It is so easy to make your own tasty fruit popsicles. Adding extra sweetener is completely optional. The amount you add, if any, will depend on how sweet the fruit is. Some berries can be quite tart. Strawberries for example are sometimes very sweet and other times very tart, so modify the recipe accordingly. Make your homemade popsicles taste great so your kids are not tempted to go for the ones loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial food coloring. Sweeten if necessary with healthy alternatives to sugar like maple syrup, honey, liquid stevia, and fruit juice. No matter how busy you are, homemade popsicles are simple to pull together and take very little time to make. In a pinch, simply add fruit juice to popsicle molds for a simple hot-weather treat!
Read More: 13 Reasons to Eat Berries Right Now
You can buy popsicle molds in the summertime at most stores that carry kitchenware – try to find ones that are BPA-free. I like to use the ones from Tovoli, but any ones that are BPA-free will do. If you don't have a popsicle mold, you can simply use an ice-cube tray and let the popsicles set up a bit before placing in the popsicle stick. Cut the popsicle stick in half first or use the small ready-made ones like in the photo above.
6 Recipe Ideas for Healthy Homemade Popsicles
Here are just a few ideas for homemade popsicles. You can dream up your own ideas using your child’s favorite fruit and flavor combinations. Add extra sweetener: maple syrup, honey or a few drops of liquid stevia, if desired.
1. Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles
1 heaping cup strawberries
1 cup diced watermelon, seeded
1-3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey, optional
Blend everything together until smooth. Taste for sweetness, and add a little extra syrup or honey if needed. Strain the mixture to remove the berry seeds, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
2. Orange-Vanilla Dreamsicles
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 organic vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste for sweetness, and add a little syrup or honey if needed. Pour into molds, and freeze.
3. Banana Raspberry Popsicles
1 banana
1/3 cup raspberries
1/2 cup water
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Optional, strain the mixture to remove the raspberry seeds. Pour into molds, and freeze. For a delicious variation, switch out the raspberries for blueberries.
4. Melonsicles
2 cups of melon chunks (cantaloupe, seeded watermelon, honeydew melon)
1/4 cup water (omit if using watermelon)
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste for sweetness, and add a little syrup or honey if needed. Pour into molds, and freeze.
5. Juicesicles
1 cup juice (raspberry, grape, cherry, tropical, juice-sweetened lemonade or a mixture)
Pour into molds and freeze.
6. Chocolate Popsicles
1 cup chocolate rice milk
Pour into molds, and freeze.
