Coconut Hojicha Popsicles

It is HOT here in LA, so I am cooling down with these coconut hojicha popsicles. I knew I wanted to bring out my popsicle molds this year after my experience making July 4th themed popsicles last year. They’re just so easy to make, and are always a crowd pleaser. For these popsicles, I used a combination of coconut milk, sugar, and hojicha. The hojicha gives them a very earthy, roasted flavor, and the coconut milk gives them this richer texture.

What is hojicha?

Hojicha is like the forgotten sibling of matcha. They have the same parent but all the attention is on matcha. But hojicha definitely deserves some love. Hojicha is made by roasting green tea leaves. Roasting the leaves is how hojicha gets its brown color. What I love most about it is that it has less caffeine than matcha. I am very sensitive to caffeine; I can’t even eat matcha desserts without it affecting my sleep schedule. That’s why sometimes I prefer hojicha to matcha. In terms of cooking and baking, because they are very similar, you can use hojicha in the same way you use matcha.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Coconut Hojicha Popsicles

• Hojicha powder – Provides the popsicles with their roasted green tea flavor. I got my hojicha from Hojicha Co, a new hojicha brand I’m trying and love. You can also get hojicha from Amazon.
• Coconut milk – The fat from the coconut milk gives the popsicle it’s richer flavor and texture. It keeps it from tasting like flavored frozen water. I would use full fat coconut milk for the best results.
• Granulated sugar – Use as much sugar as you like. I used 6 tbsp to 1/2 cup in my tests. 6 tbsp of sugar is just perfect for my parents who don’t like their desserts too sweet. I personally like the 1/2 cup of sugar.
• Vanilla extract – Adds more flavor to the popsicles. Substitute with 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla paste.

Chocolate Ganache (optional)

I thought the popsicles needed a little something extra, so I whipped up a quick ganache made with semi sweet chocolate and heavy cream. You can use whatever chocolate you like for the ganache. I just used what I had on hand.

Making my coconut hojicha popsicles

Combine all the ingredients for the popsicles in a small pan. Heat over medium heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Pour the liquid into the popsicle mold. Cover and add the popsicle sticks. Let them freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the heavy cream until the liquid starts to bubble on the outside. Pour it into a bowl with the chocolate chips. Mix until a smooth chocolate ganache forms. Drizzle over the popsicles and serve!

Tips on how to make the perfect coconut hojicha popsicles

Use a liquid measuring cup to pour the liquid into the molds

I find that using a liquid measuring cup is the cleanest way to pour your liquid into the molds. When I tried it without the measuring cup, the liquid went all over the place.

How to release stuck popsicles 

I’ve had this problem before making popsicles. Sometimes, the popsicles stick to the mold after freezing. The easiest way to get it out is to dip it in hot water for a few seconds, and firmly pull them out. Definitely need some arm strength here!

What to do if your popsicle sticks won’t stay submerged completely 

I had this problem this time with my popsicle sticks. They kept floating up instead of staying submerged completely in the popsicle molds. So to fix the issue, I covered them with a piece of foil to push the sticks down.

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