32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Recipes & Ideas
April 2, 2008 by Jennifer
In the previous post we discussed how homemade popsicles can reduce the trash we toss, save money (both on boxes and gas to the store), and help to save resources. Also, homemade pops are cool (no pun intended) because you can make them healthy, organic, and without preservatives. Or you can indulge and make extra luscious pops if you feel like it. Lastly pops are a fun experiment. Kids love to try out different combos. You may even be able to get your little to eat healthy foods like veggies in ice pop form.
Over time, I’ve collected (or experimented with) a ton of ice pop, and other frozen treat recipes and ideas. Following are 32 of them. Some freeze harder than others, some are super sweet, while others are light treats. You have to mess around in your own kitchen. However, there are plenty of ideas here, enough to keep you busy 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. 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 for instance. If you find a popsicle recipe around the web that sounds good, you can always substitute organic ingredients as well.
Now, make sure you have some decent popsicle molds, grab the kids, and freeze up some fun in your kitchen.
32 Great Homemade Popsicles Recipes (and ideas about what to freeze)
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: Cedar is obsessed with these. Sadly, they take some time. Sprinkle colored sugar into your mold. Fill the mold half way with water. Freeze a while. Sprinkle more colored sugar in. Add more water. Freeze. I can’t figure out how to simply mix the sugar in because it’ll melt, and or sink to the bottom. These pops look a lot glitterier if you make them with yogurt – the sugar doesn’t dissolve much in yogurt. Cedar likes the glitterier look, but he’s weird about ice – he loves ice. So… we make them with water.
8. Homemade limeade
11. Applesauce: sometimes thick applesauce needs to be mixed with a little water or it freezes funny.
12. Fudge pops
13. Tangerine juice – tangerine lime is really good too.
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 all of this really well and freeze.
17. Chocolate & 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 & 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 – I like lemon balm). Add a cup or two of plain organic yogurt. Freeze. Truthfully, I like this better with chopped (very small) tomatoes. But seriously, like I have that kind of time.
23. Mashed bananas, a dash of milk, peanut butter, and chocolate sauce – (mix smooth & 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 out), sprinkle in a little nutmeg, freeze. These are really good – no joke.
28. Chamomile sun tea pops – just like it sounds. Make sun tea & freeze. I love lemon ice 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 water is important, we need lots of it 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. I’m serious. You think I’m kidding. Make some. People will fawn over you… for freezing water. Go figure.
32. Herbal pops: Herbal pops are awesome. You can actually make them 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 try a sample first by making herbal ice cubes. That’s less waste than whole pops. Samples can save you from things like rosemary blueberry pops (Hey, it sounded good).
Anyhow to make a basic herbal mix you can make basic (but strong) herbal teas, boil herbs down for a good long while on your stove and use the liquid, or try the sugar method, it depends on how you’re feeling.
For the sugar method pound herbs down with a pestle and mortar (or food processor). Add an ounce of super fine sugar, and pound to make a paste. Next, boil a liter of water with about 2 ounces of super fine 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. Mix the herb mixture and the water mixture together. Stir well with a whisk. Cool down before filling your molds.
That’s enough I think. What I’m hoping is that this list showed you that you can try all sorts of combinations. You don’t have to stick to plain old fruit juice.
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 come back and let me know.
Now, what’s your favorite ice pop flavor? I like ginger rootbeer and tangerine best.
[all photos via: stock.xchng]
We have three popsicle molds, and I have no way of knowing if they are made out of good or bad plastic (or do I?). I think I will hang onto them rather than buying new molds. Thanks for all the recipes!
I like frozen bananas on a stick dipped in chocolate. What can I say..a simpleton at heart.
These look fabulous Jennifer..
Thanks for the reciepes! There’s a lot there that soound really good.
@Rebecca check this to see which plastics are not safe: http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles it doesn’t tell the whole story, but lots. I agree with hanging on to old mold if you have them for the most part, mainly because why waste. We bought new singles and recycled the old one we had because the together molds were so hard to use that we didn’t.
@Marye – how did I know you’d say something like that.
As always, fab to see you.
@Kisha welcome to Tree Hugging Family, and thanks
Question: Does anyone know how to make a popsicle so it doesn’t get hard as a rock like ice? I try to make sugar free popsicles but they usually come out rock hard like ice. If you have ideas please reply here or to Theravyn211@aol.com my e-mail.
@Gary I’m not sure if you’re just trying to avoid processed sugar or all sugars, but when we make whole smashed fruit pops they freeze kind of more slushy than juice or water pops. What exactly are you doing when you make your pops? Using sugar free juice or something?
Gary, how about gelatin bases pops?
It’s just simply the higher the water content the harder they get so you need an anti freeze which is sugar, fat or gels.
We agree! Over at greenbabyguide.com we have a recipe for making a softer homemade popsicle. Check it out here: http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/06/26/organic-homemade-popsicles/
I made tea pops for a long time and now I’ve found a brand in my Whole Foods. They’re called Frosteas. They have a green tea, yerba mate and an herbal. They are sweetened only with honey. They’re great. When I need something fast and don’t make my own, the kids love these.
Instead of using plastic molds, why not try making your iceblocks in shot glasses or other containers.
Great ideas!
My kids love frozen fruit… frozen grapes are the hit right now!
Your fudge recipe links to a site that advocates using disposable plastic cups. I would have expected that since you’re a “tree hugging family” that you would have noted a protest along with the link, or at least a note to say, if you follow the recipe on this link, use an ice tray, or a reusable popsicle mold, your own plastic cups but not disposable cups. Disposable cups break down and are not easily recycled…so they end up in the landfill.
@Gina – Right at the start of this post I link to the post on reusable ice pop molds. Plus I note, “Now, make sure you have some decent popsicle molds” – it seems silly to repeat myself over and over on each link that’s not entirely eco-friendly.
i need to make 100 popsicles for a party and don’t necessarily want to use dixie cups. i’d like them to look nicer. does anyone have any suggestions? i can only find molds of 6 or 8. help help help.
I love these ideas but I would have to recommend not drinking soy milk, as unfermented soy can cause lots of health problems. I know you buy organic but most soy is also genetically modified and soy milk tends to have a lot of sugar. Check out this website: http://www.wholesoystory.com/
To the person concerned about plastics: Keep your ingredients super cool in the fridge and freeze the MOLDS before you pour the ingredients in. Warm plastics will leash more, frozen shouldn’t nearly so much.
Hello . . . I’m an old retired guy who likes popsicles and would like to make my own. I’ve gotten some good ideas here, but, I REALLY prefer those that don’t freeze too hard (softer is better for me.). Can anyone give me a hint . . . . please. TIA
Thanks for the great recipes. Your post was exactly what I was looking for- a bunch of healthy popcicle recipes to make for my kiddos
Great Article!! I’m going to use these recipes, especially the blueberry, peaches, and honey one!
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.
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
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
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).