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Hey, Blisstree Reader! If you’re into popsicles, you might like these two new posts we just published: Popsicle Summer: Q&A With L.A.’s Popshop (Plus DIY Blueberry Lemonade Pops) and 10 Ice Cream Truck Treats That Will Blow Your Diet Fast.
In a previous post, we discussed how homemade popsicles can reduce the trash we toss, save money (both on boxes and gas going to the store), and help conserve resources. Also, homemade pops are cool (pun intended) because you can make them healthy, organic, and without preservatives. Or you can indulge and make extra luscious pops. Lastly, pops are a fun experiment, and kids love to try out different combos. You can even try to con your little ones into eating healthy foods like vegetables in ice pop form.
Over time, I’ve collected (or experimented with) a ton of ice pops, and other frozen treat recipes and ideas. Here are 32 of them. Some freeze harder than others, some are super-sweet, while others are lighter. You really have to mess around in your own kitchen, and there are plenty of ideas here to keep you chilled out for a while.
Also, because I don’t want to write “organic” nine million times in a row, note that I do make almost all of these with organic ingredients, and you should, too (if you can afford it). Read up on the best foods to buy organic – even if you’re not all organic, try to buy organic items that are on the super-high-pesticide-level lists, like apple juice. And if you find another popsicle recipe on the Web that sounds good, you can always sub in organic ingredients.
Now, make sure you have some decent popsicle molds, grab the kids, and freeze up some fun in your kitchen.
32 Great Homemade Popsicle Recipes
1. Apricot : Mix 2 cups apricot juice with 1/2 cup soy milk (or skim) and freeze.
2. A tablespoon of organic raspberry jam mixed with water or milk. This is nice for that last bit of jam in the jar.
3. Pineapple and carrot juice
5. Smashed strawberries
6. Homemade lemonade
7. “Glitter” pops. These take some time. Sprinkle colored sugar into your mold. Fill the mold half with water. Freeze. Sprinkle in more colored sugar. Add more water. Freeze. I can’t figure out how to simply mix in the sugar because it’ll melt, and/or sink to the bottom. These pops look a lot more glittery if you make them with yogurt – the sugar doesn’t dissolve much.
8. Homemade limeade
11. Applesauce: sometimes thick applesauce needs to be mixed with a little water or it freezes oddly.
12. Fudge pops
13. Tangerine juice – tangerine lime is also really good.
15. Blend raspberries (about 6 oz), 1 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 3/4 cup water, and mint (either a handful of fresh mint leaves, or 2 tsp mint syrup) – blend really well and freeze.
17. Chocolate and vanilla layered pudding – or make it easy on yourself and simply add both flavors to your mold and swirl them with a thin knife.
18. Honeydew lime
19. Fresh pureed peaches, a tablespoon of honey, and whole small wild blueberries. Mix and freeze.
20. Brew strong green tea, mix in honey, freeze.
22. Salad pops: Blend half a cantaloupe and a couple cherry tomatoes to sort of still chunky. Add 1/4 cup of chopped mint, basil, or lemon balm (not all three, choose one). Add a cup or two of plain organic yogurt. Freeze.
23. Mashed bananas, a dash of milk, peanut butter, and chocolate sauce – mix smooth and freeze.
24. Mango Kulfi
25. Pureed watermelon mixed with white grape juice
26. Sweet potato pops – cook, mash, mix smooth (adding some soy milk to thin it), sprinkle in a little nutmeg, freeze. These are really good.
28. Chamomile sun tea pops – just like they sound. Make sun tea and freeze. I love lemon sun tea pops, too.
29. Chocolate chip mint popsicles
30. PLAIN WATER – plain water is way fun to freeze. Every kid I know likes plain ice pops, and we need lots of water to stay healthy. Also, if you’re having a summer picnic, you can make plain water pops with beautiful tiny edible flowers, flower petals, small whole berries, or whole herb leaves in them. Stick them in a bucket of cubed ice to serve and everyone will think you’re some sort of Martha Stewart genius. People will fawn over you for freezing water. No kidding.
32. Herbal pops: You can actually make these with medicinal qualities, which is the perfect way to get your little one to take herbs. (Kids don’t always love tea.)
You can use lavender, thyme, basil, and more – really any herb. You’d be surprised at some of the tasty ice pops herbs make. If you’re nervous, first try making herbal ice cubes (less waste). And samples can save you from things like rosemary blueberry pops. (Hey, they sounded good at the time.)
To make a basic herbal mix you can make strong herbal teas, or boil herbs down for a good long while on your stove and use the liquid, or try the sugar method.
For the sugar method, pound herbs down with a mortar and pestle (or food processor). Add an ounce of superfine sugar, and pound to make a paste. Next, boil a liter of water with about two ounces of superfine sugar for five minutes. Add the juice of two lemons or not – this step depends on what you’re trying to create. You can add orange juice, lime, etc. You could even just add more water or some saved tea. Combine the herb mixture and the water mixture. Stir well with a whisk. Cool down before filling your molds.
Note: As you experiment, don’t forget to write down items you use in a concoction. The only thing worse than a terrible idea for an ice pop flavor, is the best idea ever that you can’t remember how to make. Also, if you come up with something amazing, let us know about it, below.
What’s your favorite ice pop flavor? I like ginger root beer and tangerine.
all photos: stock.xchng
How do you keep the popsicles from being as hard as ice cubes? All of mine seem to turn out that way. And the juice or whatever separates from the water and I have a popsicle that is half juice and half water. Any ideas to make them more like what you buy in the store? Thanks, Carole
I love frozen yogurt!!!!!!!
Me too!
And you don’t have to get fancy with the molds. Buy some small plastic or paper cups and 1/2 way through freezing, stick a plastic fork into the middle. Ta da!
I would LOVE, LOVE to get my hands on a recipe for old fashioned licorice popsicles–used to buy them as a kid (but they were white in color Would love to know where to find them or how to make!!!
I recently made them out of blended frozen mango, banana, vanilla and plain yogurt, and coconut milk. It was really good. The coconut milk adds that special flavor that really makes it good.
Please send me your recipe for your Popsicle sounds good
Thank You
I use panus cheese mixed with fresh herbs (I like tarragon). Dust with Gold Bond powder before serving.
HI Ryan: I was just reading over the recipes on this and thinking to myself, who in their right mind would eat any of these ? Then I came across your comment and truly lol’d. I loved it. I hope some of the other people can see the humor. I will keep on searching for good recipes that you can actually eat !!! Take Care
Yummy! The recipes are delicous!
Yummy, I am going to try some of these when summer comes around
914 days ago
[...] Get even cooler by making homemade popsicles. Tree Hugging Family has not one, not two, but 32 recipe ideas for these treats—you’re bound to find one your kids will like. Yum, tastes like [...]
I’m pregnant, and your herb pop idea got me thinking that a great way to get your pregnancy herbs (especially if you’re a particularly nausious preggo) is to make popsicles of your pregnancy tea or ginger/lemon pops to calm the nausia. Especially since we get so hot and tired during pregnancy, a popsicle would be a great and healthy way to stay cool and awake while getting our herbs and flushing out those over-taxed kidneys (which we don’t appreciate until we have renal failure).
hi your recipe sounds good could you please send me your recipe
thank you
Thanks for the great ideas! I will definitely have to try some of these soon!
I blogged about this at: http://goinggreenandsavinggreen.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-yourself.html
The plain water one seems so basic but when I thought about it you could always add anything from herbs to flavored vitamins packets. Great idea
1012 days ago
[...] Ice Pops Green Ice Pops 32 Unique Homemade Ice Pops (I want to try the sweet potato recipe from this site, [...]
1012 days ago
[...] Click here for great homemade popsicle recipes! [...]
I often wonder if you’re using foods that ‘almost’ go bad, then what if you go to using foods that ‘almost, almost’ go bad, you know? When and how do you draw the line? It’s a little freaky for me. I understand being careful and thrifty, but there are a lot of molds you can’t see or smell. Yuk.
1025 days ago
[...] Ginger lime strawberry popsicles. Doesn’t that sound good? How about strawberry cinnamon? Check out this great list of inspiring popsicle recipes posted by Jennifer of Tree Hugging Family. [...]
1029 days ago
[...] getting started? Check out a few of these popsicle recipe recipes from Eating Well Magazine and Tree Hugging Family. Happy paleta eating! Share and [...]
1030 days ago
[...] So far, my favorites are actually the simplest: orange juice is the best, followed closely by chocolate milk. But you can freeze just about anything, and I’m looking forward to trying some tea pops soon (but it’ll be so hard to decide on the flavors!) There are also some great lists out there with ideas for what to freeze. [...]
1040 days ago
[...] If you get one bad batch, it’s not a huge loss. Two good resources include this handy guide: 32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Recipes & Ideas and the book Pops!: Icy Treats for Everyone. Note: if you find a recipe that looks great, you can [...]
Great Article!! I’m going to use these recipes, especially the blueberry, peaches, and honey one!