I grew up in a charming two-story home (which my father built when I was two years-old) on a quiet dead end street in Florida.
There were only two kids who lived on 7th Street North, myself and a little boy who lived next door and happened to be the same age as me, Christopher. Naturally, we became very good friends. We spent most of our weekends together: jumping on my trampoline, swimming in his pool, riding our bikes up and down our quiet street, and watching any Disney shows our parents would let us see (our parents had strict rules about screen time). We made the most out of our quiet little street and our friendship.
The activity we looked forward to the most on the weekend was racing after the ice cream truck that, despite the lack of children living on our street and in our neighborhood, faithfully returned each Saturday. Now that I’m saying this out loud as an adult it sounds a bit creepy. Just a bit, right?!
Anyway, despite how creepy that may sound now, we loved hearing the repetitive song of the ice cream truck as it made its way down our street. It didn’t matter what we were doing–jumping on the trampoline or swimming in the pool–we’d instantly run home to ask our parents for ice cream money. And our parents would always find a few quarters to spare.
We were religious about our choices. Chris always bought a multi-color popsicle. The kind that’s made with so many artificial dyes and who knows what else. A Fudgesicle was my top pick, which happen to also be a popular treat based on the number of times the option was sold out. A chocolate dipped ice cream cone was my second choice.
Chris’ parents eventually sold their home and moved away. And eventually the ice cream truck stopped visiting our street.
Today, instead of running after an ice cream truck to get my Fudgesicle fix, I can use simple (real food) ingredients to indulge my craving.
Today’s fudge popsicle recipe (because Fudgesicle is a trademarked name) not only offers a homemade alternative to the overly-processed, store-bought version, but also nourishes the body (thanks to healthy fat, like coconut milk).
And just like most homemade treats, this version tastes way better than the processed Fudgesicles from my childhood. Way better! You should try them (they only require a few minutes of prep time), I think you’ll agree.
Homemade Fudge Popsicles
Ingredients
- 1 13.5 ounce can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 TB pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/2 hass avocado (optional)*
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender jar. Pulse to combine the ingredients (about 60 seconds).
- Fill the popsicle molds with the blended mixture. I use this popsicle mold set from Tovolo (I use popsicle sticks instead of the sticks provided). I've had this set for a few years now. I've also heard good things about this set.
- Freeze the popsicles for at least 6 hours.
- Rinse the outside of the molds with warm water to help easily release the popsicles from the molds. Store any leftover popsicles in an air-tight container in the freezer.
Just made these and they were a huge hit!!
Hey Jennifer, I’m so glad they were a hit!!
Did your kids really like these? Because my children eat almost everything and this was not a crowd-pleaser. It tastes like it’s missing something. Maybe an overripe banana would make it sweeter.
Hey Teresa, Yes, I make these weekly during the summer. Sorry your kiddos didn’t care for them. Maybe increase the sweetness, as you suggested, if your kiddos want a sweeter fudge pop.
They were delicious! Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
Yay, Ticia! I’m so glad you liked them.
It is supposed to be record breaking temperatures here tomorrow, so I popped these in the freezer for tomorrow. They look to be a yummy treat! I definitely need to check out your moulds!
Hey Ticia, Yay! I hope you all are enjoying the fudge pops today!
Made these a few days ago and my 3 year old and I have really been enjoying them! He happened to come down with a cold the day after I made them so they’ve been a big hit with “helping” him “feel” better! Haha.
Hey Kristin, I’m so glad these have been helping him feel better!
This recipe has been a game changer for me. I threw it together the other night, had all the ingredients on hand including some teeny time avocados from Trader Joe’s that needed to be used. I gave the batter a quick taste and decided for my kids they would need a little extra sweet. I threw in an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and an overripe banana. Holy cow it’s absolutely amazing!
I used my Zoku pop maker (which I love!) that makes popsicles in 10 minutes. My kids gobbled them down. I’m especially stoked about these for my 5-1/2 year old son (he needs to put on some weight but is such a picky eater) who loved them and is getting the healthy fats from the coconut milk and avocado while getting a treat a the same time! I filled the popsicle maker twice – which made 6 popsicles, and still had a little left over. So I decided to see if I chilled it if it could work for a pudding. Winner again! I put the leftovers in 4 silicone cupcake liners, put them in the fridge for about 12 hours and they made an amazing pudding that I’ve been grabbing anytime I need a little sweet boost. I was going to see what would happen if I whipped it, like maybe I could make a frosting? But I ate them before I got the chance 🙂
Oh well, guess I need to make it again! Thank you so much!
My kids loved these! Thanks for the recipe. I cringe at the ingredients in any of the store bought popsicles so for the longest time they were happy with popsicles made out of smoothies but they had become tired of that. This recipe gave us a nice reason to break out the popsicle mold and we’re making a second batch today!
Yay, Nilam! I’m so glad they’re enjoying the fudge pops!
I’ve made 3 batches of these! I enjoy them more than traditional store-bought fudge popsicles!
Yay, Julie! That’s a huge compliment–I’m so glad you’re enjoying them.
These look amazing! I have all of the ingredients … just don’t have the popsicle mold (ordering now). Is there a reason you use popsicle sticks instead of the sticks provided with the mold?
Hey Jill, They just look pretty with the wood sticks versus the yellow sticks–just a photo preference ;). Enjoy!
Looking forward to making these, thank you for the great recipe!
Yay, Noelle! Enjoy!
woww nice
Thank you, RIJIL. Enjoy!