by Texas Homesteader
Aaaahhhh, summer fun. Picnics, swimming, baseball and cookouts. Who doesn’t love summer? But summer in Texas also means hot, hot, HOT! Of course living & working on a ranch means that RancherMan & I work outside during these dog days of summer so we’re always looking for ways to keep cool.
A few weeks ago I started playing with recipes for making my own healthier Popsicles. I used RancherMan as a very willing guinea pig for several batches until I perfected it. (Taste-Testing Homemade Fudgesicles? RancherMan’s got a tough job, huh? Poor guy!) I wanted to make my own popsicles for several reasons: They’re healthier, produce less landfill trash, are much less expensive and c’mon let’s be honest – it’s EASY!
Fudgesicle Recipe Trial & Error
The first attempt was waaaaay too sweet (and prepare yourself for this) too chocolate. Whaaaa…??? Is it even POSSIBLE for something to be TOO chocolate?? Stay with me now – although I love all things chocolate, the cocoa was so overpowering that even though the fudgesicle was too sweet the cocoa made the popsicle almost bitter.
The second batch was better, but the flavor of the yogurt was a little too prominent for my taste. And although the cocoa proportion was improved I also wanted more intensity in the actual chocolate flavor. Hummm… back to the drawing board I go.
Today is batch 3 – and I think we’ve got a winner! RancherMan declares that these are not as icy as previous batches, more creamy with a good balance of sweet & chocolate. Here’s what I did:
Keeper Fudgesicle Recipe
I like to mix everything into my large 4-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup. It just makes everything easier since it already has a handle and pouring spout. So I start out by mixing the cocoa & yogurt together first. I feel the yogurt helps blend the powdery cocoa more thoroughly. Since I make my homemade yogurt in 1/2-pint canning jars (which measures 1 cup) I don’t even need to measure the yogurt. So I just plop it into the bowl with the cocoa and get to blending.
After the yogurt & cocoa are thoroughly combined I simply refill the yogurt jar with skim milk to get a 1-cup measure & add it in. Finally I add the other ingredients into my bowl. There’s local honey for a natural sweetener, vanilla for flavor and coffee to intensify the chocolate flavor. Oooh really?? Chocolate AND coffee in the same recipe? Oh my, I’m in heaven!
Now all that’s left to do is mix until it’s all thoroughly combined. Yeah, you can see how I slave in the kitchen for this cold summer treat. But that’s just me – I’m a giver!
I already have a convenient pouring spout on my measuring cup. So pouring the fudgesicle mixture into my popsicle molds is a snap. After they are all filled I just place the molds in the freezer until they’re frozen. Then all that’s left to do is ENJOY!
I love that I can give RancherMan the sweet cold treat he craves. Plus it’s much healthier than store-bought versions since it uses wholesome ingredients and is sweetened with local honey. (UPDATE: Now that we have our own apiary, our own honey is used for these fudgesicles!)
Without further adieu – my slaving-in-the-kitchen homemade fudgesicle recipe follows.
Homemade Healthier Fudgesicles (fills 12 popsicle molds)
When it's hot, hot, HOT outside, make these delicious chocolatey Fudgesicles. Healthier & cheaper than their commercial counterparts and oh-so-refreshing!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups low-fat yogurt
- 2 cups skim milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons coffee
Instructions
-
Mix all together in a mixing bowl until thoroughly blended. Carefully pour into popsicle molds and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours until frozen. ENJOY!
~TxH~
Snacks We Love
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Hummus
- Rosemary Crackers w/Olive Oil & Garlic
- Pumpkin Bread (with Cake-Mix Shortcut)
- Cantaloupe Bread w/Pecan Praline Glaze
- Easy Blueberry Muffins
- Fresh Pear Cake
- Rice Krispie Treats With A Chocolate Twist
- Healthier ‘Ice Cream’ Using Bananas & Fruit
- Easy Cookies-n-Cream Ice Cream Cake
- Homemade Honey Graham Crackers
- Cake-Mix Cookies – Only 3 Ingredients!
- Double Chocolate Banana Chunk Cookies
- Sugar-Free Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Truffles
- Watermelon Smoothie (or Daiquiri)
- Rich & Creamy Hot Cocoa
- …And MANY MORE!
See All Recipe Posts
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Yes!! perfect for a summer treat!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Pinned!
Looks amazing! So yummy! #overthemoon
These are just the kind of recipes we like! Chocolatey but healthy (if possible ~ smile). I have saved this! Thank you for sharing this week on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! 🙂
And cold chocolate calms the summertime chocoholic in me too, JES! ~TMH~
Oh Yummy!! Great for Summer!! Thanks for linking up on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday Link Party!! Hope to see you again tomorrow!! Love partying with you!! Pinned!
Like Goldilocks, it looks like the 3rd one was the perfect recipe =) Thank you for your scrumptious and healthy fudgesicles. (Stopping by from the What’s On the List party.)
…and I’m so glad you stopped by! ~TMR~
really like these.
Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! I love having you! Hope to see you again on Thursday! Pinned!
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These sound great. Thanks for linking up at the Homestead Blog Hop. I shared this so I could find it again.
Hope to see you again this week.
Awesome – thanks for the share! My grandbabies are coming for a visit this weekend and there’s sure to be much of this cool chocolatey deliciousness prepared for them to enjoy! ~TMR~
What a super simple yet tasty recipe? It is winter time here in Australia however I can’t wait to try this recipe when it warms up – pinned for future reference! Stopping by from the party over at What’s on the List
Yes Kelly, they’re a delicious cold treat, thanks for the pin. Give ’em a try! ~TMR~
I think I’ll take my morning coffee in fudgesicle form in the morning! These sound yummy!
What better way during the dog days of summer Joanna? LOL ~TMR~
Yum! Thanks for sharing at Simple Lives Thursday.
I have all these ingredients right now I can ‘t wait to try this. We’ve been loving anything sweet and cold this summer so I’m glad to see this. Now following on FB and sharing on my FB page and pinning!
That is so awesome Bernadyn, thanks! These fudgesicles really do hit the spot when the weather turns hot. Give ’em a try. ~TMR~
I had those same popsicle molds. I bought a few and broke them all. LOL Thanks for linking at #stoptheyuck and I hope to see you again this week.
I have a 6-pk of the Tupperware popsicle molds and I *LOVE* them, but the fudgesicle recipe I was working with made about 12 fudgesicles so I had to go out & buy some cheap ones to see me through. I was pretty disappointed with the performance of these (but they are pretty and make for a great picture!) I’m currently looking for more of the TupperWare sets but they’re not made anymore so I’m searching in garage sales, etc.
Hello fellow Texan! It’s blazing hot down here near the Texas Gulf Coast. I am in Victoria. I have made popsicles but never tried making fudgesicles. Thanks for your recipe. I will give it a try!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Well HOWDY Fellow Texan!! I love all things chocolate so I set out to find the perfect balance of chocolate & sweet for a cold refreshing treat. Give ’em a try, you WON’T be sorry. And hey, stay cool down there at the coast! ~TMR~
G’day! Thanks for sharing via our #SayGdayParty! Reminds me of childhood yum!
Please make sure to come back, leaving comments on some people who also attended the party and of course we hope you are following us on Pinterest!
Cheers! Joanne
You had me at cocoa. I love fudgesicles but most of the knock-offs you find just don’t taste as good as the originals. I’ll have to try these.
Nicole, these fudgesicles are delicious and a pretty healthy treat considering they’re made from wholesome ingredients. Gotta love that! ~TMR~
Yum! Those look fantastic! Perfect for hot summer afternoons. Thank you for linking at the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you again next week.
You had me won with the addition of coffee. These sound great. I use to make my own Popsicles many years ago. Might give it a go again.
I KNOW TRACY, RIGHT??! Chocolate and coffee in the same treat has GOT to be a winner!! ~TMR~
Hi Tammy
I just stopped by from the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop – this is the second of your posts that I have clicked on! I am glad to have found your website – following it on Google+ now. My post today is a farm memory as well – of my grandparents farm in Pennsylvania. And guess what – their last name was Taylor!
Hi Tammy I just stopped by from the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop – this is the second of your posts that I have clicked on! I am glad to have found your website – following it on Google+ now. My post today is a farm memory as well – of my grandparents farm in Pennsylvania. And guess what – their last name was Taylor!
Oh Susan, I’m so glad you stopped by! I loved your post about the electric fence – LOL! ~TMR~
Oh the hardships our husbands must endure for those busy hands in the kitchen. This sounds like a great recipe and one I would like to try. Have you tried making these with sugar or a sugar-free sweetener? My husband is allergic to honey. 🙁 It was great meeting you this Wednesday! I’m now following you.
Curious as a Cathy
I’ve only used honey Cathy. I try to take about a tablespoon of local honey each day for seasonal allergies, I usually mix it into my morning yogurt. Although I make my own yogurt, I’m now making it twice as often because RancherMan’s so fond of these fudgesicles. And hey, I guess I’m still having my yogurt & honey, just having it frozen with a little cocoa! LOL ~TMR~
I found this lovely recipe on the In and Out of the Kitchen link party and thought I’d stop by. I am currently doing a call out for no-bake recipes on my recipe link party, The Yuck Stops Here and would love it if you would bring this recipe and any of your other no-bake favorites to the party! The party starts tonight (Tuesday) at 8pm ET and can be found on my blog, Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos. I hope to see you there! HUGS
Thanks for the invite Cheryl, I’ll certainly stop by! ~TMR~
So glad you came! I’ll definately be including this recipe in the roundup! HUGS
These sound so good I must make them. Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend.
Linda
Taste-tested and approved by RancherMan! 🙂 ~TMR~