Coconut Cake Balls | Easy Bunny Tails Recipe

If you’re looking for the perfect spring time treat, these Coconut Cake Balls are here to please! Perfectly sweet, easy to make, and cute enough to eat, this Bunny Tails recipe is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family.

What Makes These The Perfect Sweet Treat

With all of the delicious treats out there, it’s hard to decide on just one to make whenever your sweet tooth strikes. Here’s what makes these Coconut Cake Balls extra special:

• Easy to make. A few simple steps make this Bunny Tails recipe easy enough for beginners.
• Budget-friendly. Instead of running by your favorite coffee shop to grab a sweet snack, make a batch of these to keep handy instead.
• Customizable. Mix and match cake flavor, frosting, and toppings to create a treat with endless possibilities.
• Kids will love them. These bite-sized cake balls are perfect for tiny hands and tiny appetites.

What Is the Fancy Name For Cake Balls?

The fancy name for cake balls is “cake truffles”. It describes cake balls that are made with a richer and more luxurious flavor profile. They are sometimes coated in chocolate or other toppings to make them seem more elegant.

Do You Freeze Cake Balls Before Dipping?

Yes! Freezing these Coconut Cake Balls is essential for to your success. When you mix the frosting with warm cake pieces, it creates an incredibly soft dough.

To make the dough more manageable, pop it in the freezer for a little bit. This will help prevent the bunny tails from falling apart when coating them in melted chocolate.

How Do You Keep Cake Balls From Falling Apart?

The secret to keeping the Coconut Cake Balls from falling apart comes from two simple tips:

1. Frosting to bind. The frosting that is mixed into the cake pieces acts as glue to hold the cake balls in their round shape without falling apart.
2. Chill for perfection. Placing the cake and frosting mixture in the freezer for a short amount of time allows the ingredients to become easier to manipulate. The more compact the cake balls are when they are dipped, the less likely they areto fall apart.

Ingredients To Grab

Make sure you have these pantry staples available in your kitchen before you get started:

• White Cake Mix– This serves as the base for the cake balls. The cake mix provides the structure and flavor foundation for the balls.
• Vanilla Frosting– Used as a binding agent and to add moisture and sweetness to the cake mixture. It helps hold the cake crumbs together to form balls and enhances the overall flavor with its creamy vanilla taste.
• White Chocolate Chips– These are melted and used to coat the cake balls. They add a rich sweetness, complementing the coconut flavor.
• Sweetened Coconut Flakes– A key ingredient for flavoring and texture. Sweetened coconut flakes provide the distinctive coconut flavor and add a chewy texture to the cake balls.
• Egg Whites– These help bind the ingredients together and add structure to the cake mixture. They contribute to the texture of the cake balls, making them light and fluffy.
• Vegetable Oil– Adds moisture to the cake mixture, ensuring the cake balls are soft and tender. It also helps with the texture of the melted chocolate chip coating, preventing it from being too thick and clumpy.
• Water– Used to hydrate the cake mix and to adjust the consistency of the batter. It helps ensure the cake mixture is easy to work with and forms smooth, uniform balls.

By combining these ingredients, you create delightful coconut cake balls with a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making them a popular treat for coconut lovers everywhere.

How To Make Coconut Cake Balls

Mix the cake batter. Pour the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and water into a large bowl. Use a whisk to incorporate the ingredients.

Bake the cake. Spray a 9×13” cake pan and pour the cake batter into it. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Crumble it up. Once the cake is finished baking, remove it from the oven and use a fork to crumble the cake up into small pieces.

Form the cake balls. Add the frosting to the crumbled cake mix a little bit at a time until it is well incorporated. Use clean hands to form balls of cake ball batter. They should contain between 1-2 tbsp of cake and frosting mixture each. Place the cake balls on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Let the cake balls chill. Place the baking sheet of Coconut Cake Balls into the freezer. Allow them to chill for 45 minutes.

Melt the chocolate chips. Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with a small amount of vegetable oil. Heat the chocolate chips at 20 second intervals, stirring between each interval until just melted.

Coat with chocolate. Place the cake balls into the melted chocolate. You can either pierce them with a skewer or place them on a spoon and roll them in the chocolate. Don’t worry about making them look pretty. You’re going to coat them in coconut.

Roll in coconut. Immediately after dipping in chocolate, roll the cake balls in coconut flakes. The melted chocolate will work as glue to help the coconut stick.

Enjoy! Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes so that the chocolate has time to solidify. Serve and enjoy!

Tips And Tricks For Coconut Cake Balls

Want to make sure your Coconut Cake Balls recipe turns out perfect every time? Unread over these tips and ticks before you get started for guaranteed success:

• Crumble into tiny pieces. Make sure you crumble the cooked cake into small pieces. The smaller the pieces are, the smoother texture the Coconut Cake Balls will have.
• Adjust the amount of frosting used. Add the frosting to the deconstructed cake mix a little bit at a time. You want the cake mix to be just moist enough to be able to form balls and stay moist. Too much frosting can cause the cake balls to be too soft and fall apart.
• Let the cake pops chill. Chilling the cake and frosting mixture is essential to forming the bunny tails and keeping them in one piece when coating them.
• Roll them twice. You will want to form the cake balls before freezing them, but it is also a good practice to roll them again once the batter has chilled. The colder batter will stay compacted and roll into a uniform shape with ease.
• Thin out the chocolate coating. While melting the chocolate chips, consider adding a small amount of either vegetable oil or melted coconut oil. This will prevent the chocolate chips from being too thick or clumpy when they are melted.

Variations

One of the things that makes this dessert so enticing is how versatile they can be. Here are som delicious variations to try next time you make your own homemade cake pops:

• German Chocolate- Use a combination of chocolate cake mix, coconut pecan frosting, and milk chocolate chips.
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry- Strawberry cake mix with strawberry frosting and dark chocolate chips pair well together.
• Carrot Cake- For another Easter themed bite combine carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate chips for a nostalgic bite.

Storing and Freezing Bunny Tails

Coconut cake balls can typically last for about 3-5 days when stored properly in an airtight container. Placing them in the refrigerator can extend their shelf life by another day or two.

If you want to prepare them ahead of time and freeze them for later, they’re also great when defrosted. You can expect the bunny tails to last 2-3 months when stored in a freezer-safe container.

When you’re ready to enjoy them, place them in the refrigerator overnight to allow them to defrost. Once they can be easily pierced with a toothpick, they are thawed enough to dig into.

More Delicious Desserts

• Cherry Pie Bubble Up
• Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Fresh Strawberry Pie
• No Bake S’mores Bars
• Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread

If you love these Coconut Cake Balls recipe as much as we do, make sure you share it on social media so your friends can make them too! Don’t forget to save it so you can make it again next time you’re craving Bunny Tails.