Coconut Popsicles

Coconut popsicles are delicious and creamy. A cold ice pop on a hot day can’t be beat, you don’t have to rely on store-bought pops to get that coconut flavor. You can easily make them at home and keep a supply in your freezer all season long. These use both coconut milk and cream to get that smooth, luscious texture along with coconut and vanilla extracts for bolder flavor. If you don’t have ice pop molds, paper cups and food-safe ice pop sticks work just as well.

Coconut Popsicles Ingredients

• Coconut milk and unsweetened coconut cream: Use full-fat milk and cream to make the pops thick and creamy, rather than icy.
• Maple syrup: Sweeten the pops without making them taste too sugary.
• Coconut and vanilla extracts: The coconut extract ensures the coconut flavor can’t be missed, and the vanilla adds a nice background flavor that blends well with the coconut. Did you know you can make your own vanilla extract?
• Freezer pop molds or paper cups with wooden popsicle sticks: If you use paper cups, use heavy-duty foil to better hold up the popsicle sticks.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the ingredients

Whisk together the coconut milk, coconut cream, maple syrup and coconut and vanilla extracts in a large bowl.

Step 2: Freeze the pops

Pour the mixture into the molds or paper cups. Add the holders or sticks; if using paper cups, place a layer of foil over the cups and push the sticks through that. Freeze the pops until they’re firm.

Step 3: Unmold

When you’re ready to unmold them, let the pops sit for about five minutes at room temperature.

Coconut Popsicles Variations

• Add a little shredded coconut: Take a few tablespoons of sweetened shredded coconut and mix it in with the coconut milk and cream.
• Coat the pops with chocolate: Once the pops are frozen solid, make this homemade magic shell recipe. Unmold the pops, put the mixture in a tumbler that’s wider and taller than the pops and dip the pops in the chocolate. Place them on parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet and put them back in the freezer. Or, put the shell mixture in an icing/piping bag with a small hole cut in the end, and drizzle the chocolate over the pops. Let the shell harden before wrapping the pops for storage.

How to Store Coconut Popsicles

For pops you’re going to eat in the next few days, you can leave those in the molds in the freezer. For those you want to store for longer than that, unmold the pops and wrap them securely in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped pops in a freezer-safe bag or container.

How long do coconut popsicles last?

Eat them within one month of making them. When frozen properly, they’ll last longer than that in terms of food safety. But they can become more icy and less desirable in terms of quality after a month. Here are more ice pop recipes if you want to keep a variety of treats in your freezer.

Coconut Popsicles Tips

Can I use wooden popsicle sticks from a craft store or craft section?

Any wooden popsicle sticks you use have to be food-safe and meant for use in food. Phrases like “ice pop sticks” have become generic terms for any elongated wooden sticks with rounded ends that look like they belong in ice pops. But that doesn’t automatically make them safe to use in something you’re actually going to eat. If the package of sticks is labeled for use in food or has the terms “food-safe” or “food-grade,” you can use them. If they have no label stating that they’re food-safe or food-grade, don’t use them.

What’s the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream?

Both coconut milk and cream are made by blending or cooking coconut meat with water. The mixture is strained to remove the coconut meat. Coconut milk is smooth and thin (even when full-fat), and coconut cream is thicker and more fatty. If you’ve ever opened a can of coconut milk and found a thick, creamy layer floating on top, that’s coconut cream. You can also buy the cream separately. Did you know you can make your own version of coconut cream as well as make it easier to remove cream from a can of coconut milk? Check out these tips for using coconut milk and cream.

Can you use flaked coconut?

If you want to add solid coconut to the popsicles, stick with shredded coconut. These shreds are much thinner and smaller than flakes and will mix easily with the milk and cream. Smaller flakes might be appropriate if you’re garnishing the pops with coconut after coating them with chocolate. Learn more about the differences between flaked and shredded coconut.