Healthy Chocolate Popsicles

Looking for a healthier version of your favorite childhood treat? Cool off with these easy to make vegan fudgsicles! These healthy chocolate popsicles are dairy-free, gluten-free, and contain no refined sugar. Make your own tasty frozen treat with a few simple ingredients!

Hot summer days are synonymous with cool frozen treats which means that creamy fudge pops are a must this time of year. 

These healthy chocolate popsicles are a twist on the classic summertime treat.  Easy to make and satisfyingly fudgy, these homemade chocolate popsicles are everything you love about the childhood treat without all the stuff you don’t.  If you loved fudgsicles as a kid but are looking for something a little healthier for yourself or your kids then you’ll want to give these a try.  They’re easy to make and only require a handful of ingredients, so you can have a batch ready in no time.

What Makes These Fudge Pops Healthy?

If you’re gluten-free then store-bought fudgsicles are off-limits as they contain malted barley extract.  They also contain milk which makes them off-limits if you are dairy-free or vegan along with a number of other less than desirable ingredients.   These homemade chocolate popsicles on the other hand are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free for a healthier treat.

Ingredient Notes:

(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.  As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

• Coconut Milk – I like the consistency of lite coconut milk for these.  Use canned coconut milk not from a box.
• Cashew Butter – Cashew butter gives these healthy popsicles their creaminess.
• Cocoa Powder – You can use either natural or Dutch cocoa powder or even cacao powder.
• Dates – Naturally sweet Medjool dates help to sweeten the fudge pops.
• Coconut Sugar – The caramel-like flavor of coconut sugar is a natural, un-refined alternative to white sugar that nicely compliments the chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla – A hint of vanilla extract rounds out all the flavors.
• Chocolate Shell - I like to dip my popsicles in homemade chocolate shell and sprinkle them with cacao nibs when I’m feeling fancy but you can keep them plain and simple if you prefer.   When the chocolate coating hits the frozen popsicle it hardens immediately creating a beautiful thin, crunchy shell that melts in your mouth as you bite in.  You’ll need maple syrup, cocoa powder, coconut oil for the shell.
• Cacao Nibs – If you’re dipping your popsicles in chocolate shell you can sprinkle on a few cacao nibs for extra crunch and chocolate flavor.

How to Make Healthy Chocolate Popsicles:

(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe.  Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

1. If your dates are hard you can soften them up by soaking them in some hot water for a few minutes otherwise you’ll start by adding the coconut milk, cashew butter, cocoa powder, dates, coconut sugar and vanilla to a blender jar and blending on high until the mixture is creamy and smooth. 
2. Next pour the mixture into your popsicle mold, add the popsicle sticks and transfer the mold to the freezer to chill.  If you’re making plain chocolate popsicles you’re done!  Just freeze until solid and enjoy. 
3. If you want chocolate dipped popsicles then while your popsicles are freezing make your chocolate shell by stirring together the coconut oil, cocoa powder and maple syrup over a pan of hot water until melted and smooth.  Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Once the popsicles are fully frozen, unmold them and quickly dip the tops into the chocolate shell then sprinkle with cacao nibs.  Return the popsicles to the freezer until ready to serve and enjoy!

Variations:

Want to mix things up?  Try these variations.

• Use melted chocolate to dip the popsicles instead of chocolate shell
• Sprinkle dipped popsicles with toasted coconut, chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips instead of cacao nibs.

More Popsicle Recipes:

• Iced Tea Popsicles
• Cherry Lime Popsicles
• Coconut Water Popsicles