A vegan fudgesicle is super creamy, has a rich chocolate flavor, and a delicious figgy surprise.
Making popsicles from smoothies meant to be frozen is an idea made for hot summer days. Blending canned coconut milk, almond milk, and cashews delivers a decadent texture, and California Dried Figs and maple syrup gives the popsicles a well-rounded sweetness while enhancing the chocolate.
Dried Figs: a Natural Sweetener
Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Dried Figs are a fantastic natural sweetener for smoothies and pops because they’re low in fat, contain complex carbohydrates for a slow assimilation of sugars, and are loaded with dietary fiber to aid digestion. A 100 gram serving of dried figs contains 10 grams of fiber; more than the same serving of dates, prunes, raisins, and apricots. And, figs are also loaded with antioxidants and a good amount of essential minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium to support better health. So, snack on a fiber-filled vegan fudgesicle for a perfect blend of flavor and function.
Tips for Making Popsicles
You do need a high-speed blender to make this recipe. The blend gets very thick, so have your tamper ready to guide the ingredients through the blades. Soak your figs and cashews to soften them for the smoothest texture. And, to retain the full sweetness of the figs, soak the dried fruit and cashews in the coconut and almond milk from the recipe (instead of water) for 2 hours, and then blend. For a smaller chocolate fix, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays.
Nutrition Boosts When Making Popsicles
To boost the nutrition and get more veggies into kids, blend in a cup of baby spinach, or a quarter cup of raw frozen broccoli or cauliflower without altering the taste. Or, to vary the flavor, take your chocolate into a divine dimension with 1/4 teaspoon peppermint or orange extract. For a spicy kick, blend in a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Whatever floats your fudgesicle boat, these chocolate figgy pops are fantastic!
Vegan Fudgesicles
Equipment
- high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170g) chopped Orchard Choice® or Sun-Maid® California Dried Figs
- 1/2 cup (70g) raw unsalted cashews
- 1 (14 oz / 400ml) can full-fat coconut milk (1 3/4 cups)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 2/3 cup (54g) cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place your chopped figs and raw cashews into a bowl, and cover with boiled water (still steaming hot), and allow to soak and soften for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and discard the soaking liquid.
- Transfer the drained figs and cashews to your high-speed blender, and add the canned coconut milk, almond milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Secure the lid, remove the center lid cap, and insert the tamper. Blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, using the tamper to guide the ingredients through the blades until smooth and creamy. (If your blender does not have a tamper, the mixture will get very thick, and you will have to stop the machine, burst the air pockets in the mixture, redistribute the ingredients, then blend again until smooth.)
- Using a long spoon, guide the mixture equally into 8 popsicle molds. Secure the lids/sticks, and place in the freezer for about 8 hours to solidify.
- To serve the popsicles, place the bottom molds in a tray or bowl of hot water for 20 to 30 seconds, and gently release the popsicles.
