Fudgsicles were one of my favorite summertime treats as a child. They are chocolate popsicles, with a great chocolate flavor to them. I’ve seen lots of recipes for Fudgsicles over the years and have noticed that, in spite of their names, none of them are really quite like the original Fudgsicles. Oh, they’re all very chocolaty, but many recipes call for lots of cream or chocolate – neither of which is actually in the original Fudgsicle! The originals have just a few main ingredients, including skim milk, sugar and cocoa powder (as well as emulsifiers and flavorings). They’re simple, flavorful and low in fat and calories – all things that have kept these popsicles popular over the years.
So, when I set out to make my own homemade Fudgesicles, I wanted them to be as similar as possible to the originals. These are popsicles made with milk, cocoa powder and sugar – not ice cream shoved into popsicle molds! Everything is stirred together in a medium saucepan, then poured into popsicle molds. The size of your finished popsicle will vary on the size of your mold. I used Tovolo’s Groovy Popsicle Molds. Be creative if you don’t have molds, as you can easily make popsicles without a mold, too.
The Fudgsicles are delicious. They have a great chocolate flavor and are not too sweet. They are also not too icy and melt smoothly on your tongue. If you’re worried about them being too sweet from the sugar in the base recipe – don’t be. Things taste less sweet when they’re chilled, so even if the base tastes a bit sweet, it shouldn’t be a problem when the popsicles are done. The sugar (and the corn syrup or agave syrup – your choice) also keeps the popsicles from getting too hard and icy. You can leave out the little bit of corn syrup if you prefer, but your pop might be a touch icier as a result.
I’ll be making these again and again this summer – or at least making a few big batches to keep on hand for snacking on hot days!
Homemade Fudgsicles
2 cups low fat or skim milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornsyrup or agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cocoa powder, sugar, corn syrup (or agave syrup) and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook just until all of the sugar and cocoa powder is dissolved. Pour hot mixture into popsicle molds and freeze overnight, or until solid.
Makes 6-8 large popsicles (depending on the size of your molds)
Caroline
August 6, 2010I love the original fudgsicle, i would love to try this out and see how close to the original it is! Sounds delicious!
brilynn
August 6, 2010I love fudgsicles too! I will have to dig out my old popsicle molds and give these a shot.
Marisa@make happy
August 6, 2010Ooh yum! Can’t wait to try this! Thank you!
Cat @ ButteryBakery
August 6, 2010That looks so welcoming! Time to indulge…
megan
August 6, 2010I LOVE fudgesicles! I remember as a little girl, my friend and I would buy a box (of 6) and share them, sitting on the steps of the neighboring flower shop, on our way home from school. Ahhh, yes, fudgesicles bring back fond memories! 🙂
Jessie @ Hearty Bakes
August 6, 2010Cooling fudgesicles! Looks chocolatey good for my humid climate here in Sinapore. My children will love this!
Thanks for sharing!
Vania
August 7, 2010Thanks for sharing – I am going to try these! We need these during these dog days of August.
Judy
August 7, 2010Oh my gosh! I have not eaten this for ages! You have awaken me and now I yearn for it. I will make this soon! Thanks!
Leslie
August 7, 2010How essential is the corn syrup/agave syrup? I’d love to try these and have all the ingredients except those. I do have maple syrup, but that probably has too much of it’s own flavor…
Paula
August 7, 2010what a great idea! yum!
Sues
August 7, 2010I love fudgsicles and they’re my summertime go-to for a sweet treat! I totally need to get my hands on a mold and make these!
Scott at Real Epicurean
August 8, 2010Wow, they look great! Would love to taste them as usually I have an aversion to low fat food…
Kalynskitchen
August 8, 2010That fudgesicle photo with the bite out of it is making me smile!
martinzblackz
August 8, 2010That’s look delicious I like this too, chocolate flavor will make me feel nice…
Lisa
August 9, 2010I made these over the weekend and they were sooooo good! I think they are even better than the original! Because I was feeling lazy, I used the microwave. Heated in one minute intervals until cocoa was combined, then heated 2-3 mins till bubbled. Thanks sooo much for a great recipe! Love this!
Judy Wilson
August 9, 2010What kind of cocoa powder do you mean? Like dutch cocoa or natural cocoa powder? Or do you mean something like Nestles Quik? Thank you.
Nicole
August 9, 2010Judy – Unsweetened cocoa powder, either dutch or natural. I would not use hot chocolate mix in place of the cocoa powder in this recipe, as it will make it too sweet.
helena
August 10, 2010sounds sooooo good. brings back lots of memories.
thought i might try them in an ice tray..small bites..long period of time. the flavor will last.
Esther
August 11, 2010would it be ok to substitute the skim/lowfat milk with whole milk instead? would it change the texture? thank you in advance. 🙂
Suzanne
August 16, 2010Has anyone made these with a milk substitute? My son is allergic to all milk products but I think these would be fun to make. We usually have Oatly oat drink at home.
Donna
August 22, 2010Oh, oh, oh. These are sooooooooo good. Better than the real thing. Oh so easy to make, oh so yummy to eat. Thank you for posting this recipe. Bye. Got to go make some more.
Erica
August 26, 2010I was excited to try these, but they didn’t turn out as good as I’d hoped. There was way to much cocoa and not enough sugar and milk. They also didn’t freeze up very firmly, even after 24 hours, and as a result they dripped all over the place as my 3 year old tried to eat hers, and it broke off of the popsicle stick after only a couple of minutes (and she was licking gently!). I MUCH prefer this recipe: 1/4 c. peanut butter, 1 4 1/8 or 4 1/2 oz. chocolate pudding mix, milk. Beat peanut butter into milk (use the quantity of milk per pudding recipe). Beat in pudding mix. Freeze in molds.
Cindy
August 26, 2010I made a double batch of these for a party over the weekend and they were a huge hit! The fudge flavor was just right. I didn’t quite have enough popsicle molds, so a few ended up in dixie cups with popsicle sticks in them, but they were still just as yummy.
Esther x3baking
September 17, 2010I made these with whole milk and they turned out great! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
http://x3baking.blogspot.com/2010/09/homemade-fudgesicles.html
Mine turned out perfect. My family enjoyed it very much and my dad and mom were “fighting” for the last one. Give these a try.
Amanda
May 12, 2011Our A/C broke, house was 85 today and I was desperate for cool sweet treats. These came out GREAT! Thanks for sharing!
Ricky
June 4, 2011I just made these, they are freezing now. Can’t wait to eat em! I just had to find a recipe to make them myself, without the pudding mix or high fructose corn syrup.
caroline
July 7, 2011I just bought a new popsicle mold and this looks like a great recipie to try them out.
flora
July 8, 2011Should the stovetop mixture be cooled before pouring into the molds? I am curious because I recently bought Shelly Kaldunski’s ‘Ice Pops’ book and she’s really adamant about cooling the stovetop-recipe ones first (in a bowl put inside a bowl of ice cubes) to room temperature before pouring into the molds. She also uses the Tovolo groovies, etc, which I also have. So I’m just wondering if you have tried the recipe both ways (cooled vs non-cooled) and noticed a difference in the finished product? Thanks!
Pouring any liquid from stovetop directly into any plastic container is something I tend to instinctively avoid (glass or metal yes, plastic no) even if the plastic in question is BPA-free…
Can these be cooled a bit first?\
Nicole
July 8, 2011Flora – Usually, the reason that cooling a mixture first is that it will (a) freeze faster and (b) may result in the formation of fewer ice crystals during freezing. I’m sure you can cool the mixture, I generally do not do that when making these.
Susie
July 10, 2011I just put a batch in the freezer and can’t wait to try them. It’s gonna be 87 here today and these will be a nice, cool chocolately treat. Reminds me of being a kid and eating fudgesicles. I don’t think I’ve had one in 20 years! Thank you for posting this.
Betty Farnsworth
July 17, 2011same old fashion taste, only problem I had was they didn’t stick to my plastic handles so replace them with popcycle sticks and then they were perfect!
Jean
April 18, 2012Oh my gosh! These are awesome! Being diabetic, though, I can’t have them, though I did cheat. Next time I make them I’m going to try it with Splenda. I may even try almond milk since my son is allergic to dairy products.
kat
April 30, 2012Like you, I was looking for something that didn’t resemble pudding or ice cream in a popsicle mold. I’m living in a country where I can’t buy them in a box, and I wanted a fudgsicle.
Your recipe is amazing. I tried it ‘as is’ and this is what I’m using from now on. My husband couldn’t stop at one and neither could I. Maybe I should get bigger molds. 😉
Jean
May 30, 2012They also work with Splenda if you want to cut down on carbs or calories.
Julie Sammarco
June 22, 2012This sounds like a great recipe! It reminds me of one I make during the hot summer months—Nutella popsicles. It’s very similar to this one, only I use Nutella instead of cocoa powder. I also don’t use the vanilla extract and replace my sugar with Splenda.
Sometimes I’ll sprinkle some nuts into the popsicle tray before I pour in the mixture. When they freeze, they’ll have a nice nutty top (kind of like a drumstick).
Adina
July 1, 2012These are great. Eating one right now made with coconut milk, honey, cocoa and vanilla. Healthier and just as delicious. You can also use whole milk, for sure.
Shari
January 14, 2013I just received a Zoku for Christmas and tried your recipe today. I used skim milk, and only 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 2/3 cups. After simmering the ingredients, I put them in the refrigerator to chill for several hours. Before putting in the fridge, I divided the mixture in half and added 1/2 a smashed banana to one of the mixtures. We just made the pops a short time ago. My son enjoyed your fudgesicle pop, while my daughter and I enjoyed our banana fudgesicle pops. Thanks for sharing the recipe – definitely a keeper!
rose
December 26, 2013hi, have these freezing now. can’t wait to try them!
Shelly Plemons
February 1, 2014Is there a quick set method to make these?