It’s that time of the year again…when it’s ridiculously hot in most parts of the US (our AC hasn’t arrived yet, so by “most parts of the US” I mostly mean, in our bedroom.  It is so freaking sweltering.  My cat keeps laying on the floor and giving me the evil eye) and icy cool deliciousness on a stick is simply necessary.  Luckily, it’s #popsicleweek, otherwise known as that time when everyone on the internet makes some of the most creative, amazing popsicles known to man kind.  Last year, I made Chia Rose Raspberry Pops, which, if you haven’t yet tried eating for breakfast, you should.  The chia not only makes the pops super creamy, but it adds protein and fiber that keep you easily full till lunch.  Also, you can then tell everyone you know that you had a popsicle for breakfast – optional nanny nanny boo boo to follow.

Here are a few of my favorite pops from this year’s selection:

Sherrie’s Creamy Iced Coffee Pops

Sarah’s Honeydew Green Tea Pops

Faith’s Dulce de Leche Pops

Em’s #Pinkdrink Pops (with bonus points for cultural relevance!)

Jen’s Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Pops

And as for me…

Well, I’ve been obsessed with edible flowers all summer – this time of year, I want everything to be vibrant, bursting with color and life, and edible flowers seem to make any dish do exactly that.  After seeing a white chocolate drizzled pop on Magnum’s Instagram feed, I had visions of a healthy version of the same thing, the white chocolate studded with bright, colorful edible flowers.  When I stumbled upon some gorgeous basil at the farmer’s market, everything came together in my head, and these pops were born.

They’re shockingly easy for how insanely gorgeous they look.  It’s really just a quick whiz in the blender for the pops, and a bit of stove work for the white chocolate drizzle.  The edible flowers hold up shockingly well in the freezer (I used pansies) and the result is a pop that’s not only wow-worthy to look at, but amazingly delicious.  When basil is used in dessert, its sweet, faintly grassy notes are highlighted; paired with the milky white chocolate, it’s utterly decadent.

Oh, and did I mention this pop was entirely vegan, gluten free, AND refined sugar free?  The white chocolate flavor comes from cacao butter, the pressed oil of the cacao bean (and the actual “white” part of the chocolate; truly white chocolate in its truest form).  Cacao butter makes these pops incredibly creamy, while adding health benefits from its antioxidants, oleic acid, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, and theobromine, which raises energy and alertness levels.  Basil is also one of the world’s healthiest foods, rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that will boost your immune system and make sure you don’t spend any of the beautiful summer days home sick.

Because it’s popsicle week, a ton of us food blogger folk are making our own take on the summer classic.  If you want to check out the rest of the pops, head over here.

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