Dreamy Coconut Popsicles Make For The Best Dessert Of The Summer

Dreamy Coconut Popsicles Make For The Best Dessert Of The Summer

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It’s summertime, which means our cravings for cool, sweet treats are at an all time high. While we often think of fruit popsicles as a guilt-free way to indulge, most of the pre-packaged varieties in our grocer’s freezer are loaded with refined sugar and artificial colors – not exactly a clean dessert. Luckily, it couldn’t be easier to make your own healthy coconut popsicles with any combination of cleanse-approved fruits and herbs that are just as delicious as what you’d buy in a box.

BLUEBERRIES: A POWERFUL SUPERFOOD

For this recipe, we went with a combination of blueberries, mint, and lime for refreshing mojito flavor. Blueberries are one of our favorite summertime fruits for so many reasons. They’re sweet, succulent, and packed with nutrients including iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and vitamin K. Blueberries have been shown to help maintain strong and healthy bones, lower blood pressure, ward off heart disease, improve mental health, and support healthy digestion. Some research suggests that the high vitamin C content in blueberries can even help fight the signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles.

STOMACH-SOOTHING MINT

We love mint for its fresh and invigorating flavor, as well as for its ability to support healthy digestion. Mint can instantly soothe an upset stomach following a big meal or after eating spicy foods. It’s also effective at treating nausea, headaches, and coughs that often accompany a pesky summertime cold. By steeping mint leaves in coconut milk, we harness the curative powers of this fragrant herb in a treat you can enjoy post-meal or anytime the craving for an icy cold treat strikes.

Off of the 21-Day Clean Program, you can make these popsicles an “adult” dessert by stirring a third or half cup of light rum (depending on how much of a boozy popsicle you want them to be) into the chilled coconut milk before it pouring into the popsicle molds.

Ingredients

1 can full-fat coconut milk

½ cup + 1 tablespoon water, divided

½ cup fresh mint leaves

4-½ tablespoons coconut sugar, divided

½ lime, juiced

1 pint blueberries (about 2 cups)

Instructions

Prep your ingredients. Open the can of coconut milk, rinse the blueberries and mint leaves, measure the coconut sugar, and slice the lime.

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Combine the coconut milk, ½ cup water, mint leaves, and four tablespoons of coconut sugar in a saucepan.

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Simmer coconut milk over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about two minutes. Remove from heat and muddle the mint leaves with the back of a spoon.

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Strain the coconut milk into a bowl, removing the mint leaves. Stir in the lime juice.

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Combine the blueberries, ½ tablespoon of coconut sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a saucepan.

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Simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. The blueberries should be thick and syrupy when done. Transfer to a bowl.

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Place the bowl of coconut milk and the bowl of blueberries in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Once cool, add a teaspoon of blueberries to each slot in a popsicle mold.

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Fill each slot with coconut milk about three quarters of the way, followed by another teaspoon of blueberries.

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Place the lid on the popsicle mold and insert a popsicle stick into each slot, leaving about an inch and a half of each stick exposed.

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Place the tray in the freezer for at least four hours, overnight is best. If the popsicles are hard to remove, run the mold under warm water for a few minutes to loosen. Enjoy immediately or wrap the coconut popsicles in parchment paper and freeze.

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Recipe and photos by Kate Kasbee

If you like this article, you might also enjoy These Coconut Raspberry Popsicles Will Keep You Cool