Why Our Testers Loved This
Our testers were delighted with these easy-to-make and oh-so-creamy coconut popsicles. Elie Nassar described them as having “the perfect balance between coconut and vanilla.”
Elizabeth and Lena Alvarez summed it up best with their comment, “These coconut popsicles are DEEEE-li-cious. A great, rich-tasting, satisfying, creamy treat.“
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Coconut milk–Use full-fat canned coconut milk here. Don’t use the light version, as it won’t impart the same creaminess to the popsicles, and they’ll be very icy.
- Vanilla bean–Steeping a vanilla bean in the coconut mixture gives it a wonderful flavor, but you can swap in a teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
- Sugar–The amount of sugar you use will depend on how sweet you like your pops. Start with less, taste the cooled coconut mixture before freezing, and add more if you like. Remember that freezing will mute the flavor slightly, so make the mixture slightly sweeter than you’d like it to taste.
How to Make This Recipe
- Whisk the coconut milk, vanilla bean, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture barely bubbles. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.
- Remove the vanilla bean. Transfer the coconut mixture to a large measuring glass and whisk to recombine.
- Divvy the mixture between 6 popsicle molds.
- Chill the popsicles until they begin to set, then add popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm.
Common Questions
Since these popsicles have a high water content, they’ll be a little icy. To keep them as creamy as possible, always use full-fat coconut milk. Light or low-fat products will make them icy.
The popsicles will be good for up to 1 month after making them, as long as they’re stored in the popsicle mold or an airtight bag or container. After that, they may become icy and start to lose flavor.
If your popsicles don’t slip out of the mold easily, let them sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to pull them out. If you’re in a hurry, you can run the outside of the popsicle mold under warm water for 30 seconds and they should release easily.
Helpful Tips
- A single batch of this coconut milk popsicle recipe will make 6 small-ish popsicles. If you have a large popsicle mold, double the recipe so that you have enough to fill the mold.
- This recipe is suitable for vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets.
More Sweet Popsicle Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Oh my goodness! My new favorite dessert! It is so creamy and coconutty! I will totally make it again.
avery
Coconut Popsicles
Ingredients
- One (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, (do NOT substitute low-fat coconut milk)
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped (or substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 2 1/2 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the coconut milk, vanilla bean and seeds, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just barely begins to bubble. Don't let it boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let steep for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Whisk the coconut milk mixture to recombine and dump it into a large measuring cup for easy pouring.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you sneak some of the unfrozen mixture (c'mon, we know you do!), it should seem a touch on the sweet side. Cold mutes flavor. So what may seem too sweet while the mixture is warm will end up tasting a lot less so after being frozen.
- Divvy the coconut milk mixture evenly among 6 popsicle molds (or substitute coffee mugs or paper cups). Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight (or, if using mugs or cups, insert a wooden stick after about 45 minutes or so).
- We think you know what to do from here.
Notes
- Make bigger popsicles–A single batch of this recipe will make 6 small-ish popsicles. If you have a large popsicle mold, double the recipe so that you have enough to fill the mold.
- Dietary–This recipe is suitable for vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
These coconut popsicles are a 10. I really have nothing much to add to this recipe. It makes a delicious pop with the perfect balance between coconut and vanilla.
I can’t ask for a more satisfying summery dessert that’s this simple to make. Well, maybe adding some mango or coconut chunks might gild the lily a bit.
I was a bit dubious why we had to use only half the vanilla bean; we might as well use the whole thing. However, the finished ice pops were indeed perfect. The whole vanilla bean might’ve been too much.
Vanilla extract might work instead of the beans here (start with no more than 1/2 teaspoon), but you’ll lose those cool tiny black specks in the finished ice pops. I used 4 tablespoons of sugar, and that worked great.
The coconut milk I used is my regular Thai brand in a small carton called Aroy-D. It’s delicious and easy to find at Asian grocery stores.
Just a reminder, when tasting the unfrozen mixture, you want it a touch on the sweet side, as freezing food mutes its flavor a bit. So what might seem perfectly sweet at room temperature might end up less so after being frozen.
I absolutely love these coconut popsicles and have already made them 3 times!
This coconut popsicle recipe was easy, quick, and cheap! And the result was delicious. Creamy and smooth with a definite vanilla flavor.
I used a can of full-fat coconut milk that I found in the Thai section of the grocery store, only 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 vanilla bean. The pops took about 2 hours to freeze fully.
I (somehow) resisted the chance to peek at the popsicles in the freezer every 10 minutes. The pops unmolded well—I think the fat of the coconut milk helped. The 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar was plenty because coconut milk already has its own sweetness.
These sweet little treats almost made themselves. Steep a vanilla bean in some sweetened coconut milk then freeze. Who knew popsicles could be this easy?
Not wanting to risk a slushy inside, we waited till the next day before eating. A pleasant surprise: pulling out the frozen pop revealed the tip of the creamy white treat speckled with vanilla seeds. Pretty!
My only complaint is that my pop mold only makes 4, and I had some mixture left over, so I stored it in the fridge until we ate the first ones.
These coconut popsicles are DEEEE-li-cious. A great, rich-tasting, satisfying, creamy treat.
We made this recipe three times in one week, the first time with 3 tablespoons of regular granulated sugar and the next 2 times with 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar.
Preparing and mixing the mixture takes only a few minutes. After setting the mixture aside to steep for an hour, we fished out the vanilla bean, cleaned it well with a dry paper towel, and buried it in the sugar bin. We froze the pops overnight.
Our popsicle molds are on the big side, so this made four pops.
It doesn’t get any easier than this to impress your family and friends with a delicious, refreshing treat. This is an excellent snack for those who avoid dairy but love the flavor and texture of a great fudgsicle.
From start to finish, I had these pops done in about 4 hours. It took about 5 minutes to heat the coconut milk with the sugar and vanilla. I let it rest, covered, for an hour, and then allowed it to cool for another hour before pouring the mixture into the molds.
During the cooling process, the coconut vanilla mixture developed a thin skin on top. A quick whisking of the mixture blended the entire pop mixture together again. It took a little less than 2 hours to freeze solid.
The flavor was slightly nutty, rich with vanilla, and not too sweet (I used 3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar).
If you’re looking for a fast and delicious way of making vanilla ice pops, you came to the right place. I never thought that I could make them in so little time…and with only 4 ingredients.
We made the recipe at night and placed the coconut popsicles in the freezer. They were ready to be eaten in the morning.
I only added 3 tablespoons of sugar. Truthfully, I’ll add a tad less next time, as we’re not too big on sugary things. The vanilla flavor was more robust than the coconut, which was perfect as my older daughter isn’t crazy for coconut. (She still liked these a lot.)
This recipe is so simple and tasty that we will make it often.
These coconut pops were creamy and rich. I forgot to buy a vanilla bean, but I really wanted to try these popsicles, so I used 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, which gave my ice pops a subtle vanilla flavor that worked well with the coconut milk. And 3 tablespoons sugar seemed ample to us.
I got a scant 4 pops from my mixture, which I froze in adorable ladybug-shaped molds. My taster thought they needed an accent flavor like raspberry. Still, they reminded me of the ice cream parlor flavor sometimes labeled “fresh churn,” which was a favorite of mine when I could eat dairy ice cream. This is a worthy lactose-free substitute.
I couldn’t resist a little tweak to these perfect pops. I added the zest and juice of half a lime and it added a nice balance of sweet/tart. Of course the “Put the lime in the coconut” song is now stuck in my noggin!
Hah, Deborah! It’s stuck in mine now, too! That is a great tweak. Thanks so much for sharing.
Dear Angie ~ Would you please help me locate a recipe on this site that I have made once and now cannot locate? It was a fabulous recipe for mujadara but I’m not exactly sure of the spelling or the title of the recipe. It’s a lentil, rice and carmelized onion dish that is heavenly. I’ve tried numerous searches with no luck. Any help would be so appreciated. Everything I make from this site is the best of the best. Many thanks.
Of course, Deborah. That recipe no longer exists on the site, but we do have it in our archives. I have sent a copy of the recipe to your email address.