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Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream (No-Churn)

Disclaimer: The post is in partnership with Hernán & may include affiliate links.

This Mexican hot chocolate ice cream is sweet and creamy with a hint of cinnamon. It might be the combination of my two favorite things Mexican hot chocolate and ice cream. For this recipe I’ve used my new favorite chocolate, Hernán. I found out about Hernan at a local festival here in San Antonio and I instantly fell in love with their all-natural, vegan products.

mexican hot chocolate tablillas in milk

Hernan Mexican hot chocolate is made with stone-ground ORGANIC cocoa beans from a bio-diversified plantation in Chiapas! The chocolate is available in tablillas or shaped into calaveras (chocolate skulls). It has become my favorite chocolates, because in the US it is becoming very hard to find Mexican hot chocolate without artificial flavors or oils.

mexican hot chocolate skulls

 

Plus it’s a local business run by a fellow Mexican and entrepreneur, Isela Hernández  who is crafting these products in partnership with artisan groups and producers in Mexico!

blended mexican hot chocolate for ice cream

I have been experimenting with the chocolate and have made Mexican hot chocolate paletas, so it only seemed natural to try and use it to make ice cream.

I love ice cream and with so many dairy free alternatives on the market it’s not as difficult to find a good vegan ice cream (my favorite brand is Nadamoo). I do wish there were more Mexican or Latino inspired flavors like this Mexican hot chocolate ice cream, or other flavors like jamaica, horchata, arroz con leche, and cajeta.

These Mexican hot chocolate popsicles (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.

 

I used to have an ice cream maker, which I loved, but I had to let go of in the move from Hawaii to Texas. I figured I could just buy a new one instead of paying to ship the one I had, but then I never did. So I have made this recipe no-churn, but if you have an ice cream machine you can use it as well.

The Recipe: Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

  • I tried several different types of milk for this and my favorite was almond-coconut or soy.
  • I have added avocado for creaminess, but don’t worry the taste blends in perfectly with the chocolate.
  • You can use the sweetener of your choice.
  • If you have an ice cream machine, cool down the chocolate mixture then add to your machine. You can skip the steps 4,5 and 6
  • Enjoy!!
5 from 1 vote
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Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

This Mexican hot chocolate ice cream is sweet and creamy with a hint of cinnamon. It is also no-churn and dairy free!!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chipotle pasta, vegan pastas, ice cream, mexican hot chocolate, no-churn
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings (1 quart)
247 kcal
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablets (tablillas) Hernan Mexican chocolate
  • 2 cups Almond-coconut milk unsweetened
  • 1 Avocado ripe, cut in half, flesh removed
  • ¼ cup Maple syrup

Preparation

  1. Bring the coconut-almond milk to a very low simmer over low heat. Add chocolate tablets, and stir with a whisk or molinillo.

  2. Once the chocolate has dissolved pour it in a container and let it cool completely in the fridge or freezer.

  3. Place the chocolate mixture, avocado, and maple syrup in the blender, and puree until smooth.

  4. Pour into ice trays and freeze overnight.
  5. The following day unmold the cubes and place in the food processor. Process until smooth (hold on to your food processor because it’s going to shake!)
  6. Eat right away and enjoy!!

Recipe Video

Chef's Notes

  • I tried several different types of milk for this and my favorite was almond-coconut or soy.
  • I have added avocado for creaminess, but don't worry the taste blends in perfectly with the chocolate.
  • You can use the sweetener of your choice.
  • If you have an ice cream machine, cool down the chocolate mixture then add to your machine. You can skip the steps 4, 5, 6.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream
Amount Per Serving (1 Serving)
Calories 247 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 175mg 7%
Potassium 288mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 27g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 1.5%
Vitamin C 6.1%
Calcium 17.8%
Iron 1.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

 

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Popsicles (Paletas de Chocolate)

Disclaimer: The post is in partnership with Hernán & may include affiliate links.

Are you a fan of Mexican hot chocolate?? Well you are going to love these Mexican hot chocolate popsicles.  Maybe the thought of eating frozen hot chocolate doesn’t get you excited, but let me change your mind.

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon. They are everything that’s good about Mexican chocolate but in paleta form.

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.

For this recipe I used my new favorite Mexican hot chocolate: Hernán. I found out about Hernan at a local festival here in San Antonio and I instantly fell in love with their all-natural, vegan products.

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.

Hernán is the real deal, and I’m not talking about adding cinnamon to cocoa powder and calling it Mexican chocolate. I mean real, authentic, Mexican chocolate sourced from Chiapas, and ground with sugar and cinnamon. In fact, the cacao used to make Hernan Mexican hot chocolate is organic and from a biodiversified plantation! I can’t wait to experiment more with Hernán chocolate, maybe I’ll make Mexican chocolate ice cream next.

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.

I tried several ways of making this recipe, testing out several different plant milks and methods, but I couldn’t get them creamy enough.Doing some research online, I found a couple of recipes that were doing chocolate and avocado popsicles and I thought maybe I should try it.

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.

I’m not going to lie, I was super hesitant to use avocado in this recipe. I thought it would change the taste too much. Finally I decided to give it a go and I was shocked. The avocado makes this the creamiest chocolate popsicle ever, without any unhealthy animal fats, and it doesn’t affect the flavor at all.

The kids loved them and I hope you like them too!

The Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Popsicles (Paletas de Chocolate)

  • The recipe calls for 1 tablilla per cup of milk, but if you really like dark chocolate I would use 1 1/2 tablillas per cup of milk.
  • You can use any sweetener of choice, maple syrup would be really good with this though.
  • Make sure your avocado is ripe
  • This is the mold that I used to make these.
  • Enjoy!
These Mexican hot chocolate popsicles (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon.
5 from 1 vote
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Mexican Hot Chocolate Popsicles

These Mexican hot chocolate paletas (paletas de chocolate) are creamy and sweet, chocolaty and rich, with a touch of cinnamon. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 popsicles
131 kcal
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablets (tablillas) Hernan Mexican chocolate
  • 2 cups Almond-coconut milk, unsweetened
  • 1 Avocado ripe, cut in half, flesh removed
  • 2 tbsp. Sugar or maple syrup
US Customary - Metric

Preparation

  1. Bring the coconut-almond milk to a very low simmer over low heat. Add chocolate tablets and sugar, and stir with a whisk or molinillo.
  2. Once the chocolate has dissolved pour it in a container and let it cool completely in the fridge or freezer.

  3. Place the chocolate mixture, avocado, and sugar in the blender, and puree until smooth.

  4. Pour into popsicle molds, snap on the lids, and freeze for at least 5 hours.

Chef's Notes

• The recipe calls for 1 tablilla per cup of milk, but if you really like dark chocolate I would use 1 1/2 tablillas per cup of milk.

• You can use any sweetener of choice, maple syrup would be really good with this though.

• Make sure your avocado is ripe.

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Hot Chocolate Popsicles
Amount Per Serving (1 popsicle)
Calories 131 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 110mg 5%
Potassium 162mg 5%
Total Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 10g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 1%
Vitamin C 4.1%
Calcium 10.4%
Iron 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Are you looking for more paleta recipes?? Check these out

Strawberry Paletas

Coconut Paletas

Cucumer-Chile Paletas

Mango-Chile Paletas

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Almond Atole (Atole Almendrado)

I never liked atole as a child, probably because we would have those artificially flavored packets of Maizena atole. This almond atole is something completely different. Almond milk, ground almonds, cinnamon. piloncillo, and masa harina combine to make this a warm, comforting, and sweet beverage.

Atole is a drink from pre-hispanic times that can be sweet or savory depending on the region in Mexico where you are. It was drank by the indigenous people of Mexico for breakfast or sometimes as a meal in itself. It was also used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. Traditionally, it is made by dissolving ground dried corn in milk or water, and adding fruits or different flavorings to it. It is available all year, but is especially popular in the winter months.

Currently, atole is also made with cornstarch, rice flour, oat flour, or barley. Its consistency ranges from thin and milky, to very thick.  It is drank on special occasions like the Day of the Dead, Christmas, baptism, first communions, weddings, and feast days. Tamales and atole is classic pairing and one you should definitely try.

While doing research on atole I happened to find that almond atole is a favorite of my home state, Coahuila. I had never tried it before, so I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was, and nothing like the packaged version of atole that you can find at Mexican grocery stores. Like always, I made way too much of it, and saved what we didn’t drink in the fridge. The next day I served it to the kids for breakfast, almost like a porridge, and they ate it all up.

The Recipe: Almond Atole (Atole Almendrado)

I have used masa harina or maseca for this recipe. but if you have access to fresh masa I would recommend you use that instead. You can buy fresh masa at some tortillerias or Mexican groceries. Also make sure the cinnamon stick is a true ceylon cinnamon (also known as Mexican cinnamon). You can use whatever sweetener you like, I used piloncillo, but brown sugar would also work well. I haven’t made this recipe too sweet, so feel free to sweeten it up. ¡Enjoy!

This almond atole combines almond milk, ground almonds, cinnamon. piloncillo, and masa harina to make a warm, comforting, and sweet beverage.
4 from 1 vote
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Almond Atole (Atole Almendrado)

This almond atole combines almond milk, ground almonds, cinnamon. piloncillo, and masa harina to make a warm, comforting, and sweet beverage
Total Time 25 minutes
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 stick Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1 cup Masa harina, maseca
  • 1 ½ cups Raw Almonds or (1 2/3 cup almond meal)
  • ½-3/4 cup Piloncillo, brown sugar or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Heat almond milk in a medium sauce pot, bring to a simmer.
  2. While the milk comes to a simmer, grind the almonds in your blender until they resemble a powder. Set aside.
  3. Dissolve the masa harina in a little bit of water.
  4. Add the masa harina to the almond milk, and mix well.
  5. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add the ground almonds, cinnamon, and piloncillo to the saucepot. Simmer at very low heat for 15 minutes. Stir well.
  7. Serve hot. As it cools it will thicken, so add more almond milk if necessary.

Chef's Notes

I have used masa harina or maseca for this recipe. but if you have access to fresh masa I would recommend you use that instead. Also make sure the cinnamon stick is a true ceylon cinnamon (also known as Mexican cinnamon). You can use whatever sweetener you like, I used piloncillo, but brown sugar would also work well.

 

 

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Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas

Sometimes all you want on a blistering hot day is creamy banana pecan paletas. These banana popsicles have only 3 ingredients. are vegan, super easy to make, have no refined sugar, and are so deliciously creamy you will keep coming back for more.

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!

This year I’m participating in #paletaweek hosted by Lola’s Cocina, which is a Mexican recipe blog. It is not vegan, but Lola has a huge selection of agua fresca and paleta recipes that are almost all vegan. There are so many possibilities with paletas, the options are endless. Paletas in Mexico are usually made with fresh fruits that are in season. The paletas themselves have tons of fruit pieces and are just the right amount of sweet. Vendors sell them on the street in small refrigerated carts, and the flavors can range from classic strawberry to the unconventional sweet corn flavor.  My absolute favorite is coconut, and in second place mango con chamoy.

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!

One of my favorite ice creams is butter pecan or just plain pecan. When I set out to make these paletas I wanted them to be pecan flavored, but I didn’t want to add a ton of refined sugar to them. So I decided to use bananas instead of a plant-milk. The result surpassed my expectations! The banana gives this paleta its sweetness, but at the same time the pecan flavor doesn’t get lost in the mix. The heat here in San Antonio has been pretty intense, and testing these paletas several times this week definitely made things better.

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!

The Recipe: Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas

Make sure you freeze the bananas before hand, otherwise your paletas will turn a sad grayish-brown color. Feel free to add a bit more almond milk if your blender is having trouble processing the bananas. You can also roast the pecans in the oven for a more intense pecan flavor.

 

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!
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Creamy Banana Pecan Paletas

These creamy banana pecan paletas (banana pecan popsicles) have only 3 ingredients, are vegan, and refined-sugar free!!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 Paletas

Ingredients

  • 5 Bananas, ripe, peeled, cut into rounds, and frozen overnight
  • 1/2 cup Almond milk, vanilla, unsweetened
  • 1/3 cup Chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. Freeze peeled and cut bananas overnight in a Ziploc bag.

  2. The following day place the bananas and almond milk in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

  3. If the mixture is too thick you can add some more almond milk. 

  4. You must work quickly otherwise your bananas will start to turn brown.

  5. Pour the banana-almond milk mixture into a cold bowl. 

  6. Add half of the chopped pecans and mix well with a spatula. 

  7. Scoop the banana mixture into your popsicle molds and top with a generous sprinkle of chopped pecans.

  8. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. 

Chef's Notes

Make sure you freeze the bananas before hand, otherwise your paletas will turn a sad grayish-brown color. Feel free to add a bit more almond milk if your blender is having trouble processing the bananas. You can also roast the pecans in the oven for a more intense pecan flavor.

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Corn Paletas

Corn Paletas? What kind of weird sorcery is this? When you think about it a little bit, it makes total sense. We tend to associate corn with savory, but what about corn muffins and corn bread. Corn can also be sweet. Corn is sweet, so why not make paletas out of it.

I didn’t come up with this myself though. Corn is a common flavor in the paleterias of Michoacan and Central Mexico, where you can find ice cream as well as paletas. The first time I had one I was a little thrown off by the visible chunks of corn, but the flavor won me out at the end. Kind of like the first time I had Korean shaved ice with sweet red beans. You will have to make them in order to decide whether you like them or not. One of my kids loved them, and the other hated them.

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.

Cooking Mexican food in Hawaii hasn’t been to difficult. I have been able to find most of what I need at the regular grocery store, but dried chiles eluded me. I had to drive 40 minutes to the one Mexican grocery store in all of Oahu to find them. It turned out to be a little hole in the wall shop, and it became instantly smaller as soon as I brought my two kids in there. They were touching everything and running around like the crazy kids that they are. The lady, who I assume was the owner, was very nice, but I could tell she was worried about her livelihood with my kids in there. I picked up some dry chiles, spices, and some Mexican candy and ran out as quick as I could. It was a hot sticky day, so I bought two Jumex juices for the kids and we sat outside the shop to drink them. What is your favorite paleta flavor?

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.

The Recipe: Corn Paletas

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat, and they are super easy to make. I used almond milk to make these paletas, but you can use coconut milk for a more decadent version. If this is your first time making these I would recommend pureeing the mixture until it is completely smooth and straining it. Once you decide if you like them or not you can play around with the texture. Enjoy!

 

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.

This recipe for corn paletas takes all the sweet goodness of corn and transforms it into a an icy treat. They are super easy to make.
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Corn Paletas

Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10 paletas
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Corn kernels fresh (about 4 ears)
  • 3 cups Almond milk
  • 3/4 cup Sugar, granulated, or other vegan sweetener
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Place corn, almond milk, and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once it simmers, turn the heat off and take off the stove.
  2. Let cool to room temperature.
  3. Place mixture in the blender, add vanilla, and process until smooth. (You can leave chunky if that is your preference.)
  4. Straining the mixture is completely optional.
  5. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 5 hours.

Chef's Notes

If you are using popsicle molds without an insert, refrigerate popsicles for 45 min. then insert wooden popsicle sticks. You can use coconut milk for a more decadent version. If this is your first time making these I would recommend pureeing the mixture until it is completely smooth and straining it. Once you decide if you like them or not you can play around with the texture.

 

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Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream – Vegan

I looove ice cream, almost as much as I love cheese. Last year we bought an ice cream machine at Costco and spent the whole summer making ice cream. This year I’ve been on a bit of an ice cream funk. All the ice cream alternatives without dairy suck, and I just can’t seem to get into sorbet. This banana cinnamon ice cream though changed my mind.

This recipe for Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream is a great healthy option made with almond milk. The combination of banana and cinnamon is a classic

This recipe for Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream is a great healthy option made with almond milk. The combination of banana and cinnamon is a classic

A couple of weeks ago I visited Pino Gelato in Hilton Head and I had already mentally prepared myself to eat sorbet when I noticed they had banana sorbetto. I was skeptical at first, but with the first bite I was won over. It was light, yet smooth and creamy. It was sorbet’s fatty cousin! That’s when I knew I had to recreate it at home.

This recipe for Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream is a great healthy option made with almond milk. The combination of banana and cinnamon is a classic

Ok, so as you can already see from the pictures my ice cream is brown, which might be unappealing to some. I could’ve added lemon juice to prevent it from oxidizing, but I didn’t want to risk altering the flavor. It is made with bananas (of course), homemade almond milk, a pinch of cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla. That’s it! Pure, simple, and delicious!

This recipe for Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream is a great healthy option made with almond milk. The combination of banana and cinnamon is a classic

The Recipe: Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream

Regular ice cream has a lot of fat, which is why it is still somewhat soft even though it’s frozen. This ice cream has almost no fat at all, so it will become very hard once frozen. Be sure to take it out of the freezer a couple of minutes before eating to let it soften.

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Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 1 quart
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 6 Bananas, very ripe, 3 of them frozen
  • 2 cups Almond milk
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon ground

Preparation

  1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Place in ice cream machine immediately and follow the manufacturers instructions.
  3. You can eat it right away or put it in the freezer for later.

Chef's Notes

Regular ice cream has a lot of fat, which is why it is still somewhat soft even though it’s frozen. This ice cream has almost no fat at all, so it will become very hard once frozen. Be sure to take it out of the freezer a couple of minutes before eating to let it soften.

 

 

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