You’re going to love this easy recipe for healthy homemade fudgesicles! These pudding pops need just 6 ingredients, plus they’re gluten-free, low carb, and WAY better than the kind from Walmart!
When I was a kid and was offered a popsicle, I always chose the fudgesicles. Whether it was from an ice cream truck or a myriad of frozen treats from the freezer, the fudgesicle always won.
It’s like creamy, chocolate ice cream on a stick and they’re the perfect cold treat on a hot summer day.
I still love fudgesicles and with this homemade fudgesicle recipe, I can have them whenever I want WITHOUT worrying about the unhealthy store-bought version!
Fudgesicle: Are fudgesicles healthy?
Speaking of unhealthy ingredients, have you looked at the ingredients in a Fudgsicle® recently? Here’s a few of the harmful ingredients we’re trying to avoid:
- Sugar
- Corn syrup solids
- High fructose corn syrup (read about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup)
- Carrageenan (read about the dangers of carrageenan)
The sugar-free version isn’t that great either. While they don’t have “sugar,” they have several other harmful artificial sugars:
- Sorbitol
- Polydextrose
- Aspartame
- Acesfulfame Potassium (I cover the dangers of aspartame and acesfulfame potassium extensively in my book High Protein No Powder)
Thankfully, this homemade fudgesicle recipe uses just 6 real food ingredients, all of which you likely already have in your pantry!
Homemade Fudgesicle Recipe
Both of my kids DEMOLISHED these homemade fudgesicles the first time I made these. I gave them to their friends the second time and everyone LOVED them!
I can see why too. These homemade fudgesicles are:
- Easy to make
- Creamy
- Healthy
- Vegan
- Naturally sweetened (and refined sugar-free!)
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Ready in just a few hours!
I’m always surprised that my kids love them because they’re packed with healthy, wholesome foods. Then again I shouldn’t be, because they taste just like those chocolate pudding pops we’ve grown up with ourselves!
Ingredients for Chocolate Pudding Pops
You only need a few basic ingredients to make homemade fudgesicles:
- Full-fat Unsweetened Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream. You need the kind from a can here, not the drinkable kind you’d pour over cereal. You also want full-fat milk. Both coconut milk and coconut cream will work in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips. We use dark chocolate chips to reduce the overall amount of sugar in our recipes. Semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips will work as well. You can even use a chopped up chocolate bar or chocolate chunks if you don’t have chips.
- Cocoa. I used raw cacao, but natural cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa (the kind at most grocery stores) will work too.
- Vanilla. You just need a little bit, to help mellow-out the chocolate flavor.
- Salt. It helps to bring out the sweetness.
- Maple Syrup. Maple syrup adds natural sweetness without adding flavor to contrast the chocolate. If you use honey, you will taste it in the final frozen popsicle. I used 3 tablespoons per batch, but you can reduce this if you’re using chocolate chips with higher sugar content.
Are fudgesicles gluten-free or dairy-free?
They can be! These fudgesicles are naturally gluten-free, but you will need dairy-free chocolate chips to make them completely free of dairy. I recommend Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips, which are both dairy-free. gluten-free, and non-GMO.
Thrive Market has the best price for both Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips and canned coconut cream. Surprisingly, they even beat out Walmart’s prices!
Hot Tip: Crumbs readers can get a FREE 14oz jar of coconut oil when you become a Thrive Market member through this link.
Supplies for Homemade Popsicles
You need just a few supplies to truly pull off fudgesicles, or any homemade popsicle recipe for that matter.
- Popsicle Molds. I bought these popsicle molds from Amazon a few years ago and highly recommend them. You can see if you can find a similar set of popsicle molds at Walmart.
- Ice Cream Sticks or Popsicle Sticks.** You can find popsicle sticks at Walmart too, but I bought them from Amazon when I bought the popsicle molds.
** The popsicle molds come with a handle so you don’t HAVE to buy sticks. However, using sticks is best when you’re giving them to the kids. That way they can eat it outside while playing and you don’t have to worry about getting your popsicle mold handles back.
How to Make Pudding Pops (Chocolate Popsicles)
It is SO easy to make fudgesicles that you’ll find yourself making these all the time!
- Melt the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the chocolate chips are melted, about 5 minutes.
- Pour into popsicles molds and freeze until frozen through, about 6-8 hours.
See what I mean? The next time you’re craving something cold and chocolatey and healthy, give these fudgesicles a try!
Other Delicious Homemade Popsicle Recipes
And in case you’re not a fan of chocolate, here are some of my other favorite homemade popsicle recipes:
- (1) 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate chips)
- 3 Tbsp cocoa (I use raw cacao)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt (I use Real Salt)
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stirring often, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until the chocolate chips melt, about 5 minutes.
- Set aside the mixture while you prepare the popsicle molds, if necessary (i.e. placing the molds upright in the stand).
- Pour the mixture evenly between five popsicle molds. Place the handles that came with the popsicle molds on top and freeze until frozen through, about 6-8 hours.**
- To unmold, run the mold under warm water for one to two minutes. Do your best to not get the popsicle itself wet. Then pull the popsicle out of the mold.
Yay! I love fudgesicles and ice cream sandwiches. They do bring back childhood memories. Thanks, Tiffany. Can’t wait to try these when my niece and her kiddos come next weekend. Happy Wednesday.
Happy Friday to YOU JoAnn! I think your family is going to really like these. 🙂
Whoa! These look great! Thanks again for another knock-out recipe Tiffany!
You’re most welcome Mary Katherine!
These look delicious but I am probably not going to make anything at this time that I have to cook. So my version is all done in the food processor. One banana, a splash of vanilla, one large scoop of chocolate protein powder, a drizzle or two of maple syrup, almond milk (or whatever you have on hand) about 2 TBSP of real cream. Puree, taste, adjust and pour into molds. I also made this without the banana but used black cherries…mmmm. I made strawberry cheesecake with strawberries, cream cheese, milk, maple syrup, a little cream and milk. It’s a wonder these even last long enough to get poured into the molds.
Your variations sound delicious Judi!