With all of the rain in central Texas earlier this year, I ALMOST forgot it was summer. It hasn’t been it’s usual scorching self. And then August rolled around – the worst month of the year to be a Texan – and oh yeah, it’s summer! Thanks 106 degree weather. Thanks very much. Luckily, my mom sent me some popsicle molds in my birthday package a couple months ago and I finally got to use them this weekend. Nothing screams summer like nice cold popsicles. But these are special popsicles. They are magical raw vegan popsicles. Oooh… A rich and creamy coconut base paired with frozen berries and fresh herbs. Toss in a little raw sugar to sweeten the deal and you’ve got homemade popsicles that are way better than anything store bought!

Here is the front and back of the popsicle molds my mom bought. She got them at Central Market, but I’m sure you could find something similar at other stores or online.

The molds are really easy to use and I love that this brand is BPA & Phthalate free. These only make 4 at a time, but it’s the perfect amount if you want to share them with a couple of besties or secretly eat them all yourself 🙂

I took this recipe idea from the blog This Rawsome Vegan Life and I pretty much stick to it other than a couple of minor changes. I made two batches – The first batch was berry (straw, black, and blue) and thyme. I added a little less sugar to these because I was scared of overdoing it. They came out milky white and although not quite as sweet as I would’ve liked, they were still delicious. Here’s a close up:

The second batch I made consisted of strawberry and fresh basil. I used more sugar than the original recipe called for. These came out the perfect sweetness in my opinion, but it did change the color of the pops, they were a darker color and not as white. I’m totally fine with that because they still looked pretty and tasted great!

Even if you aren’t vegan, you will salivate over these ice cream pops. They’re so refreshing and creamy, easy to make (even for kids) and best of all; it’s a dessert that’s actually healthy!

Here is what you will need:

1 set of 4 popsicle molds
One 15 oz can of full fat coconut milk
Frozen berries
Fresh herbs
1/4 c + 1 heaping tbsp raw organic sugar

And here is what you do with said ingredients:

1. Empty the can of coconut milk into a blender. Add the sugar and blend together for a few seconds.
2. Place your frozen berries inside the popsicle molds. Sprinkle the fresh herbs in as well. Herbs that have small leaves like thyme don’t need to be chopped, but I recommend it for larger leaves like basil or mint.
3. Pour the coconut milk mixture into each mold. Add the popsicle sticks and place in the freezer overnight or for several hours.
4. Take out of the freezer and peel the molds from the popsicles. Voila!

These babies will melt pretty fast, especially if you’re outside. I stored the leftovers on a plate in the freezer, and when I was ready to eat them, I pulled them out and let them defrost for a few minutes first. Use any kind of fruit/herb variations you like. Fresh fruit works as well. If you have any leftover coconut milk mixture like I did, you can use it in smoothies or as a creamer for tea & coffee. Yum!

Enjoy!

Jillian ♥