Place the heavy cream in a medium sized bowl and whip for ~3 minutes until stiff peaks form (You’ve just made whipped cream!)

Very gently fold in the condensed milk and the vanilla extract to the whipped cream (Do not stir this vigorously! You don’t want to reduce the air in the whipped cream. Mix this for ~1-2 minutes until totally uniform and no lumps of whipped cream are present)

If you’re going to make chocolate ice cream you can add the cocoa powder now to your “base”. If not, move on to the next step. 

Fill a popsicle mold evenly with the ice cream mixture (will make 8 total) and then insert popsicle sticks ½ of the way in. (if your filling moves just spread it out again to fully cover the popsicle stick) Freeze for at least 8 hours. 

After your popsicles have frozen completely combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil into a tall, microwave safe cup and and microwave for 30-60 seconds minutes until melted. Stop the microwave to stir every 20-30 seconds to prevent burning. Allow this to cool fully before dipping your ice cream bars into it! (otherwise your bars will melt instantly!)

Working VERY quickly, take your frozen ice cream bars out of the mold and spoon chocolate over the ice cream bars covering completely. (If there will be ANY delay in this place your ice cream bars back in the freezer to freeze solid before dipping!) You’re going to dip your bars right into the cup, you may need to tilt it a bit to fully coat the bar in chocolate (Do not press the bars into the bottom of the cup- this will blunt the ends and make them ugly!) Allow excess chocolate to drip off and then place on a plate with a sheet of parchment paper on it and place back in the freezer. Repeat with remaining bars- working quickly!!!

Tip: Work fast and let the extra chocolate drip off (you don’t want it super thick!) 

Tip: I recommend keeping about half in the freezer while you do the first 4, then taking the next 4 out to prevent them from melting.

You could enjoy immediately but for best results allow ice cream bars to re-freeze by placing them back in the freezer for at least 1 hour to harden the chocolate and re-freeze the inner ice cream and enjoy!