Creamy Low-Dairy Nutella Popsicles - and Zoku

Do you see these creamy pops freezing in this clever little popsicle maker? Those are addicting, delicious, wow-me-and-surprise-me, oh-so-simple Nutella popsicles made with very little dairy. They are so creamy, yet the only dairy in them is the amount in Nutella. And with this little pops maker, it took less than 10 minutes to freeze these two wonders.

Even my husband, who isn't a chocolate lover and could do without Nutella, and isn't that crazy about coconut milk, really really liked these popsicles.

I took quick photos with my phone yesterday because I knew I wanted to get this recipe to you today. (This is one of the main reasons why I've slowed down on the recipe posting - I try to take nice photos with my big camera and then life gets too busy to allow me time to edit these photos before I can give you the recipe!)

Sorry, I had already eaten some before I remembered a photo :)

I had been seeing this Nutella popsicles photo sequence floating around Pinterest (this is what I based my recipe on, to give credit where credit is due), and thought I better give it a try since we received a Zoku Quick Pop Maker (they come in single, double or triple pops!) for Christmas and had yet to use it. I washed it out, let it dry and stuck it in the freezer for use in the next few days.

I love Nutella. I LOVE Nutella. And ice cream pops. And I also am lactose-intolerant and am not able to eat more than a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream with taking a couple of Lactaid (one for each spoonful). So, I was determined to make these pops something that I could eat.

I mixed up some coconut milk, a little almond milk and some Nutella with an immersion blender in a matter of seconds, then we were good to go.

Can I just tell you how quickly I fell in love with this Zoku maker? When we received it I thought it was a very, very cool toy (and I'd seen them on several food blogs and was admittedly curious) ... but that it was also a gadget we might use a couple of times and then find inconvenient and not use much more after that. Nope. I was wrong. This is the most convenient way I've ever made popsicles, and they freeze so perfectly. It's like you just ripped them open from a wrapper out of a box you picked up at the store, but they taste fresher. And they don't get that icy taste that popsicles frozen the old-fashioned way do.

We also got this handy-dandy airtight Zoku pops storage case and this amazing recipe book with our Christmas present. I need to add extra popsicle sticks and the the cool tools to our collection at some point.

If you don't have one of these Zoku pops makers, you don't have to worry. You can make these the traditional freezer way, you'll just have to wait a lot longer. ;)

Projected prep time: 3 minutes; Projected freeze time: Under 10 minutes (if using Zoku, longer if traditional)
(Printable Recipe)

3/4 cup original coconut milk (not flavored or low-fat etc. I usually use Silk)
1/4 cup original almond milk (same info and brand as above)
1/3 cup Nutella (okay if it's slightly heaping)

Mix all ingredients together until blended well and no chunks of Nutella are evident. I used a hand immersion blender, but feel free to use the method of your choice. Cover and refrigerate until cold (the night before is perfect). Pour into popsicle molds according to the manufacturer's directions until frozen.

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Cranberry Nutella No-Bake Cookies

Today is World Nutella Day. I didn't know that when I made these a few days ago, but I found out a few hours after I'd finished. Naturally, I decided to save the post in honor of this fabulous day. Don't forget about my Bananatella Cream Bites when you're whipping up your gluten-free nutella recipes today!

I'd actually been making these as something for a Valentine's Day option, because what can be better than chocolate, nutella and sweet red pomegranate-infused cranberries melted together to celebrate with your honey?

I adapted this recipe from the "Chocolate Unbaked Oatmeal Cookies" from the Miss Rodeo America Cookbook printed in 1995 that my mother-in-law gave me a long time ago. (She was a Miss Rodeo America.)

Projected prep time: 15 minutes; Projected cook time: 5 minutes
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. milk (plus more)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/3 c. certified gluten-free oats
1 c. pomegranate Craisins
1/2 c. nutella
4 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Please note that not everyone with celiac can ingest gluten-free oats as I explain in this link.

Place your oats in a bowl and drizzle a little milk over them and let them sit for about 5 minutes. You don't want to get them wet, you just want them damp enough to soften them. Original no-bake cookies call for quick oatmeal, so that's why you're doing this.

Combine sugar, butter, salt and 1/2 c. milk into saucepan and heat over low-medium heat until sugar dissolved, then cook for about a minute longer, then add vanilla.

Add your oats, and heat for another minute or two.

Add cocoa and nutella ...

then the Craisins. Turn off heat.

Mix thoroughly, then let sit in pan for two or three minutes.

Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with wax paper.

After they have completely cooled, store them at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days. If you store them longer, put them in the refrigerator.

Enjoy, and Happy World Nutella Day!

Bananatella Cream Bites

These mini-muffins are amazing!

 I had inspiration the other day when I was making banana bread. I love nutella and bananas together, especially when they are hot. Yum. I started thinking of a way to combine this with banana bread, and while I'm sure you could use this filling in the middle of banana bread (which I plan on trying!), I wanted it in something bite-sized. Like mini-muffins.

I just wasn't sure what to mix it with to get the right texture. Ricotta? Nutella and ricotta together is amazing, and I love desserts with this, but it's not the texture I wanted. Eggs? I wasn't sure if that would bake exactly how I wanted it to. Cream cheese? Hmmmm ...

Projected prep time: 10 minutes; Projected bake time: Approximately 18 minutes.
*Note: I actually can't remember the exact bake time because I was baking different things in the oven at the same time and forgot to write it down. I know I checked at 15 minutes and felt like they needed longer, so I turned them around and reset the timer. I was also doing this for the other items. I may have taken them out three minutes later, maybe five, maybe more. I wish I could tell you. Next time I make them, I'll keep a better record and come back and edit this.
This is the same list of ingredients for my banana bread, minus the Salba seed. My banana bread is dairy-free, soy-free but these aren't because of the nutella, but feel free to make your own chocolate hazelnut spread and try these!
Muffins:
1/4 c. expeller-pressed extra-virgin coconut oil (see this recipe on why)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. organic sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. white rice flour
3/4 c. brown rice flour
1/4 tsp. gluten-free, aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda (see this recipe on how I measure baking soda)
4 bananas (very ripe), beaten creamy
3 heaping tsp. milled flax seed (optional, but why not?)
Filling:
1/3 c. nutella
1/3 c. cream cheese

Add salt to oil and gradually add sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour together with soda, baking powder and milled flax seed. Mash bananas and add alternately with dry ingredients until all is well-mixed.

Mix nutella and cream cheese together.

Very well ...

And then take a little spoonful of it to taste it. Oh my yum.

Have ready a mini-muffin tin (or you could do big muffins, might need to adjust filling amount) lined with baking cups and put a dollop of batter into each cup.

Add a little nutella/cream cheese filling

And another dollop of batter

Bake at 350 degrees the appropriate amount of time (see note above). They are done when they bounce back after lightly pressing on them. To be sure, insert a toothpick into the muffin on the side where the filling isn't and see if it comes out clean.

Move to wire rack to cool

Serve them while they are still warm.

Enjoy every bite!