My favorite part of summer is trying new recipes to take a break from the intense heat. I’ve made culinary adventures part of my annual summer plans, but I always seem to come back to the idea of homemade popsicles. They’re easy to make, and you can personalize them with other healthy foods. These are some easy DIY popsicle recipes you should try this summer to beat the heat before school starts.
1. Homemade Grape Popsicles
If you’re like me, your first choice is a “purple” flavored popsicle from the freezer. They’re classic childhood treats, but the store-bought version has added sugars that can cause tooth decay if you eat too many. They even contain harmful food chemicals like titanium dioxide and Red No. 3. I’ve found that making homemade popsicles is the way to go for a healthy summer treat. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 pound of fresh seedless grapes
- 1 handheld potato masher
- 1 popsicle mold
When I’m in the mood for grape popsicles, I wash my grapes thoroughly and mash them with a handheld potato masher in a big pot. Cook the grapes on a medium heat setting, mashing them occasionally to get more juice.
Just 10 minutes later, pour the grapes into a fine mesh sieve over another bowl. One pound of grapes will result in about one cup of fresh juice. Let the juice cool on the counter before pouring it into popsicle molds and freezing them overnight. This classic DIY popsicle recipe creates frozen treats that burst with flavor more than any store-bought popsicle I’ve ever tried.
2. Fresh Strawberry Orange Popsicles
Biting into a strawberry orange popsicle is like tasting a summer sunset. Search your local grocery store for a few simple ingredients that work with any budget:
- 2 cups of washed strawberries
- 2 cups sugar-free orange juice
- 1-2 tablespoons of your preferred healthy sweetener, like honey
- A colander
- A blender
- A popsicle mold
- Optional: a fine-mesh sieve
Cut the tops off of your strawberries and wash them well in your colander. Toss them in your blender along with your orange juice and sweetener. If you’re like me and want to feel like a kitchen pro, you can also get a juicer and squeeze those 2 cups of orange juice after removing the rinds.
The measurements for your sweetener are customizable to your sweet tooth. I typically use 1-2 tablespoons of honey because it fights bacterial strains that could otherwise make me sick, but you might like your popsicles sweeter.
Blend your ingredients until they’re smooth and dump the puree into the bottom of your popsicle molds to complete the first step. If you don’t want the tiny strawberry seeds, you could add 2 tablespoons of water to the blender, mix it into your puree and pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into your popsicle molds.
Top the strawberry puree with orange juice. Pour gently so the liquids sit on top of each other. You can use a toothpick or straw to swirl them in the middle until they look divine. Freeze overnight and enjoy whenever you feel overheated.
3. Creamy Iced Coffee Popsicles
Some people wait all year to drink iced coffee in the summer. I like to enjoy it any time with this healthy popsicle recipe. The three simple ingredients for this magic kitchen creation are:
- One 13.5-ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk (or your preferred milk)
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite sugar-free sweetener
- 1 tablespoon of instant coffee
- A blender
- A popsicle mold
Blend everything together for at least 10 seconds before adding it to your popsicle molds and freezing them overnight.
Want to make your coffee popsicles even healthier? Add a dollop or two of unflavored Greek yogurt to your blender. It makes each bite extra creamy while supporting your gut microbiome so digesting food is easier. I thought adding a small scoop of yogurt to coffee popsicles sounded crazy before I tried it. Now, I’ll never skip the opportunity to make my iced coffee treats extra healthy and delicious.
Image Credit: My Lovely Little Lunchbox
4. Simple Raspberry Swirl Popsicles
Raspberries don’t get enough credit. They’re the sweet pink cousin to summer-ripened blackberries, so pick a fresh basket of them at a local berry farm this summer. I use them to make popsicles with these ingredients:
- 1.5 cups of raspberries, washed
- 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt (or a lactose-free, unsweetened Greek yogurt)
- ÂĽ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ÂĽ cup of sugar-free maple syrup
- â…“ cup of oat milk (or your preferred milk)
- A colander
- A blender
- A popsicle mold
Wash your raspberries in a colander before setting them aside. Afterward, I add all of my ingredients to a blender. You should blend the ingredients for 30 seconds or until they thoroughly combine. Pour everything into your popsicle molds before blending the raspberries until they’re also smooth.
Slowly add the berry juice on top of your yogurt mixture in each mold. Stir gently to make gorgeous pink swirls and freeze overnight. You’ll have a creamy, sweet treat ready to eat whenever you want this summer.
5. Vibrant Watermelon Popsicles
Watermelon is my secret weapon when I need to make my daily diet a bit healthier. While it might seem like this fruit is mainly water, it’s actually nutrient-dense because it contains things like potassium, vitamin C and fiber. Grab a fresh, seedless watermelon from your grocery store to make easy popsicles with these ingredients:
- 6 cups of cubed, seedless watermelon chunks
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- A blender
- A popsicle mold
Slice the rind off your watermelon and chop the fruit into small chunks. If you’re short on time, you could also get a pack of pre-cut watermelon slices from the produce section.
Throw them in your blender with your lime juice and blend everything together until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into your popsicle molds, but not all the way.
This is where I initially messed up this recipe. Be careful to leave at least a half inch of empty space at the top of your molds. The watermelon mixture expands slightly as it freezes. If you leave that half-inch of room for each popsicle, you’ll contain the frozen treats and avoid cleaning the spilled mess in your freezer the next morning.
Have Fun Making DIY Popsicle Recipes This Summer
We work hard throughout the year to reach our summer vacations. I intend to enjoy every second by doing what I love each day, especially eating popsicles. These DIY popsicle recipes make your frozen treats and desserts healthier without compromising the flavors. Try them before school starts back up in the fall to make this summer’s hot weather more enjoyable!
