The creamiest homemade Fudgsicle fudge pops, these taste just like the classic favorite! But made healthier with just 5 ingredients. Vegan, paleo-friendly, gluten free and made with no refined sugar but you will never know, these are SO soft and creamy right from the freezer!
You and the family will be making these on repeat.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE HOMEMADE FUDGSICLE FUDGE POPS:
A healthier version of the original using only 5 ingredients (6 including salt)!
SECRETLY vegan, paleo-friendly and gluten free.
Same exact texture and taste as real Fudgsicle bars.
So creamy right from the freezer, no defrost time needed.
Easy to make, just blend and freeze overnight!
Everyone will love them, 100% kid approved.
Higher protein and lower glycemic making them suitable for specific diets.
INGREDIENTS:
Cashews, or macadamia nuts
Oat milk, or coconut milk
Coconut Sugar
Cacao Powder
Vanilla Extract
Sea Salt
SUBSTITUTIONS AND SWAPS
Cashews should be substituted here for raw macadamia nuts, also soaked until plump. This will make the bars lower in FODMAPs, or if cashews aren't tolerated. However no other nuts can be subbed. You can search other vegan and paleo ice creams that are nut free in the search bar!
Oat milk can be subbed for canned coconut milk, or heavy cream if you are not dairy free. Any other plant based milk may be too thin, resulting in the pops not freezing completely. The milk must be thicker (higher in fat)! I don't suggest almond milk or soy milk.
Cacao powder can be swapped for high quality dutch cocoa powder. I do not suggest Hershey's or these lighter cocoa powders, the fudge pops will not be chocolatey enough. I love cacao powder for the antioxidant benefits and it's so rich in flavor.
Vanilla can be omitted if not on hand.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT VEGAN FUDGE POPS:
1. The cashews must be soaked for 3 hours in hot water, up to overnight until plump. This creates the creamy texture of the fudge pops.
2. Be sure to freeze the pops until fully frozen, 10-12 hours is recommended. Otherwise they will be too soft and won't come out of the molds in one piece.
3. Use silicone molds, these bars are soft like ice cream and using a plastic or metal mold they will be hard to get out. I used these molds here.
4. Blend until completely smooth with no cashew pieces visible!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY FUDGE POPS:
see recipe card for ingredient list and full recipe
Making these vegan and paleo friendly Fudgsicles is SO easy.
1. Soak the cashews for 3 hours or up to overnight until plump and soft.
2. Drain cashews and add remaining ingredients to a high speed blender.
3. Blend until smooth, then transfer to silicone pop molds.
4. Freeze for 8 hours, up to overnight until pops are fully frozen.
5. Pop out of molds and enjoy right from the freezer.
6. Option to dip in chocolate for extra chocolatey goodness.
Watch this video for a step by step!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT VEGAN FUDGE POPS:
1. The cashews must be soaked for 3 hours in hot water, up to overnight until plump. This creates the creamy texture of the fudge pops.
2. Be sure to freeze the pops until fully frozen, 10-12 hours is recommended. Otherwise they will be too soft and won't come out of the molds in one piece.
3. Use silicone molds, these bars are soft like ice cream and using a plastic or metal mold they will be hard to get out. I used these molds here.
4. Blend until completely smooth with no cashew pieces visible!
FAQs
Can I make creamy healthy Fudgsicles nut free?
No, unfortunately the cashews (or macadamia nuts) are needed in this recipe, it's what makes the fudge pops so creamy without getting solid or crystalized when frozen. There are many other dairy free and nut free ice creams on my site, just search 'ice cream' in the search bar!
Are healthy Fudgsicle bars gluten free and paleo?
Yes, these healthy fudge pops are gluten free. They can easily become paleo by swapping the oat milk with coconut milk!
My fudge bars aren't fully frozen and are too soft to remove from molds!
This is most likely because they haven't had enough time to freeze. Mine take 10-12 hours depending on what mold I use, but fully frozen overnight. This may also be because the milk used wasn't thick enough, or too low fat percentage. I use Oatly oat milk, and also recommend canned coconut milk for the best results.
*Be sure to remove the pops right after taking out of freezer before they have time to get soft in the molds. They get soft fast!
How to store healthy homemade Fudgsicles?
These store best with little air, so I like to use a ziploc bag or Stasher bag and let the air out before placing in the freezer. You can also use an airtight container but I recommend wrapping each pop in wax paper or parchment paper before storing. Will be good in freezer for up to a month!