Mickey Mouse Energy Pops

Disclosure: This post is written in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Foundation as a member of their Believer Bloggers program. As always, all opinions here are my own.

Last weekend we took a trip to Disney as an early birthday celebration for Cole. It was everything we thought it would be — busy, full of memories and exhausting! 🙂

While I was wandering the parks with a {slightly overwhelmed} toddler in tow, I couldn’t help but notice how many other families were enjoying vacations there, too, and it got me thinking about how expensive it is to spend a weekend at Disney World.

Between travel, lodging, park tickets and food alone, we’re talking thousands of dollars for a family of four! Some folks spend years saving up to be able to visit The Happiest Place on Earth, which may seem absurd to some. But for others, taking a trip to such an iconic spot filled with childhood wonder and magic makes every penny worthwhile.

A stroll down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom is not complete without a visit to the Confectionery, an old-timey candy shop and bakery filled to the brim with all things sugary. My favorite part of stopping by is getting to watch as the treats are made right before your eyes.

During our last visit, I got to see how the ever-popular Mickey Mouse Caramel Apples are made, and it prompted me to want to “Mickey-fy” everything. Though it may take a while to perfect the tricks of the trade, you can easily whip up Mickey treats in your very own kitchen without having to go through the sticker shock of Disney prices. {I mean, they have to charge you a little extra for the Magic.}

Once you’re back from vacation, it may be a good idea to lay off of daily caramel apples, so instead, I made some treats that are wholesome enough to be enjoyed almost daily.

Though they look like cake pops, these Mickey-eared goodies are actually made up of simple ingredients on the inside — an energy ball consisting of gluten free oats, coconut flakes, peanut butter, vanilla and honey!

Some mini marshmallows adhered to each side and a dip in semi-sweet chocolate transform a simple snack into a magical bite that kids {and adults} will love. For a special occasion, deck them out with red sparkling sugar and some edible “buttons” for the full-blown Mickey effect!

Next time you’re craving some of Disney’s whimsical eats, you don’t have to “wish upon a star” — just whip up these energy bites to hold you over until your next visit!

Mickey Mouse Energy Pops

Though they look like cake pops, these Mickey-eared goodies are actually made up of simple ingredients on the inside — an energy ball consisting of gluten free oats, coconut flakes, peanut butter, vanilla and honey!

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Course Dessert

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• ½ cup gluten free oats
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup peanut butter {I used Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter Blend}
• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For decoration:

• 10 lollipop sticks {found at the craft store or baking aisle}
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon coconut oil
• 20 mini marshmallows
• Red sparkling sugar
• 20 white sprinkles for “buttons”

Instructions 

• Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place oats, honey, peanut butter, coconut flakes and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined into a uniform mixture.
• Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture out and roll into a ball, using a pressing motion to pack the mixture into a round shape. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the mixture.
• Dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and insert carefully into the center of each ball. {You may need to squeeze it back around the stick if it cracks.} Place on prepared baking pan.
• Place pops in freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Remove from freezer and adhere two mini marshmallows to each energy pop by dipping each marshmallow into the melted chocolate and then pressing it onto the ball in place. {You might need to hold it there for a moment until the chocolate hardens a bit.} Repeat with all marshmallows until each pop has 2 “ears.”
• Return pops to freezer. Meanwhile, mix about 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil into the remaining melted chocolate. This will help to thin it out and make it more “dipable.” If needed, rewarm the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds to help loosen. Put sparkling sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
• Remove pops from freezer once the marshmallows are set and carefully dip into the melted chocolate to fully coat, tapping gently to let excess chocolate drip off.
• Immediately dip into red sparkling sugar, rolling gently to coat from the middle to the bottom. Place on parchchment-lined sheet pan, and continue until all pops are finished.
• Using a toothpick or the tines of a fork, place 2 small dots of chocolate where you want to place the “buttons”, then carefully adhere white sprinkles. {You may need to put them in the freezer again to help harden if the chocolate is to “drippy” at any point in the decorating.}
• Allow the chocolate to set completely before serving.