Nicecream and frozen yogurt pops
Summer has arrived here in Holland. Temperatures are hitting 30+ degrees, which calls for only one thing: icecream!
With temperatures increasing, these past few weeks I’ve been making Maaike’s nicecream almost three times a week. I think nicecream is one of the best inventions ever. Whizzing frozen banana with any fruit to your liking miraculously turns it into creamy, light as a feather and ready to eat without the need to wait another minute icecream. It’s indulgent, sweet and refreshing and containing only fruits, it makes the perfect treat, dessert or breakfast. And, as it turns out, it also makes a wonderful sweet base for fruity popsicles, without the need for any additional sweeteners.
You can simply spoon the nicecream into moulds and freeze it until solid. Or… you could combine it with that other great invention, frozen yogurt. By scooping in alternating layers of nicecream and Greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt, you get naturally sweetened pops with a tart and creamy accent. I made them dairy free, using coconut yogurt which I flavoured with fresh vanilla seeds. My girls loved them like this, but if you think unsweetened frocoyo won’t make you happy, a teaspoon or two of maple syrup or agave syrup will take off the tart edges.
I made marbled pops, by spooning in all layers in one go and then giving them a quick swirl before freezing. If you like your pops more neatly striped, just let each layer solidify a bit in the freezer before adding the next one.
Wishing you nice and refreshing summer days!
Nicecream and frozen yogurt pops – makes 8
Ingredients
- 600 g coconut yogurt
- ½ vanilla pod
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen
- 150 g strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 150 g blueberries, fresh or frozen
- squeeze of lemon juice
Preparation
Slit the vanilla pod open along its length and scrape out the seeds. The empty pod can be saved and used later to flavour porridge or cream. Stir the vanilla seeds through the coconut yoghurt.
You can leave the yogurt unsweetended, but if that’s too tart for your taste, you can stir in two teaspoons of agave syrup or maple syrup. Alternatively, you could use two teaspoons of cane sugar. This can also be used to mix the vanilla seeds more evenly with the yogurt; to do so, rub the sugar crystals and vanilla clumps between your finger tips until al the seeds are separated, then stir the vanilla sugar into the yogurt.
In a food processor, mix the banana slices with the lemon juice, the strawberries and the blueberries and whizz to a creamy mass.
Spoon alternating layers of coconut yogurt and nicecream into 8 popsicle moulds and give them a quick swirl for a marbled look. If you like, press in some extra berries. For neatly striped pops, let each layer solidify in the freezer for a while before adding the next one.
If you’re using loose popsicle sticks, put the moulds in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up, then insert the sticks, so they’ll stay nicely in place. Freeze the pops for 4 hours until solid, then enjoy!
The pops will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
