Maple syrup and vanilla enhance deep, dark blackberries swirled with cashew coconut cream – summer goodness on a stick.
Wit and Vinegar’s Popsicle week is one of my favorite times of the year, a time when bloggers from around the world outdo themselves making frozen sweet treats of all ilks. However, this popsicle week got off to a rough start.
I hopped in Emma‘s car and the two of us drove all the way to northern Oregon for a food event. I had been fighting a cold and hoped I could stave it off with plenty of “rest,” i.e., sitting in the car listening to Aziz Ansari and eating the best food Ashland and Portland had to offer. Luck was not with us; every Airbnb, hotel, and “glamping” situation seemed to come with a slew of problems. Much-anticipated restaurants that promised to be amazing were just so-so. Rain seemed to follow our unprepared selves wherever we went. The trip seemed cursed.
And yet I managed to stay well all the way until we reached our destination – only to find it far colder, more drizzly, and outdoors than we had realized. Despite my best efforts (hiding in the house on the sofa under a blanket with the owner’s dog) I came down with the mother of all summer colds on the drive home – and so did poor Emma, who drove the entire way and whose birthday it is today. WOMP. I arrived home Monday evening, went straight to bed, and spent the next two days watching Netflix with a box of kleenex and a cat who ignored me.
On the plus side, the berries in Oregon were sublime. We enjoyed them on warm oatmeal from NW Raw in Ashland (recipe reproduced here), turned into sauce and drizzled over crepes, and stirred into cocktails (that I took only the tiniest taste of – promise!).
Hankering for more deep, dark berry goodness, I mixed up these easy-peasy pops that capture the wild flavor of blackberries.
I’ve been on a cashew cream kick lately and here soaked, pureed cashews add body to coconut cream and temper the strong flavor of canned coconut milk, adding nutty depth that blends beautifully with the berries. Blackberries kissed with maple syrup, vanilla, and a bit of lemon juice get extra oomph, and the swirly pops make a pretty, and pretty healthy, summer treat.
Take a gander at all the amazing creations for this year’s Popsicle Week over at Wit and Vinegar. Stay well!
Popsicles Previously:
- Creamy Chocolate Mint {vegan}
- Raspberry, Lillet & Lemon Verbena
- Tayberry, Rose Geranium & Buttermilk
- Hibiscus, Rhubarb & Yogurt
Blackberry Maple Cream Popsicles {vegan, refined sugar-free}
Print Recipe / Pin RecipeIngredients
Maple Cashew Cream:
- ½ cup (70 g) raw, unsalted cashews
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- seeds from ½ vanilla bean (or ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract)
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup (120 ml) well-shaken full-fat coconut milk
Berry Puree:
- 12 ounces (340 g / 3 cups) blackberries, rinsed and picked over
- ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons (15 – 30 ml) lemon juice (to taste)
- seeds from ½ vanilla bean (or ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract)
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl, cover generously with boiling water, and soak 1- 8 hours. Drain the soaked cashews and place in a blender with the maple syrup, water, vanilla, and salt. Blend the cashews until silky smooth, gradually increasing the speed to high and scraping down the sides of the blender occasionally, 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring pitcher and set aside.
- Rinse the blender and add the berries, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Blend until fairly smooth, then pour through a strainer into a large bowl or measuring pitcher, working the berries through and discarding the seeds.
- Divide the berry mixture among the popsicle molds, filling them a little less than halfwar. Gently divide the cashew cream among the molds (the more gently you pour, the more distinct the layers will be), using a chopstick to swirl the pops more if you like.
- Freeze the popsicles until firm. To remove, dip each popsicle in hot water for 20 seconds or so, then remove. The popsicles will keep, frozen airtight, for up to several weeks.
You make popsicles look downright sexy. How do you do it?!?! Are you bringing these over tomorrow? I’ll trade you for a just so-so apricot popsicle…AND CAKE.
I still want my popsicle! I’ll have to make another batch of these when I’m not infested with cold germs, just for you. <3
That cashew cream with coconut milk? Oh my, Alanna.. the ultimate creamy pop! These are gorgeous! I hope you’re feeling better, now, and your fur baby has renewed interest. They can be so.. well.. catty. Delicious work, my dear!
These popsicles are breathtakingly beautiful and I am in love with the flavors. Bonus points for making them refined sugar free, that makes them even more tempting!!!
I am so sad to hear that your trip was underwhelming! It was so good to get together, though. Thanks for organizing the dinner (even if you got a plate full of things you already ate, ha)!
These pops are beauties (not surprised at all), and I love the addition of cashew cream!
I hope you’re feeling better, girl <3 And these popsicles are absolutely stunning! I love the dual-colored effect, it's just gorgeous!
I am not a fan of popsicles but these look amazing and I would really love to taste one right now! The combination of those flavours must be amazing! Beautiful pictures!
These popsicles look so refreshing and delicious, perfect for hot summer days like the ones we are having here in Croatia at the moment! Love all the flavours combination and the photos are just gorgeous.. Hope you are feeling better now and you have recovered from that not so great trip! :-)
Where did you get your popsicle mold? That is exactly what I’ve been looking for the last 3 summers with no success. And now I need it even more so that I can make these beauties!
Hi Leslie,
You can find the mold here: http://www.pastrychef.com/ICE-CREAM-POP-MAKER_p_1857.html
So many awesome popsicles around right now and these are amazing!!
Omg!!! These sound absolutely divine !! I am going to try these soon – love the idea of coconut cream and cashew milk! And your photography – impeccable as always !!! Heard a little bit about your trip ! Hope you are feeling better !
OH NO!! I hate hearing about you not feeling well. Getting sick on vacations is the worst. Especially on long road trips. I hope you both are feeling much better this weekend. On a brighter note, thank you for personalizing these popsicles for me. I haven’t been eating refined sugar for the last month, so these are a godsend!!
Aw, thanks Todd! Why no refined sugar? WHO ARE YOU?
You had me at blackberries! These pops are stunners (like everything you make!) :)
Aw! The feeling is very mutual, Laura! <3
Oh no! So sorry to hear about your trip! But these popsicles… they look amazing! I really want to try using cashew cream and this is such a tasty way to try it!
Aw, thank you Amanda!
I love cashew cream. Using it in popsicles is so brilliant. And these photos are just stunning.
PORTLAND! I wish I could visit Oregon every month, it’s so gorgeous there.
So gorgeous!! And I could see myself using that maple cream in other applications.
I have made these for two summers now. As amazing as they look . . . they taste even better! They are extremely flavourful because the cashew cream does not dilute the intensity of the fruit at all. So, if you still have plentiful blackberries and your weather is still hot, I suggest making these.
I’m so glad you like them! Thanks a bunch for the sweet note.