The perfect afternoon pick-me-up, these Boozy Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles are pure caffeinated deliciousness! Serve these refreshing treats to guests at your next cookout, or enjoy them yourself when you need a little boost to keep you going on a warm summer’s day.
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I’m super excited friends.
It’s #PopsicleWeek!
Every summer for the last five years, Billy Green over at Wit & Vinegar has hosted a special online event devoted to the ever-present summer staple, the popsicle. It’s fantastic. The whole thing is a fun, community-building good time. While I’ve happily made recipes posted by some awesome bloggers in the past, with a blog of my own I can finally contribute a recipe for the first time!
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Boozy Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles
These lovely Boozy Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles are the perfect sweet treat to get you over the afternoon hump. My favorite part is that it’s like two popsicles in one – there is a rich, slightly more bitter coffee layer and a sweet cream layer full of coconut deliciousness. You swirl them slightly to blend them a bit, but you should still have some separation of flavors in the final pop. Both layers have a portion of mint-infused simple syrup though, so no matter what you’ll get plenty of sugar in each bite.
Look at that ombré. I’m not gonna lie, I surprised myself with how pretty the popsicles came out. Not every test was this perfectly segmented – the coconut cream just happened to float to the top on this one. You just never know until you take the finished pops out of the mold.
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Homemade Coffee Concentrate & Syrup
There are a few steps to this recipe. Before you make the pops themselves, you’ll need to prepare the cold brew coffee concentrate and the mint-infused simple syrup that give these Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles their name. Luckily, both components are super easy to make and are great tricks to have up your sleeve for all sorts of other recipes too.
For the cold brew coffee concentrate, you’ll be combining your favorite ground coffee beans in a jar with some fresh water, then you’ll let it seep overnight in a cool, dark place. Strain out the grounds and you’re done! It’s that easy. I use a double-layer regular coffee filter set in a funnel to strain out the beans. Just be slow and patient. You can in the picture above a few of my grounds made it into the final result, but that didn’t bother me. Strain as much as you feel is necessary. You can make this a few days ahead and store in the fridge.
We’ve made plenty of simple syrups on this site before (like this Lemon Simple Syrup), and this one is just as easy. Combine a cup of water and a cup of sugar in a sauce pan over high heat and bring to a moderate simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and add a big bunch (about one cup) of fresh mint leaves to the pot. Let it reduce very slightly and infuse for about 10 minutes over low heat. The syrup should thicken and take on a faint yellow color (don’t let it get golden). Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, strain the simple syrup into a measuring cup or mason jar, discarding the mint leaves. Store in an airtight bottle or jar in the fridge, where it will keep for about a month.
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Recipe Alterations:
To Spike or Not to Spike: The “boozy” part of these Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles is totally optional. There isn’t enough Irish Cream in the recipe to get you tipsy (a little less than a half an ounce of liquor per pop if your mold makes 10 popsicles like mine). I like the added flavor, but it’s not essential. Feel free to omit the Bailey’s if you don’t drink or would like to have one of these to start your day rather than finish it.
Vegan & Non-Dairy Options: Because the cream in this popsicle is coconut milk, the recipe is (mostly) dairy-free. Original Bailey’s Irish Cream, however, is dairy-based, so keep that in mind if you decide to include it or a similar product. While I haven’t tested it myself, I’m sure you could try substituting a vegan Irish Cream (either homemade or Bailey’s newly released Almade, which uses almond milk liquor) if you’d like to keep the boozy part intact!
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Whatever you do this summer, I hope you try making some homemade popsicles for yourself! If you’ve never made your own before, I can recommend this popsicle mold, which I use and absolutely love. There are lots on the market though and any mold will do. It might not be the most ecologically savvy, but I personally prefer the ones that use wooden sticks, rather than plastic handles you have to recollect.
If coffee or cream popsicles aren’t your thing, follow the #PopsicleWeek hashtag on social media to see what else is out there – I’m sure you’ll find a popsicle that’s perfect for you! No matter what, I’m sure you won’t regret indulging in one of these sweet treats.
Boozy Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles
Ingredients
Coffee Layer:
- 1 cup cold brew coffee concentrate (see recipe notes)
- 1/3 cup mint-infused simple syrup (see recipe notes)
- 3 Tbsp Irish Cream (Optional)
Coconut Cream Layer:
- 1 (16 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup mint-infused simple syrup (see recipe notes)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Boozy Mint Coffee Coconut Cream Popsicles
- First, make the coffee layer: In a large 6-8 ounce measuring cup, combine the cold brew coffee concentrate, mint-infused simple syrup, and Irish Cream (if using). Whisk gently to combine, and fill each of your popsicle molds about one-third to halfway up. Transfer any leftover coffee mixture to another container for another use (like drinking over ice, perhaps?) or discard.
- Second, make the coconut cream layer: In the same measuring cup as the coffee layer (I don’t even bother to rinse it out since it’s all getting combined anyway), make the coconut cream layer by combining the can of coconut milk, half cup mint-infused simple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir gently to combine the solids of the coconut milk with the rest of the mixture. The solids will float to the top of the mold, so if you want some more defined layers in your final pop, don’t whisk too much. If you’d rather a smoother popsicle, whisk until smooth.
- Finish the popsicles: Gently pour this second cream layer into the molds on top of your coffee layer and fill to the top. Give each pop a gentle stir with a popsicle stick, and then place the popsicle mold into the freezer for one hour until partially frozen. Insert your popsicle sticks, and freeze an additional four hours until solid.
- To un-mold: You can either store your popsicles in the mold until eaten, or remove them to store separately. To store separately, remove the mold from the freezer and let the popsicles sit for 5 minutes. Working quickly to avoid melting, remove each from the mold and wrap them in a strip of parchment paper. Place the wrapped pops in a freezer safe Ziploc bag or Tupperware container and store in the freezer. Enjoy your delicious popsicles within two weeks.
Notes
1/2 cup ground coffee beans
2 cups cold water The night before you make your popsicles, stir together the ground coffee and water in an airtight container (I like using a quart-size mason jar with the measurements on the side for ease). Place in a cool, dark place overnight. Strain the cold brew coffee concentrate into another container using a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or (very carefully) through a few layers of standard coffee filters. Use immediately, or store in the fridge for up to one week. Mint-Infused Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (heaping) cup fresh mint leaves, removed from stems Combine the water and the sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the mint leaves. Let the mixture reduce and infuse for about 10-15 minutes over low heat. The syrup should thicken and start to take on a faint yellow color (don’t let it turn golden). Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Using a metal sieve or slotted spoon, strain the spent mint leaves from the simple syrup and discard. Store the mint-infused syrup in an airtight bottle or jar in the fridge until used. Unused syrup will last four to six weeks in the fridge. *** Vegan & Non-Dairy Options: Because the cream in this popsicle is coconut milk, this recipe is (mostly) dairy-free. Should you choose to keep the popsicle boozy, keep in mind that Original Bailey’s Irish Cream (which I used in my tests) is dairy-based. Try substituting a vegan Irish Cream (either homemade or store-bought) if you’d like to keep the boozy part intact and the rest of the pop dairy-free!
