These irresistible coconut popsicles are made with just 4 ingredients! Crafted with creamy coconut milk, sweetened shredded coconut flakes, luscious condensed milk, and rich heavy cream, this delightful treat is the ultimate escape from the summer heat. Indulge in these paletas de coco and make every sunny day a celebration!
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Why you will love these Coconut Popsicles
I guess I should say WHY I LOVE THEM! These Paletas de Coco are a special, rich and creamy, cool summer indulgence and utterly fond memory!
I don't often share tales, but these coconut popsicles whisk me back to the sun-drenched memories of our annual Lake Powell boating trips throughout most of my life. Picture this: after hours on the road, the majestic beauty of Lake Powell greets us, but so does the relentless sun. As we unpack our cars, anticipation builds. Before embarking on our week-long camping adventure, we make a beeline to the dock grocery store. There, a delightful ritual unfolds—each of us grabs a cool, creamy coconut popsicle. Ah, the bliss! It's our final, sweet reprieve before diving into a week of sun-soaked fun.
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Ingredients for Paletas de Coco
Full Fat Coconut Milk: Rich and creamy, full fat coconut milk is the base of these popsicles, providing authentic coconut flavor without artificial flavorings. The full fat coconut milk adds a tropical richness and smooth consistency, essential for a creamy frozen treat.
Sweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes: The shredded coconut flakes add a delightful chewiness and extra coconut profile, while enhancing the popsicles' texture, a satisfying texture contrast to the creamy base. I hope you love the chewy bites as much as I do!
Sweetened Condensed Milk: This thick, sweet milk adds a creamy texture, binding all the flavors together beautifully and contributes a rich, indulgent sweetness that perfectly complements the coconut flavor.
Heavy Cream 40% Fat: Heavy cream adds an extra layer of richness and creaminess, making the popsicles smooth and velvety, while enhancing the creamy texture and provides a luxurious mouthfeel.
HOW TO MAKE COCONUT POPSICLES
- Combine the coconut milk, shredded coconut, condensed milk, and heavy cream in a blender and blend until all the ingredients are mixed.
- Pour the mixture evenly into each popsicle mold, leaving ½” for freezing and expansion.
- Insert the popsicle sticks into the popsicle mold slots. If you do not have a mold or your mold did not come with a lid, freeze the popsicles for 2 hours or until they are semi-firm and insert wooden sticks in the center. Continue to freeze for an additional 6 hours or overnight.
- To remove from the popsicle mold, run the base of the mold under warm water for 60 seconds, then pull to release from the mold. Enjoy!
Turn these Palettas de Coco into Piña Colada Popsicles
Here’s how in one easy step: turn these coconut pops into pina colada popsicles by adding ½ to ¾ cup of fresh cut pineapple, chopped into small bits. Once the primary recipe is blended, fold in the pineapple then add to molds. Your recipe will now yield 16 popsicles.
Check out these other cool summer popsicles treats!
Fresh Fruit Freezer Pops made from fresh fruit with only 79 calories
Strawberry Mango Sunrise Popsicles
Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
Equipment Options
Silicone Popsicle Molds – these freeze slower but I like how the lids seal and keep air off the product.
Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds – these freeze faster but are a bit more costly.
Aluminum Cover and BPA-FREE plastic mold with 10 popsicle chambers – this mold is solid and will not allow freezing mixture to swell and become mis-shapen like an overfull silicone mold can.
Popsicle Sticks – I like these because they are extra long 5” sticks vs. the standard 4 ½” sticks.
Historical Fun Facts about Paletas
Paletas originated in the 1940s in the Mexican town of Tocumbo. Passionate local families, with a love for sweets, began crafting these frozen treats as a delightful way to cool off. As their popularity grew, these families expanded their production into dedicated facilities known as paleterias, giving rise to the name paletas. These colorful, refreshing ice cream popsicles were sold from vibrant carts throughout the neighborhoods of Tocumbo, quickly becoming a beloved Mexican dessert. Today, paletas have gained global popularity, cherished by people all around the world.
Traditional paletas are crafted with natural ingredients like mango, cucumber, lime juice, and tamarind. Though they may look like typical American popsicles at first glance, paletas are uniquely different. Instead of having a uniform flavor and texture, they are made with chunks of fruit, vegetables, and sometimes herbs, all frozen around a wooden stick—the paleta, Spanish for little stick. Once frozen, these refreshing Mexican treats can be enjoyed on their own or made even more indulgent with various toppings.
Coconut Popsicles (Paletas de Coco)
Equipment
- Silicone Popsicle Molds these freeze slower but I like how the lids seal and keep air off the product.
- Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds these freeze faster but are a bit more costly.
- Aluminum Cover and BPA-FREE plastic mold with 10 popsicle chambers – this mold is solid and will not allow freezing mixture to swell and become mis-shapen like an overfull silicone mold can.
- Popsicle Sticks I like these because they are extra long 5” sticks vs. the standard 4 ½” sticks.
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz full fat coconut milk (400ml), 1 can
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes 65g/2.3oz
- 1 -14 oz sweetened condensed milk (397ml), 1 can
- 1 cup heavy cream (220ml), 40% fat
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk, shredded coconut, condensed milk, and heavy cream in a blender and blend until all the ingredients are mixed.
- Pour the mixture evenly into each popsicle mold, leaving ½” for freezing and expansion.
- Insert the popsicle sticks into the popsicle mold slots. If you do not have a mold or your mold did not come with a lid, freeze the popsicles for 2 hours or until they are semi-firm and insert wooden sticks in the center. Continue to freeze for an additional 6 hours or overnight.
- To remove from the popsicle mold, run the base of the mold under warm water for 60 seconds, then pull to release from the mold. Enjoy!
Recipe Variation
- You can also turn these coconut pops into piña colada popsicles by adding ½ to ¾ cup of fresh cut pineapple, chopped into small bits. Once the primary recipe is blended, fold in the pineapple then add to molds. Your recipe will now yield 16 popsicles.
Notes
- You can also turn these coconut pops into piña colada popsicles by adding ½ to ¾ cup of fresh cut pineapple, chopped into small bits. Once the primary recipe is blended, fold in the pineapple then add to molds. Your recipe will now yield 16 popsicles.
Nutrition
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