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Home » Recipes » Frozen Desserts

Apple Popsicles with Date Caramel Crumble

Published: Aug 31, 2017 · Modified: Sep 20, 2018 by Kate Hackworthy · 13 Comments

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Apple popsicles are a delicious frozen dessert and a great way to use up apples. I've added a date caramel and crumble/crisp topping to make these easy vegan ice lollies extra special.

Popsicles on a bowl of ice.

Apple Popsicles

These apple popsicles are a great way to use up loads of apples. They taste just like a frozen apple crumble/apple crisp, so you can indulge in the traditional comfort dessert on a hot late summer day! Simply pureeing cooked apples and freezing them makes a wonderfully indulgent-tasting ice lolly, but it's filled with natural fruit goodness.

These popsicles are vegan and refined-sugar-free, plus you can easily make them gluten-free by swapping the plain flour for buckwheat flour and using gluten-free oats. If you have any extra applesauce left over, it’s perfect over yogurt, porridge or overnight oats. You could also use it to lighten the fat content of my yogurt muffins and healthier carrot cake. For a fun green treat, try my apple kale cake!

Apples

Ah, the glut. That point when a carefully-tended garden rewards hard work by bestowing far more food than any family could ever eat.

As a rubbish gardener, excessive bounties of homegrown vegetables isn’t an issue that I have to deal with often. I’m more likely to tapdance across the kitchen floor after finding two kale leaves that haven’t been turned into lace by slugs. However, I absolutely love partaking of the gluts of others! Before we moved and had our own trees, my sister in law regularly thrust heaving bags of apples at us when we visited. Heaven.

Popsicles on a bowl of ice.

Reduce food waste

It's so wonderful when someone comes to visit laden with bags of beets, courgettes and potatoes that they are sick of the site of. There’s something so neighbourly about gluts and sharing food. Appear on my doorstep with your gluts and I shall cook for you and bake you vegetable cakes. Form an orderly queue.

No gardener wants to just throw edible food onto the compost heap, so what can’t be used, stored, preserved or frozen is often given away. It’s always so well-received, isn’t it? I love dreaming up recipes and testing them in the kitchen, so I see glut-gifts from friends as a wonderful challenge. It’s great to fill the veg drawer and set about making sure that every last scrap of those lovingly-grown fruits and veg are used in various meals and even desserts.

Ways to use up apples

The one glut that I do have now is apples. Our trees reward us for ignoring them by raining fruit upon us daily. Every morning I send my wellie-clad children out to collect our fruity pearls and we store them in apple trays that would otherwise be thrown out at the supermarkets. We give them away and we add stewed apples to porridge every morning. Many of them end up in the freezer as applesauce, and in this case, apple crumble ice lollies to make the most of the late summer sunshine.

 

Ingredients shown for Apple Popsicles with Date Caramel Crumble. Pecans, dates, apples, oats, cinnamon

Ways to use up late summer fruit and vegetables

Storing gluts mean they can last through the winter months.

  • Broad beans can be blanched in boiling water for a few minutes and then frozen.
  • Carrots can be stored in a box of sand to make them last for a few months.
  • Courgettes will last for longer in a cool dry place, rather than the fridge, but don’t store well. Spiralising them to use instead of pasta is a healthy way to use them up quickly.
  • Store unwashed potatoes in paper bags or hessian sacks in a cool dark place.
  • Semi-dry sliced tomatoes in a very low oven for a few hours, then store in sterilised jar of oil and use in pasta, soups and sauces.

Hand holding an Apple Popsicle with Date Caramel Crumble and chopped pecans.

Get the recipe for Apple Popsicles with Date Caramel Crumble

If you make this recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram or other social media. I LOVE seeing your recreations of my recipes.

📖 Recipe

Popsicles on a bowl of ice.

Apple Popsicles with Date Caramel Crumble

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
These popsicles are a great way to use up loads of apples and they taste just like a frozen apple crumble, so you can indulge in the traditional British comfort dessert on a hot summer day! They’re vegan and refined-sugar-free.
Make them gluten-free by swapping the plain flour for buckwheat flour and using gluten-free oats. 
5 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 12
Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 8 apples peeled, cored and sliced
  • 240 ml water
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the date caramel

  • 15 medjool dates pitted (or standard dates soaked in warm water for an hour)
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • 5-10 tablespoons of non-dairy milk almond works well
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crumble

  • 1½ teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon oats
  • 1 ½ tablespoon plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon pecans finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • First, make the applesauce. In a saucepan over a medium heat, combine apples, water, honey and cinnamon. Cook uncovered, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes or until the apples are very soft. 
  • Allow to cool slightly, then roughly puree with a blender, hand held electric blender or food processor, keeping some large pieces for texture. 
  • Allow to cool completely, then fill ice lolly moulds and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, make the toppings.

    For the date caramel

    • Add the pitted dates, salt and 5 tablespoons of milk to a blender or mini processor and whiz until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make it a thick drippy consistency. Set aside or store in the fridge.

    For the crumble topping

    • In a small bowl, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together well. Stir in the oats, flour and pecans, then rub the ingredients together with fingertips until it forms coarse crumbs.
    • In a frying pan over a medium heat, toast the mixture for a few minutes, stirring often, until it is golden. Set aside.

    To assemble

    • When the lollies are set, run them under hot water to remove them from the molds. Dip them into the caramel and then into the crumble topping. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 11mgPotassium: 356mgFiber: 5gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 110IUVitamin C: 5.6mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 0.5mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    If you make this easy apple popsicle recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I LOVE seeing your recreations of my recipes!

    Also, please pop down to the comments to let me know how you liked the recipe and rate it!

     

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    Comments

      5 from 12 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Emily

      September 26, 2018 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      These popsicles were so amazing! The date caramel crumble was really easy to make and tasted so good. The kids loved them. Thank you for antoher really great recipe.

      Reply
    2. Teri Stephens

      January 26, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      These pops look so yummy. And great tips on saving the extra vegetables. I'm going to try that tip with the tomatoes.

      Reply
    3. Sues

      January 26, 2018 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      I've made apple cider popsicles before, but that date caramel crumble is totally swoon-worthy!! Can it be summer again, please???

      Reply
    4. Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs

      January 26, 2018 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE dates they are SO underated in both sweet and savoury recipes. I love that these actually have some goodness to them but still taste like a treat 🙂

      Reply
    5. Catarina Z.

      November 26, 2017 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      really yummy. nearly ate all the date caramel with a spoon instead of saving it for the ice poles!

      Reply
    6. All That I'm Eating

      October 10, 2017 at 11:31 am

      This is a great idea for using up the apple glut! I love how autumnal in colour they came out too.

      Reply
    7. prasan

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      Lovely Popsicle! I made the popsicles (not the date caramel becuause I had no dates) and they are so good. I'll try them agin with the caramel.

      Reply
    8. choclette

      September 27, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      What a great way to use some of your apple glut. I normally make up heaps of apple puree to keep me going through the winter, but all my jars are back in Cornwall - grrrr! Craving date caramel crumble now. I'm quite impressed with the NutriForce, it takes up so much less space. Pinned.

      Reply
    9. Annie

      September 18, 2017 at 10:38 am

      5 stars
      These are so yummy! i've never thought of making apple popsicles and they were so easy to make. I used almonds for the topping beacuse I had lots in the cupboard. I even let my son have one for his breakfast because it was so hot here in Florida.

      Reply
    10. Gareth Torrance

      September 05, 2017 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      Date caramel crumble? What a great idea! I'd never have thought of anything like that....

      Reply
    11. Ginny McMeans

      August 31, 2017 at 5:44 pm

      5 stars
      Those are so pretty and need I say they are my new favorite. I really appreciate the substitute of maple syrup. Sounds delicious.

      Reply
    12. Maggie Unzueta

      August 31, 2017 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      Pinning for later. These popsicles looks so good!

      Reply
    13. Jagruti

      August 31, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      During the hot days here in UK,I've been making lots of different flavored popsicles, but I'm yet to make it with date caramel, thanks for sharing

      Reply

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