A creamy frozen low carb treat. These chocolate mint pops taste like frozen pudding!
You know, I make a lot of great recipes. I don’t really believe in false modesty, but nor do I want to be boastful. Still, I know I’ve become pretty adept at working with low carb and gluten-free ingredients, and creating some goodies that taste just as good as the conventional version. I’ve gotten to the point where much of it is intuitive for me. I have a good sense of how almond flour will behave if I add this many eggs or that much butter. Or if I add cocoa or chocolate. I daresay I’ve actually gotten better at creating low carb recipes than traditional ones, and on the rare occasion that I am attempting something with flour and sugar, I find myself a little lost.
Every now and then, however, I drop any pretense at modesty and I have to declare myself an outright genius. Because sometimes a recipe turns out so well, my own jaw drops. And then I have to do a happy little jig and sit down at my computer to write about it. This is one of those recipes, and quite frankly, the results were about 10x better than I was expecting. I’ve attempted fudgsicles before and have never really been that impressed. My Chocolate Yogurt Pops were pretty great, but they were definitely more along the lines of frozen yogurt than fudgesicle. But these were spot on…rich, chocolate-y, creamy and sweet.
I hadn’t really been intending to make fudgsicles; they were actually born out of an excess of cream. I took my girls to a nearby dairy and bought some of their heavy cream, when I realized I still had quite a bit of cream in the fridge. Since I didn’t want any of it to go bad, I had to come up with a cream-based recipe pretty darn quick. Lots of possibilities crossed my mind, but it was a hot day and treats of the frozen variety seemed apropos. And I just didn’t feel like hauling out the ice cream maker and putting in the effort of making a custard base. I did a little search on homemade fudgsicles and came across several possible recipes. As always, in the end I mingled a few recipes and did a little adjustment here and adjustment there and ended up with my own creation.
And I have to say that, although you could flavour these with anything you like, the peppermint was an inspired touch on my part. These taste like a frozen version of a chocolate bar I loved growing up called French Mint, the perfect intersection of chocolate and peppermint. At the same time, I think that the base recipe has great potential and I can envision some coffee flavouring for a mocha version. I also have another idea in mind for these but I can’t share just yet because it might warrant a blog post of its own! Suffice it to say that these are so good that I’ve already made them 3 times in the span of two weeks. My kids adore them, rave about them, go wild for them, and I feel perfectly happy serving a sugar-free popsicle to them for dessert every night of the week.
Chocolate Mint Fudge Pops (Low Carb and Gluten-Free)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 popsicle |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 119 Calories from fat 100 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 11.22g | 17% |
| Carbohydrate 3.81g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.34g | 5% |
| Protein 1.44g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond or cashew milk (unsweetened)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract or vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together milk, cream, Swerve, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook one minute, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk briskly to combine. Let mixture cool at least 10 minutes and then pour into popsicle molds.
- Freeze 1 hour, then push wooden sticks partway into popsicles and return to the freezer (wooden sticks are best for staying in the pops when you take them out of the molds). Freeze until solid, about 5 more hours.
- To remove from molds, run under hot running water for 30 seconds or so
I agree that you are making really great stuff! And most importantly it is healthy.
I love the photo of the two girls eating them. Adorable! And I’m saving this recipe, it looks so fun for summer.
Ooooo, I want one!! Bad!
I am going to make these today 🙂 I actually made low carb brownies yesterday that came out really well. I think I did a happy dance of my own!! Q…reading some of your earlier posts you talk about not having achieved that crispy and chewy texture in a cookie. Have you yet? Just wondering if you’ve posted it and I missed it? Have a great day!!!
I made fudgesicles yesterday! I cannot wait to dive into them today. I felt naughty using up the rest of my heavy cream but I’m glad I’m not the only one! 🙂
I’ve been OBSESSED with pops lately! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!!!!!!
I’ve been dreaming about pudding pops lately. These would definitely satisfy that craving!
the photo of the girls eating the ice-cream is just precious.
And yes, you’re a genius, you always amaze us with your beautiful and delicious creations that are close to being guilt-free
ha! ha! Can’t wait to see you do your happy dance! I’ve done chocolate frozen yogurt, so I know what you mean that it ain’t no fudge pop. Love the fudge smeared faces!
I love chocolate and mint together. These look yummy!
Robin
Yum! The photo of the girls is precious. Unfortunately, my DD is lactose-intolerant, but your low carb recipes are the bomb!
You can use almond milk and look around for a substitute for the heavy cream . Have you ever heard of these products they taste amazing . http://phillyswirl.com/products/.
You are a genius! These look amazing…and chocolate and mint…yay!
I just love that picture of chocolate covered faces – absolutely precious. What a treat!
oh this is on my summer to-do list!
I just made these and they were phenomenal! They tasted very much like the Theo Mint Dark Chocolate bars. Mine used Dutch processed cocoa and were thus much darker, as well as subbing in the same quantity of tapioca flour for arrowroot, as my arrowroot was mysteriously missing in my pantry.
But even with those changes they were incredible – refreshing, creamy, very, very decadent. Excellent recipe and in my deep freezer, at least, they were set up and well frozen in three hours.
Thanks so much for sharing!
super…but i must have missed this info’: how many carbs and calories are in these fudge pops?
Hi. The carb count is there at the bottom of the recipe. I don’t calculate calories. Thanks!
Oooh, these look SO good I am going to try them real soon 🙂
(still have to find the Popsicle molds as the weather is good so they’re sold out everywhere! I made a water ice thing for myself yesterday using a whole pureed peeled cucumber, the juice of one lime, a teaspoon of dried mint and a tablespoon of my sweetener of choice….it was GORGEOUS!)
I have a few questions though:
– could I leave the milk out and use just all cream?
– what does the arrowroot do and can I leave it out??
– no way I can find peppermint extract here (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) so do you think I could use fresh or would the texture spoil it?
Thanks again for your awesome site and recipes! I made your peanut butter flax granola yesterday and I LOVE it!!!
x
Yes, you can use all cream. The arrowroot thickens the base and makes it have a creamier, richer consistency once it’s frozen. In its absence you could use cornstarch (they work the same) or xanthan gum if you can find it. The cream alone will be very thick so that on it’s own might help. If you want to use xanthan, let me know because you have to work it in differently and I will give you some directions there.
thanks for the feed-back!
I’ll go on the hunt for the forms on Wednesday (maybe my friend who has a store selling GB and USA products will have peppermint extract) and let you know how I got on.
I will try them first with just all cream and will let you know how it went and if I will need to buy the arrowroot or xanthan (won’t be the cornstarch due to it being high in carbs)
Thanks! ^_^
I have made these with and without the peppermint extract. The kids and I think they are better without it. Best fudge pops I have ever had and so easy!!
Try dixie cups(or any small disposable cup) if you don’t have molds.
ooh, DUH: I forgot to mention with the cucumber slush that I added enough water to make it a liter and a half…. makes a difference I thing ^_^
It sounds fantastic, thanks for sharing!
Hi:
Oh my! The popsicles look perfectly delicious, and I want to try this recipe.
Please advise how to use Xanthan instead of arrowroot. I know Xanthan is tricky to use sometimes – so your expertise would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Okay, if you don’t want to use arrowroot, here’s my suggestion. Follow the recipe as is, except for the arrowroot. Boil the mixture, etc. Once finished, sprinkle 3/4 tsp xanthan gum and whisk very, VERY briskly. Xanthan gums up very quickly so you need to be fast. I tend to sprinkle a little, whisk vigorously, sprinkle a little more, whisk some more…you get the pictures. Hope that helps!
Thanks so very much Carolyn for your speedy response.
Dee
If you are using xanthan gum instead of arrowroot powder, is it necessary to heat the ingredients?
Yes, because the heating thickens everything a lot better. Plus xanthan gum will whisk into the hot liquid better.
You are a GENIUS! These are amazingly delicious and I’m fairly certain I’ll be eating one every day!
I just made these today (with 10 drops of NuNaturals liquid stevia with vanilla extract instead of peppermint extract) and OH MY GOD they are so good! I’ve tried various recipes for low-carb fudgesicles, including trying to make a low-carb version of an Alton Brown recipe, and these are far and away the best I’ve ever made. The texture and flavor are perfect. Thank you so much!!
Hi Carolyn we make your fudge pops all the time, they are delicious! Do you think they would work just using greek yogurt and canned coconut milk for the base with the arrowroot? Thank you so much!!!
It’s worth a try, but I can’t guarantee it. You definitely need to cook the arrowroot with the coconut milk, as that is what helps it thicken properly. Then add in the greek yogurt after it cools for a while.
These are to die for. I made a single batch just to see what everyone thought about the recipe. My goodness! We couldn’t get enough. Now I make them in double batches all the time. These are absolutely the best! Thanks so very much for sharing!
I just made these again, minus the mint, and added a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee granules (and a few extra drops of liquid stevia to compensate for the bitterness of the coffee), and oh my god they are so good! This is my go-to recipe for low-carb frozen goodies. Thank you!
Thanks! They are infinitely adaptable and our whole family loves them!
I have to try these… I’m attempting to cut back on sugar, or cut it altogether. These may be my new best friend.
Good luck!
Just made a batch of these and am not sure I can wait for them to fully freeze! Thank you for your great recipes 🙂
That’s what I love to hear!
I made these and I used cornstarch instead of Arrowroot powder and we ended up getting a film in our mouths from them ?? Any ideas ??
loved the taste !
No idea, as I would have thought the two were interchangeable. But maybe it’s the cornstarch.
Can’t wait to try these. Thinking orange extract would be tasty also.
Yes, it would!
I am a little late in finding this recipe…whoops about 5 years, lol. I see in the comments some are mentioning arrowroot used in the recipe. I have some of that on hand, but no xanthan. Did you change the recipe or just omit the arrowroot. If you just subbed out that ingredient, would I just sprinkle it like the xanthan in recipe.
I originally mixed about 1 tbsp of arrowroot into it to help thicken. Sprinkle it in while the mixture is cold still, if you choose to use that.
I just wanted to say that I LOVE this mix. I made it with instant espresso powder and a little coffee extract for a mocha fudge pop. Could hardly wait for them to freeze. However I think the nutritional info is wrong? I am using the same stuff but calculated 4.5-ish carbs for 1/4 of the recipe, not 1/8. Which is better!
Hmmm, I may have to look at that more carefully!
I can’t wait to make these…..love chocolate and peppermint. When I take my pops out of the molds, I fill a bread pan with warm water set half of the pops in the bread pan until they unmold and then I unmold the other half. Works really easy and that way they don’t melt as much
Looks good. Where can I find forms like those?
I got mine just at a local grocery store but amazon carries similar ones. http://amzn.to/2tStEhj
Thanks a lot for your reply.
0MG. I reserve 5 stars for only those recipes that are truly amazing. This is a 5*!
I made the ‘mistake’ of licking the spoon before I added the peppermint, so I poured out half. I put 1.5tsp of vanilla extract in one half and the mint in the other half. Both turned out yum!
So now I will also use this without the xanthan for hot chocolate this winter! Oh and I used skim cow’s milk instead of nut milk (green footprint) and it turned out fine. Next time I’ll use 18% cream to keep the fat lower too. Cheers!