Cauliflower popsicles! Sounds crazy, but this vegan treat uses pureed cauliflower for a creamy base to these chocolate frozen treats.
Cauliflower popsicles – yeah, you read that right: cauliflower! No cream, no milk, not even an avocado. This creamy frozen treat is… pureed cauliflower. Cauliflower makes a nice, fairly neutral base (as we all know from cauli rice, cauli pizza etc…), and it’s flavour pairs well with cinnamon and chocolate. So here I’ve turned it into a sweet chocolate popsicle with a hint of coffee and cinnamon, plus a hard chocolate shell sprinkled with pistachio dust. Use milk, dark or vegan chocolate if you wish.
You’re intrigued, perhaps skeptical. But I urge you to give it a whirl: the flavours mask the taste of cauliflower and it’s a portion of veg in a frozen dessert. Yup.
I made these in my Froothie Optimum high speed blender, but you could also use a hand blender and make it in stages.
The house echos. Memories are in boxes. The carcass of my empty house no longer feels like home. We are moving across the country and new adventures await. But for now I’m exhausted and I broke my toe on a box. Popping bubble wrap has lost all of it’s pleasure. Adieu old town, old life.
- 250g (2 cups) cauliflower
- 75g (½ cup) chocolate, chopped or chips
- 1 teaspoon strongly brewed coffee, cooled
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of cinnamon
- 35g (¼ cup) chocolate, melted
- 50g (¼ cup) pistachios
- Boil or steam the cauliflower until just soft, then rinse and drain under cold water to stop it cooking. Blitz the cauliflower with all of the popsicle ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Pour into moulds and freeze until solid.
- Alternatively, puree the cauliflower with a hand blender until smooth, melt the chocolate and add, along with the other ingredients, and puree until smooth. Pour into moulds and freeze until solid.
- To decorate, melt the chocolate and set aside to cool very slightly. Whiz the pistachios in a high speed blender, or in a food mill or coffee grinder, until fine. Dip the frozen popsicles into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the pistachio dust.
Made these cauliflower popsicles and now for more desserts with cauliflower? Try this!
Cauliflower Banana Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Icing
palak bhatti
wow awesome recipe i like your all recipes thanks for sharing
Monica Shaw
You had me at “pistachio dust”….
lea
Soooo…I tried making these in my vitamix tonight. I followed the recipe with the cup measurements vs the weight measurements. Didn’t decorate and used coconut water in place of coffee (I don’t drink it). I steamed the cauliflower. The mixture did not come close to smooth. It was more like a very dry mashed potato consistency. I added coconut water (at least a cup) before it was smooth enough to pour. Even with adding the coconut water I ended up with 4 popsicles. The mixture tastes phenomenally good (and I do not like cauliflower). I’m wondering what the…..went wrong. Could it be that it should be 2 cups of already cooked cauliflower??? or perhaps the 250 g does not equal 2 cups. Even then there was not enough moisture??? Did you add any liquid when you made them? But again…it tastes really good!
lea
I wanted to add…today, I ate one of the now frozen popsicles. In spite of all the tribulations noted above, these are outstanding, Better than my banana, coconut milk version. I will make these again and probably many times after that.
Thanks Kate
Christine
I know I would love these, wondering if the rest of my family will go for it. Defintiely worth a shot. Sorry about your toe. OW.
Jaime Oliver
oh my goodness i would have never believed cauliflower could looks so blooming appealing! #BestRecipes2014
Kate Hackworthy
Ha! Seriously, try it. One of my all-time favourite veggie desserts!
Charlene @ That Girl Cooks Healthy
Wow, what a unique combination of sweet flavours combined with veggies. I have my ice lolly moulds at hand, so will definitely give this a try.
Kate Hackworthy
I hope you like it, Charlene. Let me know how you get on with the ice lollies!
Anna_PMorgan.
I am so in love with chocolate as a flavor but never ever though of using cauliflower in a Popsicle! My goodness they look tempting. I think the recipe is fairly easy and also includes the goodness of health. Thanks for arousing an instant craving, I so want to have these Popsicles right now! 😉
Kate Hackworthy
They really are nice and creamy, just like cauliflower puree – but nice and sweet and chocolatey!
Elizabeth
248 grams of organic cauliflower arrived in my veg box today. I am so totally making this, right now! Yum!
Kate Hackworthy
I hope you like it, Elizabeth!
Gary
They are bonkers. I love it!
Kate Hackworthy
Ha ha, yup, pretty bonkers. But in a good way 🙂
PassTheKnife
Such an interesting and creative dessert, I really want to try these out! I’ve been making smoothies with avocado and banana and they are creamy and delicious.
Kate Hackworthy
Oooh, I love avo banana smoothies! I hope you get a chance to try these cauliflower popsicles.
Kavey
They say there’s nothing new under the sun but I have never come across this idea before and I love it! Definitely one to bookmark!!!!
Kate Hackworthy
I’m pretty sure I’m the only one to make cauli pops, but they are really good so hopefully the idea spreads 🙂
Emily Leary
I completely trust you when it comes to these hidden veggie recipes so very keen to try these. Very curious to see what the kids make of them.
Kate Hackworthy
My kids loved them. You really wouldn’t know they were pureed veg 🙂
Katie Bryson
Wow these look incredible, and i’m so intrigued i’m going to have to give it a try… love your inventiveness!!! Good luck with the move 🙂
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Katie. Totally unusual, but it worked out really well!
Jacqueline
I am in awe… cauliflower popsicles!!! Tastebuds blown! Must give these a try.
Kate Hackworthy
I know, it sounds nuts. But cauliflower puree was so smooth so I thought I’d try it in popsicles. And it worked!
Jacqueline Meldrum
You are a genius Kate I love these. Such a sneaky recipe. I am trying these out on Cooper.
Kate Hackworthy
He’ll never know he’s getting his veg! 🙂
Margaux
This looks SO insanely delicious and I love the addition of cauliflower – the perfect recipe for leftover veggies 😀 Wonderful!
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Margaux, it really is a great way to use up cauliflower!
Choclette
You are so clever with your finishing touches Kate. I could conceivably think about partial dipping in chocolate, but adding pistachios? Yet it is this that make your lollies look so special. Another fab idea.
Kate Hackworthy
Aw, thanks Choclette! I love how green pistachios are 🙂
Keep Calm and Fanny On
I AM intrigued, you are right! They sound intriguingly delicious actually…
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks! They were delicious!