Oreo Polar Bear Pops

These adorable Oreo Polar Bear Pops are such a delight to make! This assembly-type recipe comes together quite easily and is a perfect holiday treat for the whole family, so get your kids involved too! No baking is required; all you need to do is melt the chocolate and you’re ready to go!

For the past few years, I have seen this type of treat popping up on different social media platforms around Christmastime more than I can count. This year, I decided to make my own. I quickly realized, Dear Reader, that if you insert a stick into the bottom of your Oreo Polar Bear Pops, not only does it make them more fun to eat, but it also makes applying the white coating so much easier!

If there’s one thing that I can never get enough of, it’s food on sticks. What is it about food on sticks that appeals so greatly to the masses? Think of any carnival or summer fair you’ve been to. Now, think about all of those lineups of hungry people at those brightly coloured food trucks. How many of those food trucks serve food on sticks?

Is it a cleanliness issue? Do we love food on sticks because it eliminates the need for us to get our hands dirty? I can certainly see the appeal at a fair or a festival. (We all know there are so many germs on those rides!) Pulling food off of the stick with our teeth certainly helps to keep the germs on our hands from spreading to our food.

FOOD ON STICKS – PRIMITIVE OR JUST COOL?

I think it goes a little deeper than that. Preparing food on sticks is primitive really. Many, many years ago, before the invention of skillets and grills, meat was mainly cooked on sticks over an open fire. In many cases, that skewered rabbit or chicken was passed around the fire and every family member took a bite to help fill their bellies.

But, we’ve come a long way since mankind needed to cook meat that way. So, why the appeal still? Personally, I think it has continued to maintain its popularity simply because it’s fun. I can remember being a kid and eating those battered hot dogs on a stick and dipping it into ketchup or mustard. It was such a change from the everyday fork and knife routine that I’m not sure if the battered hot dog was as good as it seemed at all or if it was just that it was on a stick!

That same logic of food on sticks being fun can certainly be applied to this adorable Oreo Polar Bear Pops! Aren’t they just absolutely cute!? And, they are very easy to make too. All you need to do is assemble, dip in melted white chocolate or candy melts, and decorate. It’s super easy and super fun, so if you have kids, get them into the kitchen with you. They will love these!

NO-BAKE RECIPES

I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter.

To prepare these Oreo Polar Bear Pops, you will need to use your microwave. So, even though they’re no-bake and kid-friendly, you will still need some way to melt the chocolate. And, if you don’t have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler. I guess since that’s just stove top, these could still be considered no bake!

Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.

LORD BYRON’S 12 SNACKS & TREATS OF CHRISTMAS

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to my last Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Snacks & Treats of Christmas. Unlike the 24 Cookies of Christmas series that ended a few days ago, this series will focus on easy-to-make snacks and treats that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require the help of a microwave rather than an oven. And, a bunch of them will involve more assembly-type tasks rather than preheating, beating, whipping, etc.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared here, this series will also see a new snack or treat recipe shared with you, Dear Reader, each and every single day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday snacks and treats year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Snacks & Treats of Christmas! Fresh off of my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas, my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, and Volume 5 of my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas series, I’m ready to plow through the next 12 days with you once again.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Oreos – You will need both the double-stuffed Oreos and mini Oreos.
• White Chocolate or Candy Melts – I used candy melts here because they’re much cheaper than white chocolate chips right now.
• Candy Eyes – You can find these at almost any baking or bulk supply store.
• M&Ms – I’m using blue M&Ms for the polar bear’s nose. You can use whichever colour you’d like.
• Lollipop Sticks – I found mine at Michaels.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE OREO POLAR BEAR POPS

Begin by carefully separating the double stuffed Oreos.  It is imperative that all the cream is left intact on one of the cookies, while the other is clean-ish.  An easy way to do this is to stand the Oreo on its end and gently run a sharp knife down the inside of one side.  Lay the side with all of the filling on it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  The non-filling side can be put aside for snacking later.

Repeat the same process with the mini Oreos.  This time, you will need to reserve all 24 of the non-filling side, and 12 of the filling side. 

To assemble, lay one of the double stuffed Oreos onto a cutting board, filling side up.  Use two of the mini Oreos for the ears.  For the ears, use the mini Oreos with no cream filling on them.  With the printed side up, gently push them into the filling on the double stuffed Oreo.  About two thirds of the mini Oreo should be sticking out over the top, while the bottom third should be sticking to the filling.

Next, place a lollipop stick onto the bottom half of the Oreo.  The top of the stick should be set in the center, but at the bottom, of the two Oreo ears. Now, place another double stuffed Oreo, filling side down, onto the partially assembled Oreo.  Gently push to ensure the cream adheres well, affixing the ears and the lollipop stick. 

Take one of the mini Oreos with the filling on it, and set it filling side down onto the Oreo lollipop.  It should be placed just slightly above the bottom of the larger Oreo.  Gently push to stick.  This will be the nose of the polar bear.  Set aside and continue until all of the lollipops are assembled.

COATING THE POPS IN MELTED WHITE CHOCOLATE

Place the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening into a microwave-safe bowl. Whenever you microwave chocolate, you should microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Then, if it’s still not silky smooth, microwave in increments of 5 or 10 seconds, depending on your microwave, stirring with a rubber spatula after each increment.

Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, dip one assembled Polar Bear at a time all the way down into the melted chocolate until the cookie portion is completely covered.  Gently shake off the excess chocolate and transfer the lollipop to the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet so that the nose of the polar bear is facing up.

Place one blue M&M onto the lower half of the nose and set two candy eyes onto the still warm chocolate.  Repeat until all lollipops are done.  Set the baking sheet aside for 30 minutes to rest then transfer to your fridge to set for one hour.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most snacks and treats, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. They will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Oreo Polar Bear Pops, you certainly can! Pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen treats as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. If packaging, wait until the condensation has evaporated. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

With all of that said, you really don’t need to freeze snacks and treats, because for the most part, they are ready in very little time and you should easily be able to prepare them the day you plan to eat them or serve them to guests.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!