Summer time is in full swing here in the DC area this week. 90 degree temps every day! So if you are hosting a party at your house this week or you’re heading out to a potluck and need something refreshing for your friends I have a great idea! Make them some fun fruity and HEALTHY popsicles! All you need are the ingredients for which ever popsicle you want to make and a popsicle mold and hey if you don’t have a popsicle mold go out and make a DIY popsicle mold with some tongue depressors and some paper dixie cups and you’re set!
Here are some yummy recipes for your next get together!
FRESH FRUIT POPS
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup strawberries, chopped
- 1 peach, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of white grape juice (no sugar added)
Directions
- Combine fruit in a mixing bowl and arrange the mixture into eight 3oz. popsicle molds.
- Pour just enough juice into each mold to cover fruit.
- Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.
TROPICAL FRUIT PUNCH POPSICLES
Ingredients
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup coconut water
- ½ cup coconut cream
- Juice of half a lime
- 1 lb of Clementine Tangerines, peeled
- 12 oz fresh raspberries
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process or blend until pureed, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour mixture through a medium strainer to remove the raspberry seeds. Pour strained mixture into popsicle forms of choice.
- Place aluminum foil on top of the popsicle mold, and insert popsicle sticks in the center of each compartment. Freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- To release popsicles, run hot water on the outside of popsicle forms for a few seconds and pull firmly on the wooden sticks.
FIRECRACKER ICE POPS
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 pound blueberries (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/4 cups low-fat plain yogurt
Directions
- In a food processor, puree strawberries with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Transfer to a small bowl.
- In processor, puree blueberries with 1 tablespoon sugar.
- In another small bowl, whisk together yogurt and 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Pour the 3 mixtures, alternating, into ten 3-ounce ice-pop molds, making 3 to 5 layers in each.
- With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl mixtures together in an up-and-down motion.
- Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until solid, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (or up to 1 week).
RASPBERRY CREAMSICLES
by Spoonful
Ingredients
- 1 pint raspberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1-1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup cream (heavy or light)
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 8 (5-oz.) waxy paper cups
- 8 Popsicle sticks
Directions
- In a blender, puree 1 pint of the raspberries with the sugar and water. Then use a jelly bag or sieve to strain out the seeds (this should yield about 2 cups of pulp).
- Transfer 2/3 cup of the raspberry puree into a separate container, add the cream, and whisk well to mix. Meanwhile, have your child stir the lemon juice into the rest of the raspberry puree. Now you should have two containers of raspberry sauce—one that’s deep red and another that’s creamy pink. Chill both sauces.
- In a bowl, stir together the vanilla yogurt and the remaining raspberries (another good job for kids). Pour the mixture into the paper cups until they are about half full. Set the cups in an 8- x 8-inch pan (for ease in transferring them in and out of the freezer). Cover each cup with aluminum foil and poke a Popsicle stick straight through the center of the foil and into the mixture. Freeze until set (about 2 hours).
- Remove the foil and pour a layer of the deep red puree on top of the frozen yogurt. Freeze again until solid (about 2 hours). Finally, pour a layer of the raspberry cream mixture into each cup and freeze until solid. To serve, peel the cups away from the creamsicles. Makes 8 creamsicles.