I’m not gonna lie, although the actual process for whipping up these Strawberry Cheesecake Pops is crazy easy, getting to the final result is an exercise in self control. But why, you might ask? Well, you darling lil’ inquiring minds, it’s because the strawberry filling for these creamy pops, while comprised of only 4 unassuming ingredients – strawberries, cashews, light coconut milk, and agave nectar – tastes like the best strawberry shake you’ve ever had. It’s hard to not go straight from the blender to a mug and bypass the whole popsicle freezing time nonsense. But persevere we must, because hot spring and summer days demand icy cold treats.
To achieve the unique shape of these pops, I used a 6 square (2 in. x 2 in.) silicone ice cube mold. My husband uses them to make ice cubes for drinking whisky, I use them for popsicles (shrugs shoulders). The square shape gives these pops a unique look and makes for a substantial treat. If you’ve got kiddos at home with smaller appetites, you might try a 1 in. x 1 in. mold. The genius of silicone is that the pops literally pop right out with a gentle peeling back of the sides of the mold. There’s no need to run under warm water or wait until they unfreeze.
To make these legitimate cheesecake pops, there’s a layer of graham cracker crumbs sandwiched between the strawberry filling. It’s like an inside out cheesecake with the graham cracker layer lightly peeking out of the sides. Feel free to add more graham cracker if you’re a crust fiend or leave it out altogether if you’re gluten free. I’ve made these with and without the graham layer, but the buttery hit of salty graham crumbs smack dab in the middle of the sweet and refreshing strawberry cream is worth the extra step. When I photographed these for the blog, I decided to fold in extra chunks of strawberries before pouring the cream mixture into the molds. The added pop of color sure looks pretty, but I’d omit them next time. The strawberry chunks stay a little too icy for my taste and end up detracting from the overall awesomeness of these pops.
I used Annie’s Organic Honey Grahams, for the graham layer. A quick whirl in the food processor makes for perfect crumbs. I like Annie’s because I can pronounce all of the ingredients and they don’t contain any high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils. These particular graham crackers do however, contain honey, making them not technically vegan. I haven’t had luck finding graham crackers without honey – I suppose it defeats the whole point of a honey graham – but if honey is a firm no go, then you could try making your own graham crackers – like these from Oh She Glows – or sub store bought ginger snaps. Whatever you do, make these. Make them now.
- 1½ cups strawberries, roughly chopped
- ½ cup strawberries, diced (optional)
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for 2 - 24 hours
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 graham crackers)
- sea salt
- 2"x2" silicone ice cube tray
- 6 popsicle sticks
- Add 1½ cups strawberries, drained cashews, coconut milk, agave nectar and a sprinkle of sea salt to a high speed blender. Blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in diced strawberries if desired.
- Fill each square of the silicone tray half way with the strawberry mixture. Add a layer of graham cracker crumbs (about 2 tablespoons) and top with remaining strawberry mixture. Place a popsicle stick in the center of each square. Freeze for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.
- To remove pops from the tray, lightly peel back the edges of the silicone.
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