Homemade Creamsicles® With Orange Cream Rooibos (Vegan)

As a child, I remember delighting in the hot days of August. My brother and I could spend an entire day in the yard leaping through the sprinkler, having rowdy water fights, and just causing general (damp) mayhem. However, the real highlight of any summer day was the moment that the sing-song tones of the ice cream truck floated to us. In my memory, the ice cream truck has an almost mythical quality to it. It would appear with a burst of song at the perfect moment, with an endless bounty of colorful, frozen treats. I recently learned that national creamsicle day is August 14 and I was immediately flooded with countless (sticky) memories from my youth. Pairing my new awareness of the upcoming occasion with the fact that our fearless leader, Shawn Donnille, is an avid Creamsicle® fan, I decided to try my hand at an herbal adaptation of this beloved summer treat that would win over even the most diehard admirers.

Given Shawn’s love of this nostalgic popsicle, it is not an accident that Mountain Rose carries two orange cream tea blends—orange cream rooibos and orange cream oolong—and even an orange cream essential oil blend. For this recipe, I decided to try incorporating the caffeine-free rooibos blend to add the herbaceous twist that I was looking for. The end result gave me something that is reminiscent of the classic favorite, but with the added flavor and feel of a midday cup of tea, all in a refreshing, frozen form perfect for beating the August heat.

Orange Cream Rooibos Tea Concentrate Recipe

The first step of this recipe is to brew some tea. I wanted to make sure that the flavor of the tea came through in the popsicles so I made a more concentrated concoction. Feel free to experiment with this ratio based on your personal taste!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. organic orange cream rooibos tea
• 1/2 cup hot water

Directions

1. Add tea to jar and pour in hot water.
2. Cover jar and infuse for 15 minutes.
3. Using a mesh strainer, strain tea into another container and let cool.
   
   

Creamsicle® Recipe (vegan option)
Makes about (6) 3-oz. popsicles.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange cream rooibos tea concentrate
• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup full-fat cream or plant cream of choice
• Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) to taste

Directions

1. Combine tea concentrate, orange juice, and vanilla extract in bowl.
2. Stir in cream and agave nectar. I recommend tasting your mixture as you do this to make sure desired sweetness and flavor are reached.
3. Pour into popsicle mold and place in freezer.
4. You may wish to stir popsicles within their molds after an hour or so to make sure flavors are fully incorporated.

Pro Tips

• You may need to adjust the quantities used in this recipe depending on the size of your popsicle mold.
• Any excess popsicle mixture can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. (Make sure you give it a good stir before pouring it into your mold)
• If using canned coconut milk for your cream, you will want to place it in a blender until it is smooth before adding it to your tea and orange juice.
  
  
  

Looking for more refreshing summer recipes?

Check Out This Agua Fresca Mocktail Recipe With Holy Basil!

• Botanically-Inspired Lemonade Recipes
• Lemon Lavender Fizz Herbal Soda
• Herbalist Tips to Beat the Summer Heat
  
  

*Creamsicle® is a registered trademark of the Unilever Group of Companies. Mountain Rose Herbs is not affiliated with Unilever in any way.