Have you tried making cake pops yet? We love them, but we do think they tend to be on the kitschy side of cute. Here, though, are some inspiring ideas for cake pops sophisticated enough for a swanky cocktail party.

These are actually cheesecake pops — not cake pops. Cheesecake pops were a recent theme of a Daring Bakers challenge, so there are plenty of recipes, tips, and inspiration floating about. Their original inspiration and recipe came from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth, a very sweet and frilly cookbook. Here are a few good examples of the cheesecake pops:

• The Daring Bakers Make Cheesecake Pops at Andrea's Recipes
• Cheesecake Pops at I Shot the Chef
• Helpful Cheesecake Pop Tips at Wild Yeast Blog

Then you can move on to the really fun stuff: decorating them. These inspiring cheesecake pops were actually created by David Burke for Neiman Marcus' gourmet foods catalog. The basic cheesecake flavors include chocolate raspberry, strawberry shortcake, and key lime. Then they are covered in chocolate or white chocolate, with coating combinations of things like dark chocolate crunchies and candy bar pieces; peanut crunchies and crushed Reese's; and white chocolate with pistachios and sun-dried cherries. We also spot some coconut...

• Gourmet Pops at Neiman Marcus

Related: How To Make Cake Pops

(Image: Neiman Marcus)