Hazelnut Protein Coffee Popsicles
Three ingredients, one blender, six popsicles at 80 calories and 6g of protein each. The only frozen coffee treat that does not turn into an ice block.
You'll Need
- Blender or shaker bottle
- 6-mould popsicle tray
- Popsicle sticks
Ingredients
- ✓2 scoops Hazelnut Protein Coffee (one 40g serving)
- ✓2 cups 2% milk
- ✓1 tbsp maple syrup
- ✓Pinch of salt
Instructions
- 1Blend the milk, the two scoops, the maple syrup and the salt for 30 seconds until completely smooth. A shaker bottle works too - shake for a full 30 seconds, not ten.
- 2Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so the foam settles. Foam poured into moulds freezes into a chalky white cap on the end of every popsicle.
- 3Pour into six moulds, leaving about a quarter inch of space at the top - the mixture expands as it freezes.
- 4Freeze for 1 hour, then insert the sticks. Putting them in at this point means they stand straight instead of leaning.
- 5Freeze another 3 hours until solid. To release, run the outside of the mould under warm tap water for 10 seconds - do not pull hard on a stuck stick.
Coffee popsicles made from brewed coffee freeze into something you can barely bite. The reason these do not is the protein and fat from the powder and the milk, which interrupt ice crystal formation the same way they do in ice cream.
Three ingredients, sixty seconds of blending, four hours of waiting. At 80 calories each these are about as low-effort and low-consequence as a frozen dessert gets.
They are also the easiest way to use up half a bag if the weather turns hot.
Nutrition Per Serving
| Serving size | 1 popsicle (1/6 of batch) |
| Calories | 80 |
| Protein | 6g |
| Total carbohydrate | 8g |
| Total sugars | 6g |
| Added sugar | 2g |
| Total fat | 2.5g |
| Sodium | 55mg |
Why This Works
Plain coffee freezes into a solid block of ice because there is nothing in it but water and dissolved solids. Milk protein and whey protein both interfere with ice crystal growth - they physically get in the way of crystals joining up into large ones - so the result stays fine-grained and bites cleanly. It is the same principle that stops ice cream being an ice cube.
The 5 minute rest before pouring is a small thing that visibly improves the result. Blended protein drinks hold a lot of air, and any foam that goes into the mould rises to the top and freezes as a dry white cap with a different texture to the rest.
Adding the sticks after the first hour, once the mixture is slushy rather than liquid, is the only reliable way to get them upright. Pushed into liquid they drift; pushed into a solid they will not go in.
Tips From Our Kitchen
- Let the foam settle before pouring. Five minutes, and no more chalky white tips.
- Sticks in at the one hour mark, not at the start.
- Warm water on the outside of the mould for ten seconds releases them. Yanking snaps the stick.
- Leave a quarter inch of headroom - the mixture expands.
- Wrap individually in parchment once released and they keep two months without picking up freezer smells.
Swaps & Variations
- Creamier: swap 1/2 cup of the milk for heavy cream. Around 120 calories each.
- Dairy-free: oat milk. Almond milk freezes noticeably harder and icier.
- No added sugar: leave out the maple. Drops each pop to about 72 calories with 0g added sugar.
- Layered: freeze half the mixture, then pour over a plain milk layer for a two-tone pop.
- Mocha version: add 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa at the blending stage.
Common Questions
How many calories are in a protein coffee popsicle?
About 80, with 6g of protein. Leaving out the maple syrup brings it to roughly 72 with no added sugar.
Why are mine rock hard?
Almost certainly a very low-fat or almond milk base. Milk fat and protein are what keep the ice crystals small - 2% or whole milk gives a much better bite.
Why is there a white chalky cap on top?
Foam from blending was poured straight into the moulds. Let the mixture stand five minutes and the foam settles out.
How do I get the sticks to stand up straight?
Freeze for one hour first, then push the sticks into the slushy mixture. In liquid they drift sideways.
How long do they keep?
Two months in the freezer, best wrapped individually in parchment so they do not pick up other freezer smells.
Hazelnut Protein Coffee
Warm, nutty, and not sweet. Toasted hazelnut against real arabica, with 22g of grass-fed whey protein and 4.5g of BCAAs to support muscle recovery and keep you full, plus organic adaptogens and a pre and probiotic ble...
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