It’s POPSICLE WEEK! To celebrate this momentous week of frozen delights, I’ve made earl grey milky tea popsicles with grass jelly bits. Guys, you know I like my bits. Bits add texture and interest and sometimes downright FUN – I’m talking bubble tea pearls, crunchy nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, crumbs and yes, grass jelly.
Grass jelly can seem intimidatingly grotesque to the uninitiated, mostly because of it’s dark brown colour and glisteningly gelatinous nature. It’s made from a Chinese herb which has been dried and oxidized, hence the colour. And, when purchased in a can, it slides out in a glump, jiggly and bizarre looking. Unsweetened, it has a bitter, earthy tea flavour and it’s served with sweetened condensed milk in many Asian restaurants! You can get it as an add-in at bubble tea shops too. It’s basically like a Chinese Jell-O.
When grass jelly is all chopped up it looks like sparkling brown glass, and it adds a nice texture and flavour combined with earl grey. I love it so much in these creamy tea-infused popsicles! You can find grass jelly in Asian supermarkets or you can make your own using a grass jelly powder mix found online.
Earl Grey Milky Tea Popsicles with Grass Jelly
ingredients
For the popsicles
- 1 cup of evaporated milk
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 6 earl grey tea bags
- ½ cup grass jelly, chopped into bits
instructions
Make the popsicles!
- In a medium saucepan, bring the evaporated milk, cream and whole milk to a low boil. Be careful it doesn’t boil over!
- Remove from heat; steep the earl grey tea bags in the hot milk mixture for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the tea bags to maximize the flavour before removing from milk; I use two spoons to help press and squeeze the bags together.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix to combine.
- Strain the mixture over top of a large liquid measuring cup to catch any stray tea leaves or milk skin that may have formed.
- Using a spoon, add a teaspoon of grass jelly to each popsicle mold. Mix the rest into the earl grey milk mixture.
- Slowly pour the earl grey milk mixture into the popsicle molds; freeze for 6 hours or overnight!
How to Philosophize with Cake
That looks amazing! Love the Earl Grey flavors–that’s my favorite tea! :) I’ve never tried anything like grass jelly, but it sounds quite intriguing! :D
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you!! i heart earl grey too, my fave! ^__^
Nicole
Chinese jello! I need these super pretty pops in my life! So creative.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha! thanks nicole ! :)
steph
girl!!! these are amazeballs!! i LOVE grass jelly. so good. in popsicles!? i bow down to your popsicle prowess! :p
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha thanks steph!!! asian desserts in the houuuuuuseeeee
Ileana
Grass jelly?? I’ve never heard of this. Cool! These popsicles look delicious!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you so much ileana! :)
Molly
Never heard of grass jelly, but it sounds so interesting! And your photos are lovely :)
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you, molly!! :)
Melissa @ Treats With a Twist
I love adventurous ingredients and an excuse to visit my Asian market! And I adore bubble tea! Just gorgeous!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
yay! thank you, melissa! ^__^
Emily
I LOVE THIS IDEA. I know it’s not a competition, but in my heart, you win popsicle week.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
YAY WITH A CAPS! ^__^ thank you emily!
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
I dig this jell idea! It sounds awesome! And Earl Grey is my absolute favourite tea, so this is a no-brainer for me!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
wonderful!! thanks so much sarah!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Bwahahahaha –> “Grass jelly can seem intimidatingly grotesque to the uninitiated” #truth. I’m actually not a fan at all but the Husband lurvs it. These earl grey milky tea popsicles I can totally get behind – they look amazing, your photos are gorgeous and it’s so hot right now I wish I had half a dozen in front of me.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha!! nancy, even slathered in sweetened condensed milk you don’t like it?? :P heehee! i think on it’s own, it would be a rare breed that would eat it up! thanks so much!!
cynthia
OMG these sound AMAZING. Amazing!!!! I’m an insane fan of anything with “milk” and “tea” in it, but in popsicle form plus grass jelly? Be still, my heart. Love this, Lyndsay!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
aw cynthia it’s so nice to have fellow grass jelly appreciators!!! thank you so much! xo
Em | the pig & quill
Where have I been? You can buy grass jelly in a CAN? It’s like I’m living in a snow globe and you just gave the whole thang a good shimmyshake. Yes please!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha! i love that analogy!! warning, it’s jiggly and extra weird when it slides out of that can! just like cranberry sauce from a can… ! ^__^
Connie
Hello fellow Vancouverite! I’ve been following your blog for years now and I’m loving this new site!
Just a question, where did you find the popsicle mould? I’ve been looking one with that exact shape for months!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
hi connie! aw thank you! yes, the popsicle molds are “norpro” brand – if you search on amazon it comes up! i love the shape, too!
Victoria Hudgins
These look beyond amazing! Cant wait to try this recipe out.
xoxo,
Victoria
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you victoria!! xo
Nik@ABrownTable
Early Grey popsicles, they look delicious! Also, where did you get the grass jelly can from, I’ll hunt for it at my Asian market ?
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
hi nik!! sorry i just saw this – i got it from an asian supermarket locally called T&T. :)
Sherrie | With Food + Love
YES YES YES!! Obsessed with anything tea + milk, especially earl grey.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you sherrie! :)
Amanda Vuu
Not going to lie…I bought a grass jelly drink after reading this post. That is all. How adorbs are these popsicles!!