Dairy-free Blueberry Popsicles
Confusing title, right? But, I wanted to pay homage to the two beautiful berries that could potentially make up this versatile dessert. There are many other frozen berry & fruit options that you could use to create a refreshing ice cream (served now) or creamy popsicle (served later) — the possibilities are endless & also delicious! We have had the best success using strawberries & blueberries, because they are both naturally sweet fruit, but I imagine that frozen mango & peaches would also be delicious! We’ve also tried berry mixes with mainly raspberries and blackberries, but we found that you need to add more sweetener to make up for the tartness of the berries, which takes away from the fresh berry flavour.
Our daughter affectionately calls the strawberry version “Pink possicle” or “Pink ice cream” (depending on what form it’s in), and asks for it no matter what season it is. It makes for a nice ice cream-like dessert to enjoy after a meal, or as an afternoon snack (or before bed…or as part of breakfast….). It is best served immediately if you want to enjoy it as ice cream, or pour into popsicle molds to be enjoyed later.
You’ll need a high powered blender such as a Vitamix in order to get the frozen ingredients blended into a creamy mixture. I haven’t tried making it in a food processor, but if you try it, let us know how it works out!
- 2 generous cups frozen strawberries or blueberries
- 1 medium banana, frozen
- 1 can high fat coconut milk (*do not shake as we want to keep the cream & water separated)
- 6-8 ice cubes
- ¼ tsp vanilla (optional)
- sweetener: 1-2 Tbsp cane or coconut sugar, 2-3 medjool dates, or 3-4 pitted baking dates (soaked in warm water for 5-10mins)
- Place berries, frozen banana, sweetener, vanilla (if using) and ice cubes in a high powered blender such as the Vitamix.
- Scoop the thick coconut cream layer in with the other ingredients. Add a few Tbsp coconut water and start blending - slowly turning the blender speed to high.
- If the mixture needs more liquid, stop the blender & add a few more Tbsp of coconut water. (Sometimes you'll use all of the coconut water & other times you'll just need a little bit)
- Blend just until mixture turns creamy.
- *Too much blending will heat up the ice cream and make it more runny. Too little blending will give you a creamy texture, but with tiny ice crystals... which all still tastes delicious. But, to get an ice-creamy consistency, I gradually increase the blender to high and when the mixture just starts to easily turn in on itself, then I know it's done.
Caught in the act