SunButter & Chocolate Cake Pops! {Gluten & Allergy Free} #Recipe

Back in March, I shared a teaser photo on our Facebook page of these fabulous cake pops we made. It wasn't until we made more last evening, for guests that came over for dinner, that I realized I hadn't posted it yet! (D'oh!)
So, I managed to snap a few more photos before the girls devoured them! Little Miss was so excited to share one of her new favorite recipes with friends. 
They're Gluten & Top 8 Allergy Free! That's right. Free from dairy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy & more. Perfect for dessert or a sweet popable snack. ;) 

The great thing about this recipe, is it's so adaptable. You can use your preferred cake mix, ingredients, or brands to suit your allergen/ dietary needs.
We used our beloved nut & allergen free SunButter Sunflower Seed Spread. I know there are always questions about soy with SunButter - you can read their company statement by clicking here.  
We also used King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix as our base, since it's not only delicious but made in a Top 8 Free Facility, and Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chocolate Chips that are also Gluten & Top 8 Free. 
We kept it dairy free by using Earth Balance Vegan Spread and egg free utilizing a flax egg. I love making egg free batters... because we get to lick the bowl clean! Hehehe!!
Each batch yields 24 Cake Pops. ENJOY!

SunButter & Chocolate Cake Pops

Gluten & Top 8 Allergy Free

Yields: 24 Cake Pops

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• 4 Tablespoons of Melted Vegan Spread (or Butter)
• 1 Flax Egg (or 1 Large Egg)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of Sunflower Seed Spread (or preferred alternative)
• 1-1/4 cup of Allergy Free Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. If using a flax (or chia) egg, prepare by mixing 1 TB of ground flax with 3 TB of warm water. Stir and set aside, until it reaches a gel-like consistency.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a dark pan). Spray cake pan (8-9" round) with cooking spray and set aside. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine and mix the first five ingredients - cake mix, melted spread, flax egg (after it reaches consistency), vanilla, and water.
4. Once you've formed your batter, pour into the cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes clean).
5. Remove from oven and let cool, completely. This is important it cool complete. You can cheat and stick it in the freezer - just sayin'.
6. Once cake has completely cooled, in a small bowl, warm your Sunflower Seed Spread in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds. It will reach a smooth consistency when stirred. 
7. In a large bowl, take your cooled chocolate cake and tear that sucker apart! Yes, that's right. Destroy your cake by crumbling it up. 
8. Pour in the warmed Sunflower Seed Spread and combine by hand by mixing it into the crumbled cake mixtures. Yes, it's a messy job but someone has to do it! The kids will think it's fun! Just try to resist eating it all of your hands, hehe!
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Begin rolling the cake mixture into balls approximately 1.5" in diameter, until mix is gone. It should yield 24 balls.
10. Let cake balls chill in the freezer, on the parchment paper, for approximately 10-15 minutes to make sure they're "solid". 
11. Once chilled, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave for one minute and thirty seconds - stir & add 20 seconds if needs more time - should be nice and smooth when stirred.
12. Dip your rolled cake balls into the melted chocolate and place back onto the parchment paper, one at a time until complete.
13. You can opt to leave them this way or add a pop stick in each one immediately after rolling them into the chocolate. 
14. After all are coated, chill in the freezer until chocolate has hardened. 
15. Serve & enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, if they last that long.