For several years now, I haven’t bought industrial popsicles anymore because I make them at home, artisanally, with a few quality ingredients! I must say they have all given me great satisfaction! They are simple and quick to prepare, of course, you have to consider the resting time in the freezer. The only downside? They are gone immediately! These peanut butter ones are super delicious, with a rich and creamy filling of fresh cream cheese and a delicious, crunchy dark chocolate coating. A great trick to obtain a creamy mixture similar to cream without using it. A clever way around the inconvenience of adding too many saturated fats to your preparation and the detrimental condensed milk! In fact, most industrial versions contain high amounts of sugar, preservatives, and other additives that alter their nutritional profile. In my popsicles, instead, you will find only a few grams of sweetener for a healthy snack without glycemic spikes! With these doses, you will get 4 medium-large popsicles, but if you don’t use the same mold as mine, you might have batter left for two more popsicles! Try them because they are out of this world!
CURIOSITY: Did you know that the origin of the popsicle dates back to the creative genius of Domenico Pepino? This Neapolitan ice cream artist, in 1884, took a train from Naples to Turin bringing with him his family and everything necessary to make ice cream. In Turin, Pepino opened a small ice cream parlor, which soon became very well-known and frequented, despite the era’s mistrust towards frozen sweets, as refrigerators did not yet exist, making them difficult to store and quite expensive. Despite this, Pepino’s ice creams quickly won the hearts and palates of the people of Turin. In 1916 Pepino sold the brand and his production secrets to Commendatore Giuseppe Geletti, a renowned confectionery industrial producer. The company, which at that point was very famous and renowned, in 1939 patented and launched the first popsicle on the market, called Pinguino. It was a vanilla ice cream covered with dark chocolate on a wooden stick, sold for one Lira each. An idea that was an immediate success because it allowed people to eat it while walking without risking getting dirty. And even today, you can taste it in Turin at the historic ice cream parlor, later declined in dozens of different variants, thus entering our daily lives.
If, like me, you love to pamper yourself with healthy and genuine recipes, try these fitness-style alternatives as well:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 popsicles
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
⚠️ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 8.8 oz cream cheese
- 2.1 oz peanut butter
- 0.35 oz vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon plant-based milk
- 0.28 oz agave syrup
- 3.8 oz 85% dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or peanut oil)
- 4 teaspoons peanut butter
Tools
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Silicone Popsicle Molds
- 4 Sticks
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Glass
- 1 Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
Steps
Making peanut butter popsicles is very easy: in a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with peanut butter* and flavor with vanilla extract.
Sweeten with agave syrup**.
Thin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of plant-based milk***.
Work the mixture with a spatula until you get a smooth and creamy consistency.
Distribute the obtained cream into the appropriate molds, making sure to fill them well in every part, shaking the mold if necessary to allow the mixture to penetrate well, then level with the same spatula or scraper.
Now insert the sticks into the appropriate slots.
Place the silicone molds on a tray with parchment paper and put in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
After this time, unmold your popsicles very gently. Put them back on the tray and keep them in the freezer until it’s time to proceed to the coating phase.
Break the chocolate into small regular pieces, fill a small pot with hot water and place a smaller bowl containing the chocolate on top.
Melt over medium-low heat (no more) and start stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until it’s completely melted. Turn off the heat and immediately add the oil****, stirring again.
Transfer the chocolate into a tall and narrow glass (trust me, it’s more practical) and dip the popsicles one at a time***** letting them drip excess chocolate. Be careful during this step to be quick to prevent the chocolate from drying before time when in contact with the ice cream, especially if you want to garnish them on the surface.
With the help of a teaspoon, garnish with additional chocolate on the surface.
Finally, drizzle with additional peanut butter.
Place the popsicles on the previously used tray with parchment paper and put back in the freezer to set completely for another 4 hours.
And voilà… the peanut butter popsicles are ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy them by leaving them at room temperature for 10 minutes first, or even just 5 if it’s really hot, they will be super easy to bite.
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 Store the popsicles in the freezer until ready to consume, for a maximum of 3 months, covered with plastic wrap to prevent ice formation on the surface.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🔵* The choice of peanut butter: I always recommend opting for a product as natural as possible, without added fats and sugars but only 100% nuts. You can always vary with salted peanut butter or enriched with cocoa if you like from the same brand I use.
🔵**If you don’t have agave syrup, you can always sweeten your popsicles with acacia honey or maple syrup or even a few drops (about 3-5) of liquid stevia.
🔵*** The choice of plant-based milk: if you have no specific dietary needs, you can use dairy milk otherwise, I recommend soy or oat milk which tend to remain particularly neutral in taste.
🔵****Thinning chocolate with coconut oil helps make the glaze more fluid, resulting in a thinner and more chewable coating. In fact, the chocolate would remain too thick. If you can’t find coconut oil, which is the most suitable for this type of preparation, you can always replace it with peanut oil.
🔵***** I recommend dipping the popsicles one at a time, keeping the others in the freezer until the last moment to prevent them from easily starting to melt during this phase.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can this recipe be made vegan?
Absolutely! Simply replace the cream cheese with vegetable ricotta, in my case homemade (also from cashews), or purchase it from various stores that sell these vegan specialties – mainly always made with cashews, almonds, or other nuts – or through online platforms.
