Chocolate Covered Cherry Poke Cake – A rich & gooey chocolate cake with chocolate-covered cherries. Spread some holiday cheer with this simple, addicting dessert.

This post is sponsored by Family Dollar. All opinions are my own.

I love sweet endings, especially over the holidays. And while there is your average array of classic pies and traditional treats, I love to tie in candies we love to eat over the holidays into delicious desserts. That’s how this Chocolate Covered Cherry Poke Cake was inspired.

I was recently shopping at Family Dollar, and of course, got drawn into their amazing holiday section. They have such a large assortment from gift ideas, ornaments, trees, tinsel, or anything else you’d need, including sweet treats for the holiday season.

I have vivid memories of eating chocolate-covered cherries at our family Christmases growing up. And it was the only time of year I had the chance to eat them, so we always thought of them as extra special.

We’re already starting our holiday get-togethers with dear friends and family, and this year, I want to impress them with some sort of unique dessert. So while at Family Dollar, I looked down at my cart and the 5 boxes of chocolate-covered cherries, and seeing a cake mix across the aisle, I instantly felt inspired with the idea for a Chocolate Covered Cherry Poke Cake. Now I could have just made a normal cake right? But no, poke cakes to me are the only way to go. They are so gooey and rich, just how cake is supposed to be. Cherry cordials would put it over the top.

So I came home, whipped up the cake, poked holes in it and filled them with sweetened condensed milk, and then proceeded to push the cherry cordials into the warm cake {I am drooling just thinking about this}. After the cake cooled, I set it in the fridge, and right before serving, added Cool Whip {you could make homemade whipped cream too for you overachievers}. I then took the leftover chocolate-covered cherries, cut them up, and sprinkled them on the Cool Whip. That night, although there were only 10 people eating the dessert, all 12 pieces were gone, with the last two being fought and forked over.

So this holiday season, realize the cooking doesn’t have to be time consuming or require the use of 30 different ingredients to be delicious. You can simply pick up the cake mix, chocolate covered cherries, and even a hand mixer, all at the store near you. For me, shopping that day at Family Dollar not only left me inspired, but I got some Christmas shopping done while I was at it. This is a win for a mom like me, keeping busy, focused and getting things done while making delicious food.

Make this Chocolate Covered Cherry Poke Cake and create smiles, memories and holiday cheer. XOXO San

How do you make poke cake?

Prepare the Devil’s Food Cake per package directions.

Bake per package directions.

Once completely cooked remove from the oven and immediately poke holes into the cake.

Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake.

Take 12 of the chocolate covered cherries and push them into the cake.

Let the cake come to room temperature.

Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Once you are ready to serve spread COOL WHIP on top of the cake, spreading evenly.

Chop the remaining chocolate-covered cherries and place them on top of the Cool Whip.

Don’t forget to pin this recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherry Poke Cake to your favorite Pinterest board for later.