This is one of those times where the homemade vegan version of a nostalgic childhood favorite treat is actually better than the original. Lofty words, I know, but it’s true. These homemade ‘Fudgsicles’ are creamy, fudgy, chocolaty, silky smooth, and so easy to make!
When I was a kid and was offered a treat from the single serve freezer at the local corner store, the Fudgsicle was always my preferred frozen treat, hands down. Sure, the Rocket was pretty epic because it was huge and turned your tongue some intense shades of red and blue, and the giant Freezies were amazing (again, treat size as a kid are pretty influential), but I almost always chose the Fudgsicle.
Since adopting a vegan diet, I have missed them a bit. I have only seen one vegan chocolate fudge ice pop in stores which I tried and while it was really good, it needed more chocolate flavor and fudgy texture to be similar to the original Fudgsicle. And so started my mission of making my own vegan ‘Fudgsicles’ especially after I bought a popsicle mold this summer! It’s been pretty fun putting together different flavors of ice pops for our family – the kids get involved in helping making them, and it’s nice to be able to make different flavors, plus it’s been way cheaper making our own!
These ice pops are really simple to make. Basically, we’re making a thin pudding and then freezing it in molds. This method provides a really, nice silky smooth texture.
A few words about the ingredients I used:
- During testing, I found that a mixture of melted chocolate and cocoa powder provided the nicest flavor reminiscent of the original Fudgsicle. Just one or the other didn’t get me the results I was after but together, oh my goodness…they were a bit richer in chocolate than the non-vegan original, but we all really loved them this way. I bet you will, too!
- I first tried making them with soy milk as this is our household staple, but I found that almond milk was much better as it has a milder flavor. If almond milk is not an option for you, I would try rice milk although I didn’t test this recipe with it (I will soon and will update this post then). Also, I am itching to try hazelnut milk in this recipe! If you try it out, let me know how it goes!
- Yes, there’s sugar in these. I don’t recommend reducing the amount called for in the recipe as the sugar is important in creating some of the fudge-likeness. Same goes for the chocolate chips as they also have some sugar in them, really boost the chocolate flavor and contribute to the smoothness.
After you’ve made the pudding, it will be boiling hot. Let the pudding cool for a bit in the pot until it’s no longer scalding. A thin layer of skin may have formed – use a spoon to gently peel it off. If you leave it on the pudding mixture, it will create unpleasant lumps in your ice pops and will make pouring the mixture into the molds really messy. All that said, don’t let the pudding mixture cool too long – it’ll thicken up a bit and, again, make pouring difficult. And truly, the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for these guys to freeze which really isn’t that long!
Vegan Fudgesicles
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond milk, divided
- 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch
- ⅔ cup vegan chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of almond milk with the cornstarch, until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed medium sized saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Heat over medium heat, and whisk continuously until the chocolate chips have melted, and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Turn the heat to medium-high to get the mixture simmering. Stay close, keep whisking or things will stick and possibly burn.
- Once the mixture is bubbly, stream in the cornstarch slurry, whisking constantly. Cook for a minute or 2, or until the mixture thickens a bit. Remove from heat.
- Let cool until no longer scalding hot but not so much that it has set or it might be difficult to pour into the molds. If there is a layer of “skin” on the top, gently remove it as it will make lumps in the ice pops.
- Pour the mixture into the ice pop molds and cover. Place in the freezer in a level spot. After about an hour, insert the wooden ice pop sticks (if you add them before the ice pops have frozen a bit, the sticks can sink and you’ll be left with stubby, crooked handles. ) Return to the freezer and freeze for another 3-4 hours, or until set.
- To remove ice pops, run each mold cavity under hot water, gently pulling on the stick until the ice pop comes out. Enjoy!