Sweeten up back-to-school season with this recipe for Chocolate Apple Cake Balls! These bite-sized desserts are fun, festive, and surprisingly simple to make. Shaped like little red apples and made with a rich Chocolate Crème Cake Roll, they’re perfect for lunchbox treats, classroom parties, or thoughtful gifts for teachers.
Back-to-school season is here, and you know what that means…it’s back to packing lunches, keeping track of homework, and finding the perfect after-school snacks to satisfy the kids until dinner. That last one was the inspiration behind my latest recipe: Chocolate Apple Cake Balls! Not only do my kids love to eat them, but they’re also so easy to make that it doubles as a kid-friendly activity that is guaranteed to keep little hands busy.
Made with a Chocolate Crème Cake Roll, a handful of ingredients, and zero oven time, these mini apple-shaped treats are perfect for classroom parties, lunchbox surprises, or sweet little gifts for teachers. Even better, they can be made in advance, and they’re easy to store and transport, so you can take them to all your back-to-school events.
More Back-to-School Recipes
Milk and Cookies Cake Roll
A rich Chocolate Crème Cake Roll is covered in a smooth buttercream frosting and topped with a white chocolate “milk splash” and mini chocolate chip cookies to create a decorative dessert unlike any other.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Snack Pans
These adorable pans feature Dutch Apron® Bakery’s soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cooke Dough which are baked and topped with colorful, sweet buttercream frosting. They’re not only delightful to look at; they also taste incredible.
Diploma Cake Roll
This unique dessert features a Lemon Crème Cake Roll covered in buttercream frosting and simple decorations that can be personalized with your graduate’s school colors. It’s the perfect treat to help make this banner-worthy occasion even sweeter.
What You’ll Need
- Apple-shaped silicone mold (available on Amazon)
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Piping bag and small round tip
Storage Information
Once your cake balls are complete, store them in an airtight container with a paper towel lining the bottom. Place the cake balls on top of the paper towel in a single layer. Store in the refrigerator for five to seven days.
Tips for Making Chocolate Apple Cake Balls
- If your white chocolate starts to solidify while you’re making your cake balls, re-heat it in the microwave. Consider melting the chocolate in small batches to avoid having to constantly stop to reheat. This will help the coating process go more smoothly.
- I don’t recommend keeping these cake balls out of the refrigerator for more than an hour. At room temperature, the crème in the filling will begin to soften and change the texture of the cake balls.
How to Make Chocolate Apple Cake Balls
Chocolate Apple Cake Balls
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy24
servings140
kcal5
Sweeten up back-to-school season with this recipe for Chocolate Apple Cake Balls! These bite-sized desserts are fun, festive, and surprisingly simple to make. Shaped like little red apples and made with a rich Chocolate Crème Cake Roll, they’re perfect for lunchbox treats, classroom parties, or thoughtful gifts for teachers.
Ingredients
1 Dutch Apron® Bakery Chocolate Crème Cake Roll
12 oz. white chocolate chips or melting wafers
Red gel food coloring
Green frosting
Mini pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces
Directions
- Prepare the Cake Mixture
- Let the Chocolate Crème Cake Roll thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Once softened, remove the cake roll from its packaging. Break the cake into pieces and place the pieces in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cake pieces on low until the cake and crème filling are fully combined into a soft, dough-like texture. Set aside.
- Make the Chocolate Shells
- Melt the white chocolate chips or melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Continue until fully melted and smooth.
- Add red gel food coloring to the chocolate until you reach your desired apple-red color.
- Spoon or brush a layer of the red chocolate into the apple-shaped mold, making sure to coat all sides.
- Place the mold in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to set.
- Add Cake Mixture
- Once the red chocolate shell is set, press a spoonful of the cake mixture into each mold cavity, leaving a little space at the top.
- Spread a thin layer of the remaining red chocolate on top to seal each cake ball.
- Put the mold in the freezer for 20-30 minutes, or until fully set.
- Decorate the Chocolate Apple Cake Balls
- Gently remove the cake balls from the mold.
- Insert a small pretzel stick piece into the top of each apple as the “stem”.
- Use green frosting and a small round tip to pipe a leaf shape next to the stem.
About the Author:
Amber Breitigan joined Dutch Apron® Bakery as the Lead Graphic Designer in 2021 after trading the bright lights of Vegas for the charm of small-town Iowa. From revamping product packaging to designing eye-catching social media posts, Amber brings creativity and warmth to everything she touches. When she’s not juggling design files, she’s likely crocheting with a cat in her lap, baking up creative cakes for her three kids, or enjoying game night with her husband.
