Fudge Pops

On a sweltering summer afternoon, eating a copycat Fudgsicle will transport you back to playing outside as a kid. This simple recipe for fudge pops—made from pudding mix blended with milk and cream—will remind you of those iconic ice cream truck treats. If you have fun popsicle molds, break them out for this recipe. If not, make this frozen dessert in small paper cups. In that case, you’ll want to buy wooden popsicle sticks.

Keep a freezer full of homemade fudge pops on hand for barbecues and summer parties, especially when kids are on the guest list!

Ingredients for Fudge Pops

• Chocolate pudding mix: For this recipe, buy the kind of pudding mix that you cook, rather than instant pudding. The products are made with different types of starch, and the cooked version has a richer texture.
• Whole milk: Use whole milk in your pudding pops, rather than skim or 2%.
• Sugar: For this recipe, the best type of sugar is classic granulated sugar.
• Heavy whipping cream: With its high fat content, cream gives pudding pops a melty, creamy mouthfeel. Look for anything labeled heavy cream, whipping cream or heavy whipping cream.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pudding

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In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the pudding mix, milk and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring vigorously, for two minutes.

Step 2: Cool the pudding

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Let the pudding cool for 30 minutes, stirring often. Then fold in the whipped cream.

Editor’s Tip: To cool pudding faster, make an ice bath by combining ice cubes and cold water in a large bowl. Pour the pudding into a medium-size metal bowl, and place that bowl in the ice bath. You’ll still want to stir the pudding regularly as it cools.

Step 3: Make the pudding pops

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Pour the cooled pudding into pop molds, attach the lid and insert the sticks. Or, if using paper cups, divide the pudding mixture between a dozen 3-ounce paper cups, top the cups with foil and insert wooden popsicle sticks through the foil. Freeze until firm, three to four hours.

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Fudge Top Recipe Variations

• Use homemade pudding: Instead of using store-bought mix, freeze a homemade chocolate pudding. Just follow the recipe, then cool the pudding as directed for fudge pops and go from there!
• Change the flavor: You can make pudding pops with any flavor of pudding. I love making them with lemon pudding, toasted coconut pudding and vanilla pudding.
• Add fruit: Frozen fruit—chopped roughly by hand or briefly processed in a food processor—can be combined with the pudding mix before freezing. I like to have bits of dark sweet cherries in a fudge pop. And adding frozen pineapple to coconut popsicles turns them into piña colada popsicles.

How to Store Fudge Pops

Take your pops out of their molds (dip them in hot water very briefly to loosen them, if needed), and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. They’ll last for about six weeks.

Fudge Pop Tips

Do you need popsicle molds to make homemade fudge pops?

Nope! You can divide the pudding pop mix between small paper cups, cover the tops of the cups with foil and punch a popsicle stick through the foil.