One of my favorite ice cream flavors is creamy coconut ice cream, especially if there are coconut flakes in the ice cream. I remember when I was in elementary school, I attended a Chinese school in South Africa since Chinese were not allowed to go to public schools at that time. After school, there was a mobile ice cream vendor that used to ring his bell outside the school gates. I would run to get a coconut ice cream bar. For some reason, it was a pale pink colored bar covered in coconut flakes. These easy chocolate dipped coconut popsicles are definitely creamier and really do taste of coconut. So, if you're nuts about coconut, this is the treat for you!
Since my mother is dairy intolerant, my brother developed a coconut ice cream that was completely dairy free. When I tried it, it was delicious. His recipe calls for coconut string in syrup, but since it is somewhat difficult to find and his recipe needs to be blended, I decided to add a substitute sweetener which I prefer, because I love condensed milk! These easy chocolate dipped coconut ice cream bars / popsicles are very easy to make. 3 ingredients for the ice cream, 2 ingredients for the chocolate, that's it!
How to make chocolate dipped coconut popsicles.
Tips for making easy chocolate dipped coconut popsicles
Popsicle molds.
Any popsicle molds will work. Various molds have their advantages and disadvantages. I like my metal molds as you can freeze them before adding the popsicle mixture which accelerates the freezing process.
Make it dairy-free and vegan.
If you want the ice cream to be dairy free or vegan, you can used coconut string. This can be found in glass jars in Asian grocery stores. You will need to blend all the ingredients in a blender before pouring the mixture into the popsicle molds.
Coconut.
This recipe calls for both coconut cream and coconut milk. The combination is key. If you just use coconut cream, it is way too rich and would possibly give you the runs! If you just use coconut milk, it doesn't turn out rich and creamy, but the combination of both in equal proportions is perfection! I also add coconut flakes. Finer coconut flakes work better than coarse cut but this is personal preference. The larger coconut chips / shreds are too big for popsicles, unless you plan to blend it.
Condensed milk.
I love the taste of condensed milk so I add this to the recipe instead of the coconut string.
Chocolate covering.
For these easy chocolate dipped coconut popsicles, the coconut oil is integral to making a delicious chocolate covering. If you are doubling or tripling the recipe, the coconut oil does not have to be multiplied at the same proportion as a little coconut oil goes a long way!
Eating these chocolate dipped coconut popsicles.
Usually a type of gum is added to popsicles to make them "softer". Leave the popsicles out at room temperature for a few minutes to melt. This will make this all natural ice cream softer without the addition of gum!
CHOCOLATE DIPPED COCONUT ICE CREAM BARS.
Equipment
- microwave
Ingredients
Coconut ice cream (dairy)
- 342 g coconut cream
- 342 g coconut milk
- 75 g condense milk
- 25 g shredded coconut flakes
- â…› tsp sea salt optional
Coconut ice cream (vegan)
- 75 g coconut string
- 342 g coconut cream
- 342 g coconut milk
- 25 g shredded coconut flakes
- â…› tsp sea salt optional
Chocolate shell
- 150 g chocolate chips semi sweet, dark etc.
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
Dairy ice cream
- Combine coconut cream, coconut milk, condense milk, salt.
- Add coconut flakes.
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Vegan ice cream
- Combine coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut string, coconut flakes and salt in a blender.
- Blend until smooth
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Chocolate shell
- Prepare a baking tray with silicone mat, parchment paper for dipped popsicles
- Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a narrow, microwavable container.
- Microwave until coconut oil is melted and chocolate chips are soft. Approximately 45 seconds depending on strength of microwave. See video.
- Stir mixture until smooth and syrupy
- Dip frozen popsicles into chocolate, allow to dry and place on silicone mat.
- If dipping into other ingredients like coconut flakes or chopped nuts, dip popsicle into toppings while chocolate is still melted.