Coffee Popsicles (Rocket Pops!)
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These Coffee Popsicles have the deep, rich body of your favorite cup of joe with a touch of sweet cream in an icy, refreshing treat! Make a batch of my coffee ice pops to enjoy your morning coffee even on the hottest days of the year!
Table of Contents
Coffee Popsicles
Have you ever taken a trip that’s totally shifted your perspective on food?
For me, it was a summer trip to New Orleans with my family years ago! Ever since, I’ve just been hooked on coffee in every way, shape, and form — especially iced.
Because there’s nothing more miserable than drinking a hot cup in hot, muggy weather. But I just needed my coffee fix! So that’s where my love of frozen coffee popsicles came from.
I played around with the popsicles I had in NOLA to get the creamy, dreamy recipe I’m sharing with you here. And they turned out perfect!
Loving your refreshing coffee ice pop? You’ll want to brew an extra large batch of joe to make even more cool, yummy treats like my frozen caramel coffee… or maybe a creamy iced coffee cocktail — for when you need that cup to be extra relaxing!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Coffee – Make this recipe with any coffee you’d like — just make sure it’s strong-brewed! Cold brew is great for this recipe too.
Don’t use a coffee-making method that leaves lots of grounds (a French press, percolator, etc.) because those grounds will sink to the bottom of the mold and be super bitter in your ice pops.
You can also just strain your brew before pouring it into the molds to make sure there are none of those pesky grounds left behind! - Heavy Cream – All of your favorite non-dairy alternatives work here. Coconut milk and cream are great too.
The only thing I will caution when you substitute dairy here is that you want to use something thick and not too watery.
If it’s too watery, then they’ll be extra icy and melt really quickly. - Granulated Sugar – I tentatively listed 2 tablespoons of sugar for 10 frozen coffee popsicles, but it’s really to taste.
Even if you like your coffee black, you’ll want at least a little sugar — things always taste a little less sweet when frozen!
You can also substitute with powdered sugar or another alternative sweetener. For that Starbucks taste, use liquid cane sugar. You can even use your favorite coffee syrup!
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Coffee Ice Pops
- Let the coffee cool completely before using.
There are a few reasons why you want to let your fresh brew cool down before you freeze it.
First, you don’t want it to mess with the heavy cream and alter the texture.
And speaking of texture, trapping steam in a closed container (in this case, our molds) will introduce more water to the mixture, making it icier than we want it.
It’ll cap your popsicles with flavorless ice, which we don’t want!
- Make the most of your molds!
Leave a little room (half an inch or so) at the top of your molds. The liquid will expand as it freezes, taking up more space in the mold. You don’t want things spilling out, so plan for this!
I also like to use a little tin foil on my molds, even though the ones I use come with tops.
Putting a layer of foil between the tops and the liquid prevents the tops from freezing to the pops when they’re done (which is a huge bummer!). It also keeps those popsicle sticks in place!
- Brew your coffee for the best cold flavor.
When you’re brewing for freezing, you want to make the blend extra strong by using a higher coffee-to-water ratio. Ee really want a prominent coffee flavor!
Dark roast is great to use — it’s also less acidic — and it tastes best with cream and sugar (in my opinion).
An overnight steep is also awesome! This is best done with coarse grounds. Just strain them out before mixing and pouring!
Prep Ahead
- Brew coffee
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Mixing Bowls – I use the medium-sized bowl from this set.
- Ice Pop Mold – Silicone molds are ideal! This one comes with reusable sticks too.
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil – This is thicker and sturdier than regular foil, meaning it won’t tear as easily.
Flavor Variations
Dress up your coffee ice pops the same way you would any other cup of joe! Your go-to syrups and creamers can be mixed right in, along with or instead of the heavy cream. I like to add caramel sauce!
Sweetened condensed milk or coconut cream are sweet, thick, and creamy options to consider too.
Add warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, or ginger to the hot coffee for a warm, pleasant aroma and flavor. Don’t forget that pumpkin spice in the fall!
Finally, you can make these closer to ice cream bars by adding vanilla or coffee-flavored ice cream to your iced coffee popsicles.
Storing Frozen Coffee Popsicles
I store homemade popsicles individually in plastic baggies or wrapped in parchment so they don’t stick together. Then, I put all of those in a gallon-sized bag.
You do want to eat coffee popsicles fairly quickly. The coffee taste starts to weaken, and the texture breaks down faster than other homemade ice pops. Aim to eat them within a week!
Coffee Ice Pop FAQ
They’re definitely more icy than creamy, making them a super light, refreshing snack.
Make them creamier by adding creamy ingredients like ice cream or cream of coconut!Â
There’s just as much caffeine in frozen coffee as there is in a fresh, hot cup! It’ll be diluted by the amount of heavy cream and whatever other liquid you add to it, but the freezing process does nothing to change the caffeine level.
You can easily make this recipe with decaf if you want a caffeine-free or kiddo-friendly coffee ice pop.
The secret to that soft, biteable texture is actually sugar! It lowers the freezing point of liquid so the texture isn’t too icy.
I’ve found that honey works best when making my fruity ice pops, but I can understand if you want to skip it in your iced coffee popsicles. Regular sugar or a liquid sweetener will work just as well!
DONNA’S PRO TIPS
- Use very strong brewed coffee for best flavor
- Whisk until sugar fully dissolves before freezing
- Leave space in molds for expansion
- Run warm water over molds for easy release
- Freeze at least 4 hours for firm pops
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on
Facebook| Twitter| Pinterest| Instagram
Other Easy Popsicle Recipes
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TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) THE QUICK VERSION
- Frozen iced coffee on a stick
- Creamy and refreshing
- Only 3 ingredients
- 5-minute prep
- Perfect for coffee lovers
- Smooth, bold flavor
- Easy make-ahead freezer treat
Coffee Popsicles (Rocket Pops!)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
- 12 ounces heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- MAKE COFFEE MIXTURE: In a medium mixing bowl combine 12 ounces strong brewed coffee, 12 ounces heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
- FILL MOLDS: Pour the coffee mixture evenly into 10 popsicle molds, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top of each mold for expansion.
- INSERT STICKS: Cover the molds with their lids or a piece of aluminum foil and insert popsicle sticks into the center of each mold.
- FREEZE: Place the molds in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until completely frozen.
- SERVE: To remove the popsicles, run warm water over the outside of the molds for about 10 seconds. Gently pull the popsicles out and serve immediately.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published August 2013, updated and republished April 2026
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
Oh man, these popsicles are so my kind of thing! Coffee fueled?! Yes, please!
I wanna make popsicles but have no popsicle moulds. I think I'll make do with glass cups. Tropical flavours all the way for me! But I could use some frozen coffee right about now.
Sounds like a plan, but I would be careful with the glass in the freezer.
Enjoy!
BTW, sometimes I use disposable bathroom cups.
I love the idea of popsicles for breakfast!!
These are awesome! I love popsicles and can’t live without coffee, so this was a no brainer when I saw it. A very tasty and fun way to get your caffeine fix!