Coconut Carob Ice Pops

My little girl is LOVES chocolate, but she just can't seem to handle it. Even a tiny taste makes her eyes spin around in her head. It turns her into a crazy, evil, brat who can't sleep. So we avoid it at all costs.

I hadn't had much luck with carob in the past, but I thought we'd give it another shot since it's caffeine-free. Much to my surprise, these ice pops turned out great; kind of like a German-chocolate Fudgesicle (if there is such a thing).

One of the ingredients I used was silken tofu, because I wanted the pops to have a softer, creamy texture (and a little extra protein). I also added some coconut extract because I had it on hand. But if you don't have any, or you don't want to buy it, vanilla extract would work fine here. You could also substitute regular milk for part (or all) of the coconut milk if your kid needs more calcium. Finally, I used a combination of erythritol and agave nectar to sweeten my pops, but feel free to experiment with whatever sweetener you like.

So I ended up with a tasty frozen treat, that has minimal sugar, and it satisfies my little girl's need for a chocolatey treat without keeping her up all night.

Coconut Carob Ice Pops
(all measurements are approximate)

1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 can coconut milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla flavoring
2 Tbsp. unsweetened carob (or cocoa) powder
generous squirt of agave nectar
1/4 cup erythritol

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and pulse 'til smooth. Pour into ice molds and freeze.

Makes about 6, 2oz. popsicles