Frozen Summer Treat: Strawberries And Cream Popsicles

It’s getting warm, which means it’s popsicle season! Not only are these stripy, red-and-white strawberries-and-cream popsicles perfect for a Canadian summer, but they’re also made with real food ingredients (strawberries and coconut milk), are naturally sweetened and dairy-free. Plus they’re absolutely delicious and a total hit with kids. Win!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Strawberry purée 

• a generous cup of fresh strawberries, washed with stems removed
• 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

Cream

• 1 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Supplies

• popsicle moulds
• popsicle sticks
• a food processor or a high-power blender

First place a cup of fresh strawberries and 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup into the food processor and process until smooth. This will also work in a high-powered blender, though you’ll likely need to use your blender’s tamper tool to get things started. Transfer the mixture into a container with a pouring spout when done — a liquid measuring cup works perfectly.

With the sweet strawberry purée done, it’s time to mix up the cream part of the popsicles. Measure one cup of coconut milk, a 1/4 cup of maple syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla into a separate spouted container and give the mixture a good stir.

With both mixtures prepared, you’re ready to begin assembling your popsicles! 

Start by pouring a small amount of the strawberry mixture into the base of your popsicle moulds. How thick you make the stripes is up to you. My kiddos wanted thick stripes this time around, so that’s what we did.

Place the moulds in the freezer, set a timer for 30 minutes and add your wooden popsicle sticks when it rings. Allowing the mixture to firm up just a little bit will help hold your sticks upright, though it doesn’t really matter if they’re a little crooked or off-centre.

When your first strawberry layer is frozen solid, take the popsicle moulds out of the freezer, add a stripe of the coconut cream mixture and pop them back in.

Keeping your strawberry and cream mixtures in the fridge while not in use, continue this process until the moulds are full and completely frozen.

When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply run the outsides of the moulds under some hot water and gently pull the popsicle out when you’re able to.