Homemade fudge pops that are as healthy as they are delicious! Totally sugar-free, and so creamy and chocolate-y, they taste like frozen chocolate pudding. At only 1.6g net carbs, they make a wonderful low carb treat for summer. Instructional video included.
These sugar-free fudgsicles are an updated version of one of my favourite older recipes. They are so easy to make and my kids absolutely love them. The original recipe was made with peppermint extract, which is absolutely delicious, but you can also make them with vanilla extract for a more basic fudge pop recipe. And I’ve included a video so you can see just how easy these delicious keto popsicle are to make!
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.
How To Make Keto Fudge Pops
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 fudgesicles. 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.
A creamy frozen low carb treat. These chocolate mint pops taste like frozen pudding!
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup almond or cashew milk unsweetened
- 1/3 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or peppermint extract
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
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In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together milk, cream, Swerve, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and cook one minute, stirring continuously.
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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.
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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.
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To remove from molds, run under hot running water for 30 seconds or so
Medeja says
I agree that you are making really great stuff! And most importantly it is healthy.
Jen @ Savory Simple says
I love the photo of the two girls eating them. Adorable! And I’m saving this recipe, it looks so fun for summer.
[email protected] says
Ooooo, I want one!! Bad!
Shannon K. says
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!!!
In Katrina's Kitchen says
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! 🙂
Tiffany says
I’ve been OBSESSED with pops lately! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!!!!!!
Lynn says
I’ve been dreaming about pudding pops lately. These would definitely satisfy that craving!
Roxana GreenGirl { A little bit of everything} says
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
Laura @ Family Spice says
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!
Robin says
I love chocolate and mint together. These look yummy!
Robin
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
Yum! The photo of the girls is precious. Unfortunately, my DD is lactose-intolerant, but your low carb recipes are the bomb!
Amber Weber says
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/.
Francine says
Maybe coconut cream?
Kerry says
You can buy lactose-free whipping cream! I have bought it from Save-On Foods.
JulieD says
You are a genius! These look amazing…and chocolate and mint…yay!
Jeanette says
I just love that picture of chocolate covered faces – absolutely precious. What a treat!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
oh this is on my summer to-do list!
Taryl says
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!
bj says
super…but i must have missed this info’: how many carbs and calories are in these fudge pops?
Carolyn says
Hi. The carb count is there at the bottom of the recipe. I don’t calculate calories. Thanks!
Nikki says
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
Carolyn says
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.
Nikki says
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! ^_^
Jamie says
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!!
Jackie k says
Try dixie cups(or any small disposable cup) if you don’t have molds.
Nikki says
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 ^_^
Carolyn says
It sounds fantastic, thanks for sharing!
Goldiegal says
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.
Carolyn says
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!
Goldiegal says
Thanks so very much Carolyn for your speedy response.
Dee
Carolyn D says
If you are using xanthan gum instead of arrowroot powder, is it necessary to heat the ingredients?
Carolyn says
Yes, because the heating thickens everything a lot better. Plus xanthan gum will whisk into the hot liquid better.
Brandie says
You are a GENIUS! These are amazingly delicious and I’m fairly certain I’ll be eating one every day!
Cappy says
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!!
Laura E says
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!!!
Carolyn says
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.
Linda says
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!
Cappy says
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!
Carolyn says
Thanks! They are infinitely adaptable and our whole family loves them!
Erin says
I have to try these… I’m attempting to cut back on sugar, or cut it altogether. These may be my new best friend.
Carolyn says
Good luck!
Susan Dunham says
Just made a batch of these and am not sure I can wait for them to fully freeze! Thank you for your great recipes 🙂
Carolyn says
That’s what I love to hear!
Betsy Barker says
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 !
Carolyn says
No idea, as I would have thought the two were interchangeable. But maybe it’s the cornstarch.
Leslee says
Can’t wait to try these. Thinking orange extract would be tasty also.
Carolyn says
Yes, it would!
Bridgette Upton says
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.
Carolyn says
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.
Kate Polese says
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!
Carolyn says
Hmmm, I may have to look at that more carefully!
Sandy Munn says
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
Teri says
Looks good. Where can I find forms like those?
Carolyn says
I got mine just at a local grocery store but amazon carries similar ones. http://amzn.to/2tStEhj
Teri says
Thanks a lot for your reply.
Lulu says
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!
LISA C HESS says
Delicious with r without the peppermint! Thank you!!!!
Teri says
In this and other recipes calling for almond milk, can coconut milk (beverage) be used instead?
Carolyn says
If you mean the thinner carton style coconut milk, absolutely.
Teresa says
But not canned coconut milk?
Carolyn says
You could use canned coconut milk.
Paul Stevens says
OK, Carolyn, you have sold these to me, so I have ordered some moulds. Can you please clarify something which is puzzling me? You say in your pre-amble that each pop contains 1.6g of carbs but at the bottom of the recipe you say each serving has 4.24g of carbs. In the nutritional information it says total carbs 3.1g.
I’m confused!
Thanks
Paul
Marianna says
I have the same question! CanNOT wait to make these!!
Carolyn says
Sorry, the last part are some old notes from when it was a slightly different recipe. I am deleting that now…
Annette says
My keto kid, who’s a label reader, was just eyeballing fudge popsicles at the store this week! He’ll be thrilled to find these in the freezer!
Conni says
Hi, could you please tell me what the difference is in the refrigerated or the “on the shelf” almond mild is and which should I use here?
Carolyn says
You can use either. There is no real difference in them except in the way that they are packaged.
Jean says
These look great, but I am confused by the Net Carbs–The recipe says: Total Carbohydrates 3.1g
Dietary Fiber 1.5g–that should be 1.6 Net Carbs, right? But the recipe also says: Serves 8. Each serving has 4.25 g of carbs (fiber is negligible). Could you verify? Thanks Carolyn!
Carolyn says
Sorry, the last part are some old notes from when it was a slightly different recipe. I am deleting that now…
Laurie says
These look amazing! I’d like to make them, but I’m a little confused about the actual net carb count. Your recipe notes say: Serves 8. Each serving has 4.25 g of carbs (fiber is negligible).
But the nutrition facts list:
Total Carbs 3.1
Fiber 1.5
If the lower carb count is accurate, I’d love to incorporate them into my keto lifestyle. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Kiri says
Perfect for kids! Thank you for this recipe!
Nicole says
I made these yesterday and they disappeared. I am on my way out to the kitchen to make some more. I think these will be a staple in the freezer this summer!
Lenore says
Hi. Looking forward to making these. Is it the confectioners or granular Swerve?
Carolyn says
Confectioner’s although both work.
Gill Driver says
Could you make one large one in a carton, rather like ice cream?? 💐💐
Carolyn says
Sure. It might freeze kind of hard, though.
Marty says
Thank you! These are wonderful. Even my husband loves them.
Stacy says
These fudge bars are delicious. I have made the 3 times now. The last time around I added some espresso powder and they were amazing!
Thanks for the great recipe!
Kristy says
YUMMY!!!! I made these tonight in my quicksicle maker! So so delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Roo says
These were so delicious! Glad there’s more in the freezer! Love so many of your recipes! Thanks for sharing!!
Melissa A says
Made this last weekend and they are the BOMB! We are going to make a double batch this weekend! Im windering what it would tast like with some peanutbutter added (PMS wants to know.) Also.. if yoir genius kind couldncime up with a creamsicle version in Orange I will seriously kiss the ground you walk on!
Carolyn says
I’ve already done that… https://swervesweet.com/recipes/creamsicle-pops 😉
Linda Wood says
Cream cycle with orange juice is not keto though; way too many carbs here.
Carolyn says
Sorry but “not keto” is a bunch of baloney. These are so low carb (not counting erythritol which doesn’t spike blood sugar) that they are indeed keto. They wouldn’t kick out out of ketosis unless you ate the whole batch!
MOONYEAN C LEFEVRE says
I’m allergic to casein protein in dairy do you think these would work using coconut cream?
Carolyn says
Yes, they totally do, in fact I have a dairy-free version in my Easy Keto Desserts https://amzn.to/2NGETRf
Lindsey Ramsdell says
I made these the other day. They turned out awesome! Super creamy, chocolatey and delicious! It is very difficult to eat just one lol.
Heidi says
Can you replace the Swerve with Stevia?
Carolyn says
In this recipe you should be able to but I am not sure of the quantities.
Sharon Caudle says
OMG!! I totally and completely bow down to you! You are AMAZING and I can’t thank you enough for sharing your recipes and creating your cookbooks! I made these last night and feel like I’ve gone to heaven!! It’s so nice to be able to enjoy frozen treats without my blood sugars going through the roof!! I used the special dark chocolate to make these and they are rich and so chocolate-y!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Eileen Kirkpatrick says
I’m dying to make these, but I don’t have access to Swerve. Can I use Pyure instead?
Carolyn says
I think that should be fine.
Pat says
What can I substitute for the xanthan gum?
Carolyn says
Glucomanna or guar gum would be fine.
Rachael says
Hi there! I LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it twice now. But question regarding the carbs. How are you getting this calculation? Swerve contains 4 carbs per tsp. So 1/3 cup should have 64 carbs, divided by 8 is 8 carbs for each popsicle just in the sweetener alone. Am I missing something important? Any clarification or help would be much appreciated. Feel like I’m going insane!
Carolyn says
HI Rachael, I state very clearly in my nutritional disclaimer that I do not count erythritol carbs because they have zero impact on blood glucose. In my opinion they shouldn’t eve be listed as carbs. Most keto dieters discount them altogether.
Rachel Reed-Dalhover says
These are Soooooo delicious! I will definitely be making these all summer long! I am just curious if could leave out the cocoa powder and make a vanilla pop?
Daniela says
Will this work without xantham gum? Thank you!
Elizabeth Burt says
My question too.
Jenny says
The amounts made only 3.5 lollies for me, had to dilute the last one with coconut milk! Think next time I’ll do half mix, half coconut milk to make it go further. It’s funny, I didn’t think my moulds were that large! ^_^” Can’t wait to have one!
Carolyn says
They must be big! Mine are 3 ounces which is just about right.
Marilyn says
I was all set to make this recipe and realized that I had mistakenly bought swerve icing sugar instead of the regular swerve sugar. I imagine it would not work at all??
Carolyn says
It should be fine.
Lyn says
So, I’m having to use stevia bc my son’s dietician has instructed me to not subtract Erythritol or sugar alcohols…
The drops are so strong and it is still bitter.. he seems to be okay with this but I’m going to try the powder next.. if anybody has any idea on how much to use, please share.
Also, could I eliminate the cacao and add some more vanilla extract to make these vanilla?? Any suggestions on how to convert these to vanilla would be greatly appreciated as that’s his fav.. and I am not known for being inventive in the kitchen.
Carolyn says
Please search my blog, I already have a vanilla pudding pop recipe.
Cali says
Will these work without the xantham gum (and without substituting something else for it)? Thanks! Can’t wait to make these!
Carolyn says
Not sure they would be thick enough.
Patricia says
Can these be made in the ZOKU Popsicle maker?
Carolyn says
I am sure they can!
Toria says
My BF, grnadkids and I made this recipe and found 1 tsp. of peppermint extract to be way too much – and we all love chocolate mint! They were so strong that we could barely taste the chocolate and found them nearly medicinal. I tried again with 1/2 tsp. and still too much peppermint (wondering if there’s a big difference in brand – what did you use?). The chocolate and consistency was good, though, so I gave it 4 stars instead of 3 because it has potential for us. We’ll try again with 1/4 tsp. and another with espresso or coffee extract. Thanks for developing these recipes!
Carolyn says
Yes, it can vary depending on brand. I have Frontier… what did you use?
Lisa says
Just made these today. I added an ounce of espresso to boost the chocolate flavor. I poured them into a 16 cube ice tray. These are so delicious and creamy! Next time I’ll set some aside and whip it I to a mousse. Thanks for a great recipe.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!