It’s that time of the year again…when it’s ridiculously hot in most parts of the US (our AC hasn’t arrived yet, so by “most parts of the US” I mostly mean, in our bedroom. It is so freaking sweltering. My cat keeps laying on the floor and giving me the evil eye) and icy cool deliciousness on a stick is simply necessary. Luckily, it’s #popsicleweek, otherwise known as that time when everyone on the internet makes some of the most creative, amazing popsicles known to man kind. Last year, I made Chia Rose Raspberry Pops, which, if you haven’t yet tried eating for breakfast, you should. The chia not only makes the pops super creamy, but it adds protein and fiber that keep you easily full till lunch. Also, you can then tell everyone you know that you had a popsicle for breakfast – optional nanny nanny boo boo to follow.
Here are a few of my favorite pops from this year’s selection:
Sherrie’s Creamy Iced Coffee Pops
Sarah’s Honeydew Green Tea Pops
Faith’s Dulce de Leche Pops
Em’s #Pinkdrink Pops (with bonus points for cultural relevance!)
Jen’s Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Pops
And as for me…
Well, I’ve been obsessed with edible flowers all summer – this time of year, I want everything to be vibrant, bursting with color and life, and edible flowers seem to make any dish do exactly that. After seeing a white chocolate drizzled pop on Magnum’s Instagram feed, I had visions of a healthy version of the same thing, the white chocolate studded with bright, colorful edible flowers. When I stumbled upon some gorgeous basil at the farmer’s market, everything came together in my head, and these pops were born.
They’re shockingly easy for how insanely gorgeous they look. It’s really just a quick whiz in the blender for the pops, and a bit of stove work for the white chocolate drizzle. The edible flowers hold up shockingly well in the freezer (I used pansies) and the result is a pop that’s not only wow-worthy to look at, but amazingly delicious. When basil is used in dessert, its sweet, faintly grassy notes are highlighted; paired with the milky white chocolate, it’s utterly decadent.
Oh, and did I mention this pop was entirely vegan, gluten free, AND refined sugar free? The white chocolate flavor comes from cacao butter, the pressed oil of the cacao bean (and the actual “white” part of the chocolate; truly white chocolate in its truest form). Cacao butter makes these pops incredibly creamy, while adding health benefits from its antioxidants, oleic acid, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, and theobromine, which raises energy and alertness levels. Basil is also one of the world’s healthiest foods, rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that will boost your immune system and make sure you don’t spend any of the beautiful summer days home sick.
Because it’s popsicle week, a ton of us food blogger folk are making our own take on the summer classic. If you want to check out the rest of the pops, head over here.
White Chocolate Basil Popsicles with Edible Flowers (Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free)
Ingredients
Popsicle
- 3” piece of raw cacao butter
- ½ cup packed basil
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp sweetener of choice (I like honey, maple syrup and coconut syrup)
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
White Chocolate Drizzle (you can also omit this, or simply use microwave or double boiler melted store-bought white chocolate)
- 2” piece raw cacao butter
- 2 tbsp sweetener of choice (I like honey, maple syrup and coconut syrup)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp coconut milk powder (available at many Asian grocery stores and very cheaply online – can also sub milk powder of choice)
Edible Flowers For Garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Blend together all Popsicle ingredients until very smooth. Pour into popsicle molds of choice (you can even use Dixie cups or champagne flutes!) and let freeze for one hour, then insert sticks and freeze for at least six more hours, or until frozen solid. To remove, simply run under warm water for 10 seconds (or peel off Dixie cup, if using). Transfer unmolded pops to a piece of parchment or waxed paper in the freezer. This is very important, as you’ll want them completely frozen when you use the drizzle on them.
- To make the drizzle, melt cacao butter, then stir in all remaining ingredients until very smooth. Remove pops from freezer and add drizzle; place edible flowers where you’d like them to go. Return to freezer and freeze for 1 more hour, or until frozen solid. Makes about 6 pops.
