Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Popsicles

For a simple but oh-so-delicious summertime treat, feast your eyes on these vegan Neapolitan ice cream popsicles! ☀️

Made with coconut milk instead of dairy (and only five other plant-based ingredients), these delicious popsicles are a treat for your tastebuds as much as they are your eyes.

They are simple to make and don’t require an ice cream maker – a blender, a freezer, and a little patience is all you need!

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What is Neapolitan Ice Cream?

With three flavors in one (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry), Neapolitan ice cream is one of the more distinctive ice cream varieties around.

These three flavors are usually layered side-by-side in a container, stacked on top of each other to make popsicles, or in between cookies to make an ice cream sandwich! 🤤

Why is it Called Neapolitan Ice Cream?

So, what does this triple-layered ice cream have to do with the Italian province of Naples?

It turns out that this popular ice cream is actually quite similar to the Italian spumone, which was introduced to the US in the 1800s by Neapolitan immigrants.

Spumone is a molded gelato also made with three layers of different flavors (often cherry, pistachio, and chocolate or vanilla)! It also usually contains candied fruit and nuts in between the layers. YUM.

This style of ice cream became much loved in the US, but was adapted to include the most popular American flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry)!

Are Neapolitan Popsicles Vegan?

Traditionally, no – Neapolitan ice cream is made with dairy.

However, using coconut milk instead of dairy means that this recipe is 100% vegan, with zero compromise on that delicious creamy texture!

What are Vegan Neapolitan Popsicles Made Of?

We use the following ingredients:

• Coconut milk (full fat)
• Maple syrup
• Frozen strawberries
• Vanilla extract
• Cocoa powder
• Chocolate chips

The #1 secret to making vegan popsicles creamy is to use full-fat coconut milk. Other vegan milk substitutes (like almond milk) just don’t cut it. You need the fattiness that full-fat coconut milk provides.

A lot of non-vegan Neapolitan popsicles use Greek yogurt, so I’m sure using coconut yogurt would also work well (although we haven’t tried it!).

The #2 secret to making vegan popsicles creamy is sugar. We love using liquid sweeteners, like agave, maple syrup, or date syrup.

We tested a sugar-free sweetener (monk fruit) for this recipe. The texture was definitely less creamy, but it was still fine.

Just know that the finished popsicle will be icier when using sugar-free sweeteners than a liquid sweetener – but this is a good compromise if you’re trying to avoid sugar! It just needed to defrost for a few minutes to be bite-able.

How to Make Vegan Neapolitan Popsicles?

To make these popsicles, start by adding the coconut milk and maple syrup to a blender, and blend until mixed. Transfer 2/3 of the mixture to a mixing bowl, and set aside.

To the remaining 1/3 mixture left in the blender, add frozen strawberries, and blend until smooth.

Evenly pour the strawberry coconut milk into 10 popsicle molds, filling each 1/3 of the way up. Set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Make sure the popsicle stick is in place for this first freeze.

When ready, from the remaining mixture in the mixing bowl, transfer HALF of the mixture back into the blender, and blend with the vanilla extract.

Pour the vanilla coconut milk into the popsicle molds, again filling each 1/3 up. Set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

When you are ready, transfer the remaining liquid in the bowl to the blender, and blend the mixture with cocoa powder and chocolate chips.

Pour the chocolate coconut milk into the popsicle molds filling each one to the top! Set in the freezer for a few hours (or overnight), and you are ready to remove and enjoy!

FAQ

How to Store Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Popsicles

In the freezer! It’s best to store these popsicles in their molds until you are ready to pop them out and enjoy them.

These will store well in the freezer for up to around 2 months.

What Equipment Do I Need to Make Neapolitan Ice Cream Popsicles?

The easiest way to make these Neapolitan popsicles is with a reusable popsicle mold – there are loads of options out there, but this is the one we use and it does the trick!

Meanwhile, when we first tried to pour the mixture straight from the blender, it dripped down the insides of the mold, which made the final product look… well, not so pretty.

So you may also want to use a funnel (this comes with the popsicle mold mentioned above) or a piping bag to add the first two layers to the mold.

Aside from that, the only other equipment you’ll need is a good blender and a mixing bowl.

For more mouthwatering plant-based ice cream recipes, check out:

Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Vegan Chipwich Ice Cream Sandwich

Vegan Snickers Ice Cream

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photos with @healthiir on Instagram. I’d love to see your creation. 🙂