Coconut Blueberry Ice Pops
Creamy vanilla coconut milk swirled with jammy, lime-bright July blueberries and frozen into ice pops for the hottest afternoons.
Why you'll love Coconut Blueberry Ice Pops
July is peak blueberry season, and these pops are what to do with a pint or two on a sweltering afternoon. Full-fat coconut milk warmed with a split vanilla bean and a little allulose freezes into a creamy white base, and blueberries cooked for a few minutes with lime turn into a deep purple swirl running through it.
Cooking the berries briefly bursts their skins and releases their juice and natural pectin, so they freeze soft and jammy instead of as icy little marbles. The coconut milk's fat is what makes the pops creamy, because fat breaks up the ice crystals as they freeze, and allulose keeps them softer and easier to bite than a pop made with sugar.
They take 20 minutes of work, then wait in the freezer for you. The fruit comes with its own real fat in every bite, the way RESET360 always pairs fruit.
Quick overview: This Coconut Blueberry Ice Pops takes 10 min of hands-on time and about 6 hr 20 min in all and makes 10 servings, each 1 ice pop. You'll need a saucepan.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (13.5 oz each) full-fat coconut milk, shaken well Label: coconut and water, with no gums or sugar
- 1/4 cup allulose, divided Label: allulose, and nothing else
- 1 vanilla bean
- a pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Infuse the coconut milk: Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Whisk the coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of the allulose, the vanilla seeds and pod, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the allulose dissolves and the mixture is warm and smooth. Keep it below a simmer, since boiling can make coconut milk separate. Take it off the heat and let the pod steep as it cools.
- Cook the blueberries: Put the blueberries, the remaining 1 tablespoon of allulose, and the lime juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring and pressing some of the berries against the side of the pan, until about half of them burst and the juice turns thick and glossy. Leave the rest whole for texture. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Cool the base: Fish out the vanilla pod and whisk the coconut base again. Let it cool to room temperature, or refrigerate it for 20 minutes to speed things up. Cool mixtures freeze faster and more evenly in the molds.
- Layer and swirl: Drop a spoonful of blueberries into the bottom of each of ten 3-ounce ice pop molds, add coconut milk to fill each about halfway, then another spoonful of berries, then more coconut milk, leaving 1/4 inch at the top for expansion. Run a skewer down through each mold once or twice to swirl the layers.
- Freeze: Cover the molds and insert the sticks. If your molds have no lids, freeze them for 1 hour, until slushy, then push the sticks in so they stand straight. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until solid.
- Unmold: Run the outside of a mold under warm water for 10 to 15 seconds, then pull the pop out gently by its stick. Serve right away.
Storage and leftovers
Once unmolded, wrap each pop in parchment and keep them in a sealed freezer bag for up to 1 month. Left in the molds, they keep just as well.
Refreeze any pop that has started to melt only if it stayed cold. The cooked blueberry swirl keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, if you make it ahead.
Variations
- Raspberry: Use raspberries in place of the blueberries, cooking them for just 3 minutes since they collapse quickly.
- Lime and coconut: Whisk the finely grated zest of a lime into the coconut base for a brighter, tropical pop.
- Cherry: Use pitted sweet cherries, halved, cooked for 6 to 8 minutes until soft.
- Yogurt pops: Use 2 cups of plain whole-milk yogurt in place of one can of the coconut milk, whisked in once the base has cooled.
Notes and tips
- Shake the cans: Coconut milk separates in the can. Shake it hard, or whisk it in the pan, so the pops freeze evenly creamy.
- Check the coconut milk label: It should read coconut and water. Full-fat gives the creamy texture.
- Use frozen berries if needed: Frozen wild blueberries work just as well; cook them 2 minutes longer.
- Save the pod: Rinse and dry the scraped vanilla pod and bury it in a jar of allulose to make vanilla allulose for later.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Blueberries bring fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and their deep blue color comes from anthocyanins, the same pigments that give purple and red fruit their color.
- Coconut milk is the real fat in these pops, and pairing fruit with fat slows how quickly its natural sugars reach your bloodstream.
- A little allulose and a whole vanilla bean are all the sweetening the pops need beside ripe berries.
- A cold dessert eaten slowly gives your body time to register that it is satisfied.
- As you eat, notice the cool coconut and the tart berries, and pay attention to how one pop feels like plenty on a hot evening, with no pull toward a second sweet afterward.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Coconut Blueberry Ice Pops? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
Do I need ice pop molds?
Molds give the classic shape, but small paper cups or 3-ounce glasses work. Freeze them for an hour, insert wooden sticks, and peel the paper away to serve.
Why are my pops icy?
Light coconut milk or coconut beverage from a carton has too little fat to stay creamy. Use full-fat canned coconut milk.
Can I use a different sweetener?
Monk fruit or stevia work, at the amount the package suggests in place of 1/4 cup of sugar. Allulose freezes the softest of the three.
How long do they take to freeze?
At least 6 hours in most home freezers, or overnight to be sure the centers are solid.
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