Fudgsicle
intro
Rich, ultra-chocolatey, creamy frozen fudgsicles with no icy grit, a nostalgic summertime childhood treat that outshines store-bought versions.
Ingredients
Steps
Whisk dry ingredients
In a small saucepan off heat, combine the 1/3 cup (30g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to break up any cocoa lumps and evenly distribute the dry ingredients.
Heat the dairy base
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat, slowly pour in 1 cup (240ml) whole milk while whisking constantly. Continue whisking for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth, just starting to steam, and reaches 160°F (71°C) — do not bring the mixture to a rolling boil to avoid scalding the milk.
Melt in chocolate
Turn off the stovetop heat, add the 2 ounces (57g) semi-sweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons (30ml) light corn syrup to the warm pan. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to soften, then whisk for 1 minute until completely smooth with no remaining chocolate lumps.
Stir in cream and vanilla
Pour in the 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract, whisking for 45 seconds to fully combine. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (70°F/21°C) for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooling time to prevent a thick skin from forming on the surface.
Fill popsicle molds
Once the fudge mixture is fully cooled, pour it evenly into 6 standard 4-oz (118ml) popsicle molds, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of each mold to allow for expansion as the mixture freezes. Snap on the mold lids and insert wooden popsicle sticks into each designated slot.
Freeze until fully set
Place the filled molds on a level middle shelf in a freezer set to 0°F (-18°C). Freeze for a minimum of 6 hours (or up to overnight) until the fudgsicles are completely solid, with no soft, squishy spots when you press the outside of the mold.
Unmold and serve
When ready to serve, remove the molds from the freezer. Let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 minutes to loosen slightly, then gently pull on the popsicle sticks to slide the fudgsicles out of the molds. Serve immediately.
Tips
2.If you do not have dedicated popsicle molds, use 4-oz disposable paper cups: cover each cup tightly with aluminum foil, then poke a wooden popsicle stick through the center of the foil to hold it upright while freezing.
3.If fudgsicles stick in the molds after resting at room temperature, hold the outside of each mold under cool (not hot) running water for 10 seconds to loosen them, then pull gently on the stick to remove.
OMG these are a total game changer! I was so tired of buying store-bought fudgsicles that taste like artificial chocolate, and these are so rich and creamy I ate two before I even finished putting the rest in the deep freeze. My 7 year old begged me to make a double batch next week for his soccer team snack.
Super easy to throw together even on a busy weeknight! I used half oat milk and half heavy cream because that’s what I had in the fridge, and they still turned out perfectly silky, no weird icy texture at all. SO good.
Brought these to our neighborhood block party last weekend and every single one was gone in 10 minutes. Multiple people stopped me to ask for the recipe before they even finished their first pop! Will absolutely be making these all summer long.
Wait, do these work with dairy-free alternatives? My daughter has a milk allergy and I’ve been searching for a fudgsicle recipe that doesn’t have that weird coconut aftertaste a lot of DF pops have.
Took me 10 minutes to prep, no fancy equipment needed? Are you kidding? I can’t believe how much better these taste than the fancy gourmet pops I pay $6 a box for at the grocery store. Total win.
Made these for my partner and I to have after our backyard date night dinner, and he said they’re better than the chocolate pops we got on our honeymoon in Mexico. 10/10, will be a staple in our house all summer.
Made these with my grandkids when they visited two weeks ago, and even my pickiest granddaughter who only eats plain vanilla ice cream asked for seconds. Only tweak I made was sprinkling a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top before freezing, absolute chef’s kiss.
I’m so excited to make these this weekend, quick stupid question — do I need special popsicle molds to make these? I only have those cheap disposable plastic popsicle bags I bought for summer, will those work?
I love that I can tweak the sugar content to fit my diet! I swapped the granulated sugar for a quarter cup of maple syrup and stirred in a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and these still tasted like a total indulgence — no weird chalky protein aftertaste at all. Perfect cold post-workout treat for hot Colorado days.
My kids loved it! I was worried they’d turn their noses up at homemade pops since they’re obsessed with the brand name ones, but they kept asking for ‘more chocolate pops’ all afternoon. Even got my toddler to eat one without making a huge mess, which is a miracle.