A year ago I had to give up dairy, which has lead me to rediscover the many uses for coconut and coconut products. Meanwhile, we recently cleaned out our basement and in the process unearthed an old plastic popsicle mold that hasn’t seen the light of day since we moved here 5 years ago.

A hot, dry summer + coconut milk + whatever is in season or in my pantry + popsicle mold = delicious, low sugar popsicles!

Nectarine, Honey, and Lavender Popsicles

Lavender brings out the flavour in nectarines, peaches, and apricots. You can substitute any of these in-season fruits, or leave out the lavender if you prefer. Some people just don’t like lavender. I don’t know who you are, but we’re fighting.

Ingredients:

• One can coconut milk (you can substitute with a tetrapak brand coconut beverage, but be warned that without the fat the popsicles will be icier instead of creamy. I have added coconut cream separately and have found that works to fatten it up.)
• 1-2 sliced, ripe nectarines
• 1-2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds (I prefer the
  ‘Hidcote’ variety)

Date and Cardamom Popsicles

The combination of dates and salt creates a convincing substitute for caramel, but without the insane amount of sugar. Leave out the cardamom if that’s not your thing.

Ingredients:

• One can coconut milk (substitutions listed above)
• About 4-5 dates or to taste
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• Pinch of salt
• Maple syrup to taste (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree. Pour the puree into popsicle molds and freeze.

Choosing Popsicle Molds

I have this plastic popsicle mold set. It does the job, but there are some issues that I wish I had thought about before purchasing it. Firstly, I’d prefer that it were not made of plastic. I also find that because the mold is a single unit, I have to finish eating all of the popsicles before making a new batch. It’s not uncommon for us to have a near-empty told taking up precious freezer space and I find that frustrating. Another con is that I have to do a bit of a dance under the hot water tap, moving the mood here and there so that I can loosen the popsicle I am trying to extract.

My friend has a stainless steel set like this one. Each popsicle is individual and can be removed, used, and refilled separate from the unit. And it’s not plastic. It’s my ideal, but I won’t be upgrading since I have a perfectly usable set.

Alternatively, large ice cube trays can be use to make small popsicles. you just need to remember to add sticks partway through the freezing process. Without a proper mold to hold them upright, the sticks will flop over and fall out.

Make Ice Cream Instead

These recipes can also be used to make a vegan ice cream. Pour the puree into a home ice cream maker and continue according to your machine’s instructions. if you don’t have a machine, simply pour it into a recycled, plastic yoghurt container or a wide-mouth, glass canning jar with straight sides like this one. The trick here is to check on it every hour during the freezing process. Use a fork to stir it up each time.

Please note that the lower the fat and sugar content, the icier the final result will be. I find that allowing it to melt slightly before eating it helps dissolve the ice crystals, making it smoother and creamier.

Speaking of Ice Cream… A Third Option

I made ice cream a few weeks back using the same can of coconut milk as a base, but adding chopped and lightly stewed sweet cherries that I had foraged from a local tree along with chopped, dark chocolate. If needed, dribble in a little maple syrup or some other sweetener to taste and don’t forget to add a pinch of salt. Salt always goes well with chocolate and it is also known to make low fat ice cream seem creamier.

———————

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. However, some of the above links lead to sites that I have affiliate relationships with (i.e. Amazon.com). What that means is that when you link through to the site AND make a purchase, I collect a small fee that goes towards the maintenance fees associated with running the YouGrowGirl.com website.