Yep. I went there.

Right when you were thinking you were off the hook this year. Being mindful about your eating. Avoiding the cheese platter at holiday parties. Sipping your skinny cocktails.

But no, no, no, my friends. You are not escaping the holiday pounds that easily.

Not after I made these.Chocolately, adorable, and so easily justifiable to snack on, these are super hazardous.

But don’t fight it. Embrace it. I mean really, if you don’t indulge a little now, how will you justify all those cute workout clothes to motivate you while you work off those holiday extras?

So really, you see, I am doing you a favor. Chocolate now, cute clothes later. All 100% guilt free. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 box of your favorite chocolate cake mix
• 1 can of your favorite chocolate frosting
• 2 bags of dark cocoa candy melts
• 24 Red M&Ms
• 24 pretzels, snapped in half
• White frosting
• 48 mini chocolate chips
• Lollipop sticks
• Styrofoam to prop up the drying pops

Directions:

1. Bake the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Let it cool to room temperature, then use a fork to shred the cake into a large bowl. Mix in the can of frosting.

2. Grab golf-ball-sized lumps of the cake/frosting mixture and mold them into reindeer head shapes. Place the heads on a baking sheet, and freeze them for 20 minutes. Gather your decorating supplies while you wait.

3. Once the heads are chilled, melt your candy melts. Take a popsicle stick and dip one end into the melts. Insert that end into the bottom of the cake pop, about 2/3 of the way through. Give it a second or two to set, then dip the cake completely into the melts. Gently tap the excess off the pop.

4. While the candy melts are still wet, stick the pretzel halves into the sides of the reindeer heads. Pop a red M&M on for a nose, and continue dipping/decorating your pops.

5. Once the pops are dry, use your white frosting and a small piping tip to pipe on the whites of the eyes, and the mouth. Add mini chocolate chips for the pupils, and let the frosting set overnight. (If you can wait that long of course!) Then cuddle up for a Christmas special and be thankful Santa’s reindeer aren’t make of cake – because you know he’d be snacking on them too.