Summer is right around the corner! Even though today was windy and chilly, the weather has been trending towards the sunny and warm here in Toronto. So in honor of the slowly descending mid-spring, and soon-to-be-summer, I made these coffee ice pops.

I love a good popsicle, and I love coffee. So combining the two came naturally! Usually, I’m partial to mango or strawberry-flavored smoothie pops, but these were so different—in a good way. They have a rich coffee flavour that, combined with the sweetness of the banana and dates, makes for a great low-calorie Netflix dessert option  (do you know what I mean?).

These popsicles are also plant-based, and since they are low in calories, you can enjoy them while still inching closer to or keeping your summer body. Of course, the best part, in my opinion, is that they pack a small kick of caffeine (although I used decaf, see my recent post).

Avoiding treats altogether is a little unrealistic for me. I wouldn’t say I have a sweet tooth, but I just don’t like to feel restricted. These pops are perfect for those times I feel like grabbing a snack. They take very little time to make, make almost no mess, and you can keep these healthy snack alternatives in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Here’s how to make them.

You will need:

• 1 cup of thick plant milk (I used Silk’s organic soy milk)
• 2 teaspoons of instant coffee (I used Nestle’s decaf); you could sub with two shots of espresso, as well
• 1  ripe banana
• 6-8 soaked dates for sweetness and creaminess (soak in warm water until they’re soft enough to blend)
• 1 tablespoon of unflavoured plant protein powder (I used pea)

Blend everything together and pour into popsicle molds, then freeze for a few hours. This amount should fill six roughly-1/4-cup molds.

Yum!