Summer kicked off this week, we’ve had a killer heat wave in Southern California and wait for it…it’s also #popsicleweek!! ‘What is popsicle week?’, you ask. It’s just an epic celebration with basically ALL the food bloggers of the entire internet participating. OK that may be a bit of an overstatement, but whatevs, it’s over 100 popsicle recipes brought to us by our friend Billy of Wit & Vinegar. That’s right, for the fourth year in a row, the king of popsicles has declared a whole week dedicated to this summer-inspired frosty goodness on a stick.

So, this week is awesome and the popsicle week party is pretty much the be all end all of summertime frozen goodness. For my first popsicle recipe of the season, I bring you these beautiful, tasty Roasted Peach and Vanilla Bean Matcha Popsicles. Loaded with vibrant color and flavor.

First of all, if you haven’t yet roasted peaches you are seriously missing out. The sweetness level is off the chain. The roasted peaches, they bring a sense of familiar comfort. A perfect compliment to the creamy vanilla bean flecked matcha. These pretty little popsicles are totally unique and end up tasting like a homemade peach cobbler topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with a cup of warm green tea on the side.

Besides being absolutely beautiful and full of flavor, matcha is one of my most favorite things, in this world. Matcha, is finely ground green tea grown and produced in Japan typically, that comes in the form of a powder. Loaded with a high concentration of antioxidants, matcha boasts a very long list of benefits, including increased energy levels, boosting memory, it’s also been known to help to burn calories and detoxify the body. Additionally, matcha has also been shown to improve cholesterol and fortify the immune system, with a long list of vitamins and antioxidants show to have antibiotic properties know to promote overall health.

The bright, sweet flavor of the roasted peaches perfectly compliments the vegetal, aromatic forward taste of the matcha, which almost has an umami taste to it. Those flecks of the whole vanilla bean, brings it all together.

Roasted Peach and Vanilla Bean Matcha Popsicles

{gluten-free, paleo-friendly, vegan option} I used this mold

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Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 4 large peaches, cut in half, pits removed
• 3 tablespoons honey, divided (or maple syrup)
• 1 cup full fat, or light canned organic coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon ceremonial grade organic matcha green tea powder, unsweetened
• 1 whole vanilla bean
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the halved peaches cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of honey over the peaches. Roast the peaches for 15-20 minutes until tender.
• Transfer the roasted peaches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer half of the puréed peaches into a bowl. Set aside.
• Leave the other half of the peach puree in the blender and add the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth and creamy. Carefully pour the mixture into your 3-ounce molds, filling each up about 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full. You may have just a little of the mixture leftover.
• Tap the mold on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Place the sticks in. Freeze for at least an hour, until mostly solid.
• After the first layer has frozen up enough, pull the popsicle mold out of the freezer and carefully pour the remaining peach mixture into each mold. Tap the mold on the counter a few times. Place back into the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours.
• These will last a month in the freezer.

Notes

I used white peaches, as this is what I grabbed and was most ripe at the farmers market. Any variety of peach will do.

If you don’t have a high speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you may want to consider soaking the vanilla bean ahead of time, to soften it.