Sunshine Lollipops

It has been so nice here in Ohio for the past few months as the sun has shone more days than not. To celebrate the beaming brightness that warms our planet and my heart, I made these Sunshine Lollipops, each with a cheerful little smile.

To make these pops I employed the same technique used to make my Chocolate Bunny Silhouettes this Easter. I was pleasantly surprised by the popularity of that recipe and knew it could be translated into other themes.

These pops are easy to make using yellow confectionery coating/candy melts, cookies, edible eyes, and a food coloring marker. In just a short time, you too can make your own cheery lollipops. So, let's get started.

Ingredients

12 ounces melted yellow candy melts (compound chocolate, confectionery coating, melting wafers)
or use white colored with yellow candy coloring
12 small round cookies*
24 candy eyes
black food coloring marker

* I used Back to Nature California Lemon Cookies, but vanilla wafers or any round cookie will work.

Supplies

12 craft sticks
disposable pastry bag, zip-top bag, or a squeeze bottle fitted with a small round pastry tip
parchment paper
baking sheets
fork or a chocolate dipping fork

You can find supplies needed to create this recipe on Amazon. I earn a small commission when you use the sales links in this post to make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

ChefLand Parchment Paper Pa...Shop on AmazonSqueezit Mold Painter Bottl...Shop on AmazonWilton Yellow Candy Melts, ...Shop on Amazon¼" White And Black Icing ...Shop on Amazon GUSTO [200 Count] 4.5 Inch ...Shop on Amazon

Melt the candy melts.

Melt the candy melts in the microwave for 30-second bursts of high power, stirring after each, until melted.

Pour some of your melted yellow candy melts into a squeeze bottle fitted with a small round pastry tip or use a disposable pastry bag, or a zip-top bag with one tip snipped off.

Pipe yellow sunshine-shaped lollipops.

Pipe a circle the same size as your cookie onto your parchment paper. Set a craft stick onto the piped circle. Pipe triangles all around the piped circle. Fill in with candy coating. Repeat making 12 sunshine pops. Refrigerate for 5 minutes until the candy coating hardens.

Note: I recommend making a few pops at a time and then refrigerating them so that the yellow candy coating doesn't get splotchy, streaky, or spotty:)

As you work, you will probably need to reheat your candy coating. Place it in the microwave and heat it for 10 seconds, then stir. If needed, heat for 10 more seconds, but don't overheat or you could burn the candy coating. I like using the plastic squeeze bottle for projects like this because the entire bottle (as long as you use a plastic decorating tip) can go into the microwave.

Dip the cookie in candy melts.

Pour your remaining yellow confectionery coating into a small bowl. Place a cookie in the melted coating, submerge it completely, then use a dipping fork or kitchen fork to lift it out.

Tap the fork on the side of the bowl allowing the excess candy coating to fall back into the bowl.

Attach the cookie to the lollipop.

Set the candy-coated cookie in the center of a sunshine pop. Immediately add two candy eyes.

Repeat creating all 12 pops.

Refrigerate for 5 minutes until the candy coating hardens. If you don't work quickly, create a few pops then place them in the refrigerator. You don't want the yellow candy melts to harden at room temperature because they will get streaky or spotty.

Add smiles.

Remove the sunshine pops from the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room temperature, for about 15 minutes.

Use a black food coloring marker to draw smiles on your sunshine lollipops. Add eyelashes if you like too!

Storage

Store your Sunshine Lollipops in an airtight container for up to a month. You can package them in clear cellophane bags to give out as gifts or party favors.

These Sunshine Lollipops would be great treats for Earth Day celebrations, spring or summer festivities, beach or pool parties, or just any day. Their cute faces will hopefully bring smiles to those who eat them.

Related Recipes

If you have fun making these sun-shaped lollipops, you might also enjoy making these other Summer Fun Recipes.

Sunshine Cookies

Smiley Face Pretzels

Sunny Shrimp Salad