Friends! My sincere apologies for my lack of a recipe yesterday. This weekend was all kinds of nuts, so I’m thrilled to be getting back to you!
If you remember, I went on vacation with my family a couple of weeks ago. We went to the beach, it was hot, it was a week without work. it. was. glorious.
My younger cousins are ever so slightly obsessed with the ice cream truck. So when it came billowing by every night after dinner, they always sprinted to the end of the driveway in the hopes of procuring a sweet treat.
On one night in particular when the kids were buying their desserts, the adults of the family started talking about the treat they all knew and loved from their childhood: Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles (otherwise known as Scooter Crunches).
You know the kind I’m talking about: the pink and light brown crumbles on the outside, creamy vanilla and strawberry ice cream on the inside. It was pretty much a perfect treat for a hot hot day.
So the wheels in the brain of Alexa started churning.
(Ice cream pun so intended)
And y’all know I love my copycat recipes so very much, so I decided to try my hand at a vegan, refined sugar free homemade version!
And frankly, I couldn’t be more tickled with the results.
It all starts out with the base! The original scooter crunch is layered – the outside is a thin layer of vanilla ice cream, while the inside is a thick layer of strawberry-flavored goodness.
For the vanilla layer, I’m using my favorite thick and creamy coconut cream. It’s a perfect substitute for ice cream in a frozen treat like this. Add a bit of maple syrup and vanilla extract to finish out the vanilla layer, and some fresh strawberries to create the strawberry layer, and you’re one step closer to Scooter Crunch Nirvana.
Now to achieve the layered look at home, it’s a bit of work. Totally manageable, but kind of annoying if you ask me. Next time, I’d just go ahead and make the strawberry mixture and call it a day; I wanted to try to be as authentic as possible with the recipe though, so layers are what you get!
And, of course, we can’t forget about that crumble. We’re using freeze dried strawberries and a simple mixture of oat flour, maple syrup, and coconut flour. The freeze dried strawberries are packed with natural strawberry flavor, while the oat flour mixture really does taste like a shortcake or pie crust. Love love love this stuff!
While this surely isn’t the fastest or easiest homemade popsicle recipe, when you’re hungry for that little piece of nostalgia, these pops really do satisfy.
This vegan sweet treat is a delicious way to cool down in this summer heat – enjoy, friends!
PrintCoconut Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 6+ popsicles
Ingredients
- FOR THE POPSICLES:
- 1 14-oz. can coconut cream, refrigerated overnight*
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- splash pure vanilla extract
- 15 strawberries
- FOR THE COATING:
- about 1 oz. freeze dried strawberries, crushed into small pieces
- 1/3 cup oat flour
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
Instructions
- For the popsicles: Add coconut cream, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until creamy and smooth.
- Pour a Tbsp. or so of the coconut cream mixture into each of the popsicle molds. Be sure to cover all of the sides with a thin coating of the coconut cream mixture. I used the back of a small spoon and a straw to help. This will create your white layer. Place in the freezer to set, about 10 mins.
- Chop 5 strawberries into small pieces, and add the rest to a blender and blend until smooth. Add both the strawberry chunks and the strawberry puree to the rest of the coconut cream mixture, and whisk to combine.
- Once the white layer is set, remove the molds from the freezer and fill with the strawberry mixture.** Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.
- For the coating: Add crushed freeze dried strawberries to a small bowl. Combine oat flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup in another small bowl, and mix to form crumbles.
- Remove the popsicles from the freezer and allow to sit at room temperature so that the outside becomes a bit melted. Alternatively, you can run the popsicle under hot water while it’s still inside the popsicle mold.
- Sprinkle a mixture of freeze dried strawberries and the oat flour crumbles on the popsicle, covering completely if desired. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer to set. Enjoy from the freezer, or allow to thaw a bit for a softer texture.
Notes
*If you can’t find coconut cream (I find mine at Trader Joe’s near the salsas), feel free to use a can of full-fat coconut milk. Refrigerate the can overnight. Remove the can from the fridge the next day, flip the can over, and open it from the bottom. Pour out the liquid and save for another use. Scoop the coconut cream (the thick white stuff), and use it in place of the coconut cream in this recipe.
**You’ll probably have some strawberry mixture left over. Feel free to make more strawberry popsicles or pour into a shallow container, cover, and place in the fridge for a homemade coconut strawberry ice cream!
No apologies needed for the lack of recipe yesterday: the offline life is more important than the online one! Even with the changing standards ;) Aaanyway, I love a nice popsicle and this sure looks like one I would enjoy!!
You’re so right, Vivian! Offline life sometimes just has to outweigh the online one ;)
These sound amazinggg!! With this heat lately, we all need a popsicle or two :)
This heat has been CRAZY! These sure are a delicious way to cool down.
Coconut popsicles are my FAVORITE. I like them especially when they have coconut inside too!
Oh coconut popsicles are the bomb[dot]com! So yummy.
We have a similar sounding popsicle here called Rocky road which is strawberry flavoured and covered in cookie crumbs. You can also get a caramel one which is my favourite!
Oh yes!! That sounds insanely delicious! Strawberry and chocolate is such a winning combo.
Yummmmyyy!! These look perfect for a hot hot hot Texas summer day!!
:) I’ll have to bring you some!
I’m loving all your popsicles lately! These are so unique— and I love how you used coconut cream. That stuff is the best :)
Thanks so much, Liz! I think this is my last of the season, but it’s been so fun experimenting!
Uh oh, I think I might get into trouble with these. No I’m just kidding. I used full fat coconut milk, strawberries, vanilla and date syrup. I wanted to eat it right then and there but I put it into a container since I’ve lost the stick to the popsicles and am waiting for it to freeze. I’m excited about this since I’m always looking for healthier sweet treats. Thanks for coming up with this healthier tasty treat.
:) That’s awesome, Sheila! I’m really excited to hear what you think of them! I actually like them when they’re a little less hard – it almost reminds me of a strawberry mousse! Let me know what you think of them!