Frozen Fudge Bars

The addition of instant espresso powders, heightens the chocolatey flavors of these frozen fudge bars. Here’s a quick and easy homemade version of a favorite childhood summer treat!

I loved Fudgsicles as a kid.  It has been years since the last time I enjoyed a fudge bar. I finally caved in and was about to pick up a box at the market.  

I was a bit overwhelmed by the selection of chocolate fudge bars in the freezer section.  Did I want the low-fat version? How about the 100-calorie fudge bars?  Maybe the dairy-free ones?

I’ve never been one to count calories and whenever I see “low-fat” I usually think bland, artificial, or processed.  Upon checking the box’s ingredient label, I was bummed to see more than 10 ingredients in a simple chocolate fudge bar.  So I went back home and made my own version.  

I must warn you- my frozen fudge bars are far from low fat.  

However, unlike the boxed version sold at the market, my bars use simple ingredients.  There is no high-fructose corn syrup, palm oil or hard to pronounce preservatives.  

All Natural Ingredients Frozen Fudge Popsicles

My ingredients list includes:

• cream & milk
• chocolate & cocoa powder
• sugar
• pinch of kosher salt
• cornstarch
• optional instant espresso powder to intensify the bar’s chocolate flavors

Why add cornstarch to fudge bars?

You must be wondering, why would you include cornstarch?  Ice cream is made rich and creamy through the use of egg yolks.

Since these fudge bars are eggless, the addition of cornstarch is necessary to plump up and thicken the chocolate mixture.  Just be sure to bring the cream-milk mixture to a boil to cook out any cornstarch taste.

Homemade Fudgesicles Melt Fast!

Work quickly when unmolding those frozen fudge bars. I suggest unmolding the bars and then wrapping them in plastic wrap and immediately storing them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, or until ready to enjoy.

This will ensure the frozen pops remain solid. 

As soon as I had chocolate dipped one fudge bar, the others already started melting.  Oh well.  When this happens, you give in and eat the bars before they turn into a messy puddle. #foodbloggerproblems

Times like this I wish I had a blast freezer.

I had to put the rest of the fudge bars back in the freezer.  I tried to photograph them the following day, but still no luck.  

Perhaps August is not the best month to be making chocolate dipped fudge bars.  That’s okay.  These homemade frozen fudge bars don’t really need that extra chocolate.  They are pretty darn perfect on their own!

Recommend frozen pop molds for fudge bars

I use these Norpro Frozen Ice Pop molds from Amazon.

I also recommend these flexible silicone molds. They are a bit more expensive, but can be used for baking as well as freezing. 

Other frozen chocolate treats you might enjoy:

• Fans of homemade fudgsicles will love these Fig Fudge Popsicles! They’re topped with white chocolate and pistachios.
• These s’mores ice cream bars are the perfect bite sized summer treat! Graham cracker crust bottom, no-churn chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, topped with a toasted marshmallow.
• These almond mocha ice cream bars feature no churn mocha ice cream dipped in melted chocolate with chopped almonds.

Frozen Fudge Bars

The addition of instant espresso powders, heightens the chocolatey flavors of these frozen fudge bars. Here's a quick and easy homemade version of a favorite childhood summer treats!

Yield: makes 8 popsicles

Servings: 8 pops

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Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder, optional
• ½ cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

 

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, whisk together milk, cream, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder and espresso powder. Whisk until cocoa powder has dissolved.
• Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour hot liquid mixture over chocolate. Let sit for a couple minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir to combine. Add sugar and salt. Mix until distributed. Let mixture sit for a couple minutes to allow to cool.
• Transfer to a large pitcher (or large liquid measuring cup) and pour into popsicle molds. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Insert wooden sticks into molds and return to freezer for another 4 hours until fudge bars are solid.

Notes

Equipment Notes:

I use these popsicle molds  from Amazon.

Storage:

• Individually wrap frozen pops in plastic wrap and keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate bars, fudge bars, frozen treats, frozen fudge

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