dip the zebra cake balls into the melted chocolate using a plastic fork with the middle prong broken off OR a truffle dipper. Place the dipped cake balls back onto the parchment paper when done.
- While the chocolate sets, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl until completely smooth and melted. Place the melted chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip the bottom corner off of the bag. Drizzle the chocolate over top the white chocolate dipped zebra cake balls.1/2 cup chocolate melting wafers OR brown candy melts
- Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Enjoy right away or keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. *I prefer them chilled but they can also be kept and served at room temperature.
Notes
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