Happy Summer, friends! Well, Northern Hemisphere friends. 🙂 For all the rest of you, sorry if these are just so AMERICA right now. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I wanted to call these Cofveve Coolers instead of Patriotic Popsicles. But in the end, I had to go with a title that would able to show up in Google search results far into the future, like next summer, when there will no doubt be some trendy new hashtaggable term floating around.
Anyway, for my Independence Day contribution to a Facebook feed near you, I humbly present, Dairy-Free Patriotic Popsicles.
These popsicles are basically like summer on a stick.
Sweet, juicy strawberries.
Plump, perfectly ripe blueberries.
A fresh can of coconut milk.
Ok, the first two ingredients definitely are summer.
How to Make Dairy-Free Patriotic Popsicles (VIDEO)
I’m so loving making these videos, you guys. This one is especially dear to my heart because it has a VERY cute taste tester. I mean, I’m biased, but DANG. She’s cute. The thing she says at the end? I didn’t even tell her to say that. A natural, I tell you.
If you’re interested in the popsicle mold that I used in the video, I got it at Cost Plus World Market and it’s sturdy and awesome. It’s made by a company called NorPro, and I’ve found other tools that they make equally great. This is the same model on Amazon, except with a bright blue lid instead of the aqua one in the video. I’m pretty sure the popsicles will still turn out the same.
These popsicles are super easy to make, but they just need a little extra chill time between the layers so you can get the red, white, and blue effect.
First, start with sweet strawberries. Fresh or frozen, it doesn’t matter at all. Two cups of berries will blend up into 1 cup of liquid, to which I add just a tablespoon or two of coconut milk to make it slightly creamy without losing the beautiful red color. If the berries aren’t as sweet as you’d like, add a bit of maple syrup or your favorite sweetener. Pour the mixture into each popsicle mold, filling up 1/3 of the way. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Next up, the coconut milk. In the video, the cream has separated from the coconut water and I scoop it from the top of the can, but if your can is all liquid, no worries at all, it’s easier to blend up that way anyway. Sweeten the coconut milk with a tablespoon or two of maple syrup. Carefully pour over the strawberry layer, filling to 2/3 full. Freeze for 30 minutes. In the meantime, if you have any leftover coconut milk, it’s great blended up with extra berries and ice for a quick smoothie.
Finally, the blueberries. Same thing as the strawberries, start with two cups and puree, it will end up as 1 cup of liquid. I also add a tablespoon or two of coconut milk for creaminess, along with maple syrup or other sweetener as needed. Can we just talk about the fact that blueberries don’t actually look blue once they’re pureed? Let’s be honest, these are red, white, and purple popsicles. But I don’t care. They started out blue, dang it. Also, here’s a prep tip – wait until you’re ready to pour the final layer of the popsicles before blending the blueberries. Turns out that blueberries have a TON of pectin in them, so once they’re blended and sit for a few minutes, they thicken up like crazy, make it very difficult to pour into the popsicle molds. Ask me how I know.
Fill up the popsicle molds almost to the top (leave a 1/8″ space for expansion in the freezer), add the lid, and the popsicle sticks. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight, and you’re all set!
P.S. This is the immersion blender I used to make the popsicles. It’ll change your life.
Wherever you are this 4th of July, I wish you life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And popsicles.
Dairy-Free Patriotic Popsicles
Ingredients
Red Layer
- 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (add more to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon canned coconut milk or coconut cream
White layer
- 1 cup canned coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (add more to taste)
Blue Layer
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (add more to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon canned coconut milk or coconut cream
Instructions
- Using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree strawberries, maple syrup, and coconut milk.
- Fill bottom 1/3 of each popsicle mold with strawberry mixture.
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Puree 1 cup of coconut milk and maple syrup together.
- Fill middle 1/3 of each popsicle mold with coconut milk mixture.
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Puree blueberries, coconut milk, and maple syrup.
- Fill top 1/3 of each popsicle mold with blueberry mixture. Be careful not to overfill as the mixture expands slightly when freezing.
- Add popsicle mold lid and popsicle sticks (leave enough room to hold the popsicle stick).
- Freeze until solid, a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
- Warm popsicle molds with warm water to remove popsicles and store in a freezer bag in the freezer until ready to eat.
Vida!!!! You’re so adorable!!! I saw it on IG and it just made me smile so big…too much cuteness!!? I love your heart art too.?