Homemade Fudge Pops
One of my goals for this summer, along with jumping on the canning bandwagon, was to start making homemade popsicles and other assorted frozen treats. I love homemade ice cream, but sometimes there is nothing better on a sweltering, 90-degree summer day than an ice-cold popsicle. Any time I get to enjoy a popsicle as an adult, it reminds me of summer days spent playing with my sister and our cousins at my grandma’s house. The neighborhood ice cream truck was a fixture there, and when we heard those bells, we were like Pavlov’s dogs. We ran for money and then ran to the truck. The decision about which frozen treat to feast on was newly agonizing each time the truck showed up. The red, white, and blue rocket? The creamsicle? The ice cream sandwich? A fudgsicle? The Drumstick? It’s a good thing the ice cream truck showed up frequently – it gave us ample opportunity to sample a variety of treats. I still get excited when I hear the jingle of an ice cream truck during the summer, but this year I’m looking forward to creating my own homemade versions – delicious, and I’ll know every single ingredient that’s in them!
When my Chief Culinary Consultant and I got down to Florida a couple of weeks ago, we quickly found out that his dad had been enjoying fudge pops. There was a constant stream of the health-food variety in the freezer. I had packed up a stack of cookbooks that I’d been meaning to read, figuring that I could go through them leisurely while we were relaxing. I got to On a Stick! (which is awesome – I think I bookmarked at least 60% of the book!) and discovered a recipe for homemade fudge pops. Score! Perfect timing. I set out to get the popsicle molds I had been meaning to buy for the summer and whipped these bad boys up.
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They couldn’t have been easier to make and tasted incredible. While I’ve found most store-bought versions to taste like little more than chocolate-flavored ice milk, these are the polar opposite. They are rich, decadent, and bursting with chocolate flavor. You actually feel like you’re eating frozen fudge. That is the purpose of a fudge pop, right?! The recipe calls for semisweet chocolate, but you could definitely use milk or dark, based on your personal tastes.
Since the diet fudge pops in the freezer boasted that they were only 100 calories, I was curious about the homemade ones and calculated how many calories they contained. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they came in at 157 calories. Yes, that’s a bit more, but it’s not outrageous and totally worth it to me to eat something without any fake ingredients. Whole, natural ingredients always trump chemicals for me. These are definitely going to be a summer staple in my freezer!
What was your favorite ice cream truck treat?
Homemade Fudge Pops
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cups (133.33 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2½ cups (610 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 8 wooden popsicle sticks
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
- Combine the melted chocolate, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and butter, and stir until well combined.
- Let the mixture cool slightly (it should still be warm but not hot to the touch), and then pour into 8 popsicle molds. Freeze for 30 minutes, and then insert sticks. Freeze completely before serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I have a daughter with a milk allergy, so I’m wondering if these can be made with almond milk??
Yes, definitely! Enjoy!
Made these the other day and they were wonderful. I love how rich they taste, better than the store-bought ones, and how much better they are for you!
i was just wondering what could be used instead of cornstarch..would love to try these but no cornstarch :(
Hi Eva-May, You could substitute a few different things. This website is a great resource for how to go about making the changes. I’m not sure what you have on hand, so I would check it out and go from there: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/substitute-cornstarch-for-baking.html
I only use arrowroot powder in my home. It’s a lot healthier, no talc in it.
I made these last night and we are enjoying them right now. They are so tasty on this 85 degree day! They have the right amount of chocolate, sweetness, and creaminess. Thanks for the recipe.
this is super tempting. thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks for the great fudgesicle recipe. My favorite of all time is a coconut bar. Sort of the consistency of a fudgesicle but with coconut milk and coconut and I can’t guess what the other ingredients are. They are smooth creamy and with the best coconut flavor ever.
oh wow, the ice cream truck brings back so many hilarious and wonderful memories. my younger brother and i would be playing out in the front yard and as soon as we heard the familiar tones of the truck about to come around the corner we would BURST into the house shrieking “mommy! mommy! the ice cream man! the ice cream man!” as we dove for the quarter stash that was kept under dad’s desk. my brother ALWAYS got the “bomb pop” – the red, white and blue popsicle shaped like a missile rocket, haha. i liked to change it up – but i remember fudge pops being a frequent choice. thanks for the recipe – i can’t wait to make these today!
Love these!!! I’ve been wanting to try making frozen treats for my boys..this would be perfect!
Awesome! There no other words that come to mind but awesome!!! :-)
I seriously cannot wait to make these. Adding those popsicle moulds to my list!!
Oh my. I haven’t had a fudgesicle since childhood due to sensitivity to certain foods and chemicals, so I don’t buy them or ice cream. I eat homemade ice cream all year long. I’ll be making these very soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Love fudge pops. I wonder if you could use Stevia or another sugar substitute.
Hi Susan, I think you could use a substitute without a problem.
I would definitely love one of these any time of the year! And only 157 calories?? how awesome! I really want to start making more frozen treats too, they’re better than having to turn on your hot oven and all that jazz. My favorite ice cream truck treat would have to be the red, white, and blue rocket popsicle!
Woah! I’m in love with fudge pops, and I definitely want to try them with bittersweet chocolate. What a fantastic suggestion!
Alright! I can’t wait to try these. These will be great for my little guys birthday party this summer :)
Ooh…fudgesicles are one of my favorite summer treats. Creamsicles and Fat Boys are also pretty awesome. Definitely need to give these a try.
Will the recipe still work if I use rice milk or almond milk?
Hi Amber, I think that it should.
Well, seems like my chocolate craving has revved up YET AGAIN, thanks to your site haha… No really, thank you :)
If it wasn’t so chilly here right now I’d make some of these. Will have to wait for warmer weather but they certainly look delicious.
My favorite!! These look great and somehow less “guilty” than a lot of other things. Must try! Now if it would just warm up again.
These are awesome! Can’t wait to try these out this summer… I agree – nothing better than homemade and KNOWING what is in the food you eat :)
Growing up I drooled over the butterscotch pops and fudge pops. It was agonizing trying to decide which one I wanted. But I usually went with the butterscotch. Got to try your recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Love me some fudge pops! When I was a kid, I remember the ice cream man saying that I was going to turn into a fudge pop! So yes, I do have a problem. :) Question: do you think these could be made with 1% or 2% milk instead of whole? Thanks for this recipe!
Hi Sarah, Yes, I think you could use 1% or 2% without a problem.
These look delicious!!! And quite light too!!!
Yum,I just bought popsicle molds, this may have to be the first recipe I use to break them in! Thanks for sharing!! and the On a Stick Book sounds amazing, I am going to have to look into it!
These look incredible! The perfect summer treat for my six-year-old and her friends! And another fun use of our Popsicle molds!
We have some similar “pop” making plastic things at home, too, given to us some time back but without instructions so I’ve never tried them, yet. Never thought of making chocolate treats in them though, always figured I’d use juice or lemonade.
I want to make these right away! I’m known to eat an entire box of fudge pops in about one sitting :)
when I was a kid, back in the 60’s, we had a Mr. Softee truck come around & we would get cones with sprinkles
MMMMmmmmmm….Fudge pops are my favorite frozen treat! Can’t wait to try these this summer!