Feed Your Body Friday: 5 Fruity Summer Popsicle Recipes

It’s summer, it’s hot! What better way to cool off than to enjoy a homemade popsicle made with fresh fruit?

At home, when the mercury climbs and the sun falls, popsicles become the favourite dessert and snack for my kids. They can eat popsicles several times a day and never get bored! Plus, with so many ways to make them and so many different fruit combinations, we never run out of ideas for new flavours.

The simple and effective popsicle as been refreshing people for more than 100 years! Frozen desserts have been around for a long time. The slaves of ancient Rome served their masters mountains of crushed ice sprinkled with fruit and syrups. Marco Polo actually used to eat a lot of sorbet during his visits to China. However, it took a fortuitous event and the ingenuity of an 11-year-old boy to invent the popsicle we know and love today!

In 1905, a young Frank Epperson forgot a glass of water mixed with soda and a stick used to brew everything together outside his home in Oakland, California. The night was cold, so when Frank found his drink the next morning, the contents were frozen. He passed the glass under hot water, and, using the stick, removed its frozen contents. Delighted, he tasted it and realized he’d created something simple yet special.

At the grocery store, we find popsicles in many forms, colors, and flavors. The colorful packaging where often fruit is often pictured makes our mouths water. But be aware, these popsicles are usually only sugar, water, color, and artificial flavor. In short, don’t be fooled, popsicles are very often no more than frozen candies without great nutritional quality. For a better nutritional choice, look for ones made with 100% fruit juice or, even better, fruit puree, and choose the products where they are found in the first positions of the list of ingredients.

But, as my family consumes popsicles regularly during the summer, I prefer to prepare them at home using fresh ingredients from farmer’s markets when possible. The whole process is actually very simple and my kids love to help me make them. You’ll only need a popsicle mould or two and a blender.

Here are some recipes to inspire you!

1. Healthy Berry Popsicles

On hot summer days, nothing is more refreshing than a frozen treat. However, since versions found in grocery stores are often high in sugar, try these healthy berry popsicles.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Freeze Time: 8 hours

Servings: 12 popsicles

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen cherries
• 3 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup honey

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, mix fruits with honey simmer for 20 minutes until fruits are soft.
2. Let the fruit mixture cool, then add the almond milk.
3. Add the mixture to the mould (about 3/4 full) and freeze for 8 hours.

2. Yogurt & Fruit Popsicles

Frozen yogurt popsicles, easy and delicious, made with fresh fruit. If you like, you can add a little bit of honey or maple syrup to sweeten them.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Freeze Time: 6 hours

Servings: 6-8 popsicles

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt

Preparation:

1. Place the berries and yogurt in the bowl of a blender.
2. Transfer the mixture to the popsicle mould and add the sticks. Leave to freeze in the freezer for 6 hours

3. Avocado & Chocolate Popsicles

Beautiful popsicles that contain few ingredients, but are still healthy and delicious!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Freeze Time: 6 hours

Servings: 6-8 popsicles

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• The juice of half a lemon

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, smooth all ingredients for the popsicles mixture.
2. Pour into the moulds and freeze for 6 hours.

4. Matcha Popsicles

Matcha powder is prepared from ground green tea leaves. Unlike coffee that gives us an almost immediate boost, matcha releases its caffeine over a period of many hours, giving us energy for the whole day. Matcha is also packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Freeze Time: 6 hours

Servings: 6-8 popsicles

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. matcha powder
• 4 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. homemade vanilla extract
• 3 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup grated coconut

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, combine matcha, maple syrup, vanilla and almond milk.
2. Pour the mixture into the popsicle mould, add the grated coconut on top, and freeze for 6 hours.

5. Tropical Popsicles

These homemade popsicles couldn’t be more refreshing. They are prepared with coconut milk and tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapple and kiwi! Yum! They also look adorable.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Freeze Time: 6 hours

Servings: 6-8 popsicles

Ingredients:

• 1 can (400 mL) coconut milk
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 small can of crushed pineapple
• 1 banana, chopped
• 2 peeled kiwis, sliced

Preparation:

1. In a blender, mix pineapple and banana until homogeneous.
2. In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the coconut milk, add the pineapple and banana mixture, and mix to combine everything.
3. Fill the moulds with the mixture. Squeeze the kiwi slices into the liquid, add the sticks, and freeze for 6 hours.

Popsicles are a must in the summer, and they don’t have to be full of sugar! When you make them homemade, you can really have fun with the flavors and textures. So don’t hesitate to create personalized popsicles by mixing up your juices, fruits, lemonades or other favorite ingredients to see what creations you can come up with.

And, as always, if you try any of these recipes at home, snap some photos and tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can check them out!

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