Summer has finally reached the Laurentians and everything is bursting with green. I feel like I went from lamenting the snow in late April to lamenting the length of my lawn in a day or 2. Ice pop season started early this year. With the first signs of heat my kids bee-lined for the freezer at our local depanneur (corner store). I have a few different ice pop molds that I love to use, but my kids rejected my healthier less sweet versions of ice pops last year, and I have since learned not to hold back on the sugar.
If I had swooped in with healthy homemade ice pops a little earlier in their lives before they had a chance to taste a store bought ice pop I may have been successful in winning them over, but now they know too much. So I have dusted of my ice pop moulds, and I have made the chocolate pudding pops I have been meaning to make for a year and a half. The recipe is simply a chocolate pudding recipe minus the egg yolks. The mass in the pops helps slow down the melting process, and gives little guys the time they need to eat them. Apparently dads like them to.
Embracing sugar doesn't have to mean adding tons of white sugar to every ice pop recipe. Concentrated white grape or apple juice are great sweeteners. Although sugar is sugar in the end, and an ice pop falls in the treat category.
If I had swooped in with healthy homemade ice pops a little earlier in their lives before they had a chance to taste a store bought ice pop I may have been successful in winning them over, but now they know too much. So I have dusted of my ice pop moulds, and I have made the chocolate pudding pops I have been meaning to make for a year and a half. The recipe is simply a chocolate pudding recipe minus the egg yolks. The mass in the pops helps slow down the melting process, and gives little guys the time they need to eat them. Apparently dads like them to.
Embracing sugar doesn't have to mean adding tons of white sugar to every ice pop recipe. Concentrated white grape or apple juice are great sweeteners. Although sugar is sugar in the end, and an ice pop falls in the treat category.
Chocolate Pudding Ice Pops
- 125 ml /1/2 cup white sugar
- 45 ml / 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 50 ml / cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 625 ml / 2 1/2 cups whole milk
Add all ingredients but milk to a medium saucepan. Whisk to blend. In a steady stream whisk in the milk. Over medium heat, while whisking continuously, bring the pudding to a boil and then turn down heat to medium. Whisk until thickened (about 1 minute), and remove from heat. Let cool. With a spoon fill ice pop moulds. When the moulds are full gently bang the moulds on the counter to help remove air bubbles. Place ice pops in freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight. To remove an ice pop place the mould under very hot water for a few seconds and pull ice pop out by handle.
Other great ice pop recipes:
Cantaloupe and citrus pops (Oprah)
Yogurt berry ice pops (Canadian Living)
Orange Banana Smoothie pops (Canadian Family)
Ice cream recipes make great ice pops. Just replace any cream in the recipe with milk.
Wow! With skim milk and a little les sugar these will be awesome, great recipe!
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