*Paleo & Primal Approved Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 10 min • Yield: 12 three-ounce pops

Equipment

• 12 three-ounce paper cups
• 12 popsicle sticks or 12 three-ounce popsicle molds

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut cream, approximately 14 ounces
• 1 to 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk (to yield 3 cups when combined with coconut cream)
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• ¼ cup maple syrup
•  ¼ cup arrowroot powder
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup cashews, toasted and coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan combine coconut cream, almond milk, eggs, and maple syrup and warm over medium heat. Dissolve arrowroot in cold water and add to sauce pan. Stir until pudding starts to bubble around the edges, immediately reduce heat and continue stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the pudding. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour pudding into another bowl to cool.
2. Melt the chocolate in 30 –second intervals in the microwave or in a double boiler. Carefully spoon chocolate into the bottom of the paper cups/popsicle molds.  Sprinkle cashews over chocolate.  When pudding has cooled, pour into cups/molds and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.

Variations

• For chocolate chip pudding pops, stir in chocolate chips.
• For mint chocolate chip, replace vanilla with ½ teaspoon pure mint extract and stir in chocolate chips.
• For fruity pudding pops, stir in your favorite berries or chunks of fresh fruit.

Notes This is also a fabulous vanilla pudding recipe!  Just stop after step 1. Try using colorful, sturdy plastic straws instead of popsicle sticks just for fun. For larger pudding pops,  use 5-ounce paper cups.