Alisa Fleming ~ I’m not a big fan of plain old popsicles. Like sorbet, popsicles just don’t wow like their creamier cousins. That said, rich and sugary desserts aren’t something that I like to indulge in daily … so I often compromise, marrying the bright flavors of summer fruit with a light “cream.”
Dairy-Free Blueberries ‘n Cream Popsicles
The cream in this case is light canned coconut milk. If you aren’t in love with the flavors of coconut, have no fear. Light coconut milk isn’t just low in fat, it’s also much more mellow in the coconut department than regular coconut milk. Simply use another sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup (yes, maple is amazing with blueberries!), or cane sugar, and the coconut vibe will slide by most people without detection.
On the contrary, if you’re a big coconut fan, then go ahead and blend in 2 tablespoons (or more!) of unsweetened shredded coconut along with the other ingredients. I think you will agree that coconut, blueberries, and lime make an awesome combination.
I purchase Trader Joe’s light canned coconut milk, but there are many brands on the market. If you can’t find one, simply use 1/2 cup of regular full fat canned coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Or, go all out and use a full can of regular coconut milk!
Keep in mind, canned coconut milk is quite different from coconut milk beverage in the cartons. To compare, think of coconut milk beverage like 2% milk, light canned coconut milk like half & half, and regular canned coconut milk like cream.
- 2 to 4 tablespoons coconut sugar, or to taste (can sub sweetener of choice, see notes above)
- 1-1/2 cups light canned coconut milk (roughly one can)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 50mg pure stevia extract (about 1/16 teaspoon), or to taste, optional
- If using coconut sugar, place it in a spice grinder and whiz those coarse granules into more of a powder. This step is optional, but I find that it helps the coconut sugar blend in. You can skip this step if using another sweetener.
- In a blender, combine the ground sugar (or other sweetener, I start with 2 tablespoons), coconut milk, blueberries, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and puree until relatively smooth and creamy.
- Give it a taste test and blend in the stevia and/or more sugar or lime juice to taste. I find this depends on the sweetness of the berries quite a bit, but I usually add a touch of stevia regardless as it seems to "brighten" the overall flavor when used lightly.
- Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds, and freeze until solid - this usually takes about 2 hours.
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