Coconut & Mango Sticky Rice Cake Pops

SERVES: Makes 46 cake pops PREP: 45 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

Coconut & Mango Sticky Rice Cake Pops

SERVES: Makes 46 cake pops PREP: 45 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes

The classic sweet-and-salty Thai dessert in poppable, unstoppable form.

Creamy, dreamy coconut rice with tender, ultra-ripe mango is already a great dessert, but we took it to the next level with portable, party-ready cake pops. There’s white cake and sweet-and-salty coconut rice inside the pops, then a hint of tart mango from our new Coconut & Mango Sticky Rice seasoning! This recipe makes a lot, but the pops freeze easily—just make sure you freeze them before coating in chocolate—so you can make any day a cake pop kind of day.

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

For the coconut rice:

1 cup sushi rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:

1 standard white cake mix
1 cup coconut milk
⅓ cup coconut oil, liquidy but room temperature
3 eggs
8 tablespoons toasted shredded coconut, divided
¼ teaspoon coconut extract, or more if you really like coconut!
2 tablespoons Cravings’ Coconut & Mango Sticky Rice seasoning, plus more for sprinkling on top
46 cake pop or popsicle sticks

For the coating:

2 cups (12 ounces) white chocolate chips or white candy melts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Make the rice: Combine the rice, coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook, stirring, until the rice absorbs the liquid and is sticky, 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the cake mix, coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, 2 tablespoons of Coconut & Mango Sticky Rice seasoning, and coconut extract in a large bowl. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish (or two 9-inch cake pans), pour the batter into the dish, and bake according to the package directions, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely, then crumble the cake with your hands into fine crumbs. (Or you can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to crumble it fast!) Add the cooked coconut rice and 4 tablespoons toasted coconut, and then stir—or use a food processor or stand mixer—to create a cohesive mixture that holds together when pinched between your fingers. Using about 2 tablespoons of cake mixture per pop (1 ½ inches in diameter), form into 46 equal-sized balls, pressing and rolling them together firmly with your hands. Roll the balls in the remaining 4 tablespoons toasted coconut. (At this stage, you can freeze the cake balls on a sheet pan until fully frozen, then transfer to a container or zip-top bag for up to three months, and thaw and dip them in chocolate later.)
Make the coating and decorate: Melt the white chocolate or candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl, 30 seconds a time, stirring between each interval. Dip about ½ inch of each lollipop stick into the melted chocolate, and then into the cake pops. Freeze until completely firm, about 10 minutes.
Microwave the candy melts again until melted if they have started to solidify and pour into a heat-safe 2-cup measuring cup or other tall glass. Dip the cake pop in and twist the pop as you lift it out. Carefully shake off the excess coating by tapping the cake pop against the side of the bowl, then turn right-side up. Thin with a bit of vegetable oil if needed to reach the right consistency for dipping. Sprinkle with Coconut & Mango Sticky Rice seasoning. To set, stick the pops into a piece of styrofoam or an egg carton flipped upside down with holes poked in each section. (If you lay flat on a plate, they will get dented but still taste delicious.) Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.