popsicle ideas & tricks

How To Make popsicle ideas & tricks

• 1

  IMPORTANT NOTE: You would think to freeze it just about 8 hours or so....this does not work. YOU MUST LET IT FREEZE AT LEAST 12 - 24 HOURS!!!!!
• 2

  REPLACE THOSE WASTEFUL POPSICLE STICKS: This is where your creativity can go wild! Ditch those predictable, wasteful, costly popsicle sticks & opt for something reusable, simple & elegant. Imagine the look on your party guests faces when you bring out your homemade popsicles using spoons as the popsicle sticks. They may not even realize they are spoons until they finish & what a cute little surprise. Spoons are much more decorative & look more elegant than popsicle sticks & on a hot summer day there is nothing like eating a cold popsicle holding that cool handle. AND GUESS WHAT?! They're reusable & dishwasher safe! Popsicles are edible last time we all checked, so how about adding an edible popsicle stick element to the mix. You can use anything that will hold up well like a celery or carrot sticks to a carrot & mango popsicle or thick pretzel sticks. Try freezing your edible sticks first so they can become even more firm & easier to stick inside your popsicles. Also consider replacing popsicle sticks with reusable chopsticks or anything else with a decorative handle. Just remember to not use knives, you don't want to hurt anyone here. How about ditching the popsicle sticks altogether & making 'popsicle cubes'? Popsicle cubes would be a delicious & intriguing treat.
• 3

  WHY WON'T MY POPSICLES COME OUT OF THIER MOLDS? Sometimes ice pops just won’t come out of their molds, or they break in half when you’re taking them out, which makes the whole popsicle experience far less fun then it should be. Usually the problem is due to one of the issues below… ■Your molds suck, especially where handles are concerned. Skinny, weak or breakable handles make it tough to get ice pops out. ■You’re using wooden sticks as handles, meaning, you’ve got nothing to grab onto or the stick can’t support the weight of the ice pop you just made. ■You didn’t stick the handle in far enough. ■The ice pops aren’t fully frozen, thus breaking off when you try to pull them out. ■Your popsicle mixture is funky. Some mixtures are more icy, less smooth & stick harder. For example, a sugar-free ice pop or a pure liquid pop, say made with weak juice concentrate, may stick in a mold more frequently than a yogurt pop. TIPS & TRICKS FOR REMOVING YOUR POPSICLES FROM THIER MOLDS: ■ Hold your mold under warm running water for a minute. Be sure to let the warm water hit the top & bottom of the mold, not just the middle. Your goal is to loosen the ends, not melt the middle of the pop. ■ Look for ice pop molds that have a decent handle & if possible an easy to grip lower section. For example, Tovolo Green Groovy Ice Pop Molds have a nice grip-ready bottom & heavy duty handles – perfect for getting ice pops out. ■ Buy single serve molds – if you keep having to hold an entire tray of ice pops under water, the pops unfreeze then refreeze which can make the ice pop more icy in places, thus resulting in more sticking issues. ■ Buy soft silicone molds, such as Orka Ice Pop Molds, which have a tab that allows you to peel away the mold easily. ■ Be sure your ice pops have the right amount of sweetener vs. liquid.
• 4

  ■When adding fruit (or veggies or grains) to popsicless, chop the pieces into small, not HUGE chunks. Larger food chunks get in the way of the liquid part freezing around the handle properly, which can result in breakage. ■ Don’t want to deal with popsicle mold shenanigans at all? Buy some push-pop style molds like Kinderville Little Bites Ice Pop Molds or Norpro Silicone Ice Pop Maker Set, both of which do not require you remove the popsicle at all. You simply push it up & lick (or chomp) as you go. POPSICLE MOLDS: http://www.thekitchn.com/frozen-treats-popsicle-molds-145446
• 5

  PINA COLADA POPSICLES: Blend pineapple juice, coconut & banana in blender & then fill popsicle molds & freeze. DREAMSICLES: In blender, mix 1 tbsp orange juice, 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract & milk; blend. You can adjust to your taste. Fill popsicle molds & freeze. CREAMSICLES: 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 2 - 6 oz Liberté Méditerranée french vanilla yogurt, 1/8 cup sugar, 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract. In blender, add orange juice, yogurt, sugar & vanilla; blend. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds. Insert the sticks & freeze until completely firm. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding. YOGURT POPSICLES: In blender, mix 1 C yogurt & 2 C juice of choice; blend. Fill popsicle molds & freeze. FIZZY POPSICLES: In bowl, mix club soda & gelatin to make bubbly gelatin, then freeze in popsicle molds. You can also try mixing club soda & juice, then freeze in popsicle molds. STRIPED POPSICLES: Layer with different colored or flavored layers of pudding, yogurt or gelatin. PARFAIT POPSICLES: Layer with cool whip free in between fruit. PARTY POPSICLES: Add sprinkles, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, nuts or coconut. You can also make them WILD by adding food coloring.
• 6

  COFFEE POPSICLES: Add 2 cups strong brewed coffee (cooled) & 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk; blend. Pour into molds & freeze. MOCHA POPSICLES: Same as above, but add 2 tsp cocoa powder or chocolate syrup.
• 7

  STRAWBERRY POPSICLE RECIPES: STRAWBERRY CHERRY LEMONADE POPSICLES: Blend 2 cups strawberries, 3-4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 1/4 cups pitted cherries & 1/4 cup agave nectar. Pour in molds, then freeze. STRAWBERRY BLUEBERY POPSICLES: Blend 1 lb strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar & 1 tsp lemon juice. Fill ice pop molds half way & freeze for 30 minutes. Then blend 12 oz blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar & 1 tsp fresh lime juice. Pour into the molds to fill, then freeze. STRAWBERRY TANGERINE POPSICLES: Blend 1 cup sliced strawberries with 1 cup tangerine juice. Pour into molds & freeze. TRIPLE BERRY POPSICLES: Blend 2/3 cup sugar, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup raspberries & 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Pour in molds, then freeze. PEACH STRAWBERRY POPSICLES: Puree 2 ripe pitted peaches, 1 cup strawberries, 2 Tbsp honey & 1/2 cup milk. Pour into molds & freeze. STRAWBERRY APPLE POPSICLES: Blend 1 quart strawberries with 1/2 cup apple juice. Pour in molds & freeze. STRAWBERRY RHUBARB POPSICLES: Puree 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup diced rhubarb & 2 tbsp sugar. Pour in molds & freeze. STRAWBERRY BANANA POPSICLES: 1/2 pt strawberries, 1 banana, 2 (8 oz.) containers strawberry yogurt & 1 cup milk. Place all ingredients into a blender & blend until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour the mixture into clean molds, insert sticks & freeze.
• 8

  CITRUS POPSICLE RECIPES: KIWI POPSICLES: Blend 8 peeled & sliced kiwis, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup honey & a pinch of salt. Pour into molds & freeze. HONEYDEW LIME POPSICLES: Stir 1/4 cup sugar into 1/4 cup water to dissolve. Blend 1 ripe, chopped & seeded honeydew melon with 2/3 cup lime juice & the sugar-water mixture. Pour into molds & freeze. LEMON RASPBERRY POPSICLES: Puree 1 cup raspberries. Pour into molds & fill the rest of the way with lemonade. Freeze. WATERMELON LIME POPSICLES: Blend 2 cups chopped & seeded watermelon with 2 Tbsp honey & the juice of two limes. Pour into molds, then freeze.
• 9

  TROPICAL POPSICLE RECIPES: PINA COLADA POPSICLES: Blend 2 1/2 cups chopped pineapple, 1/2 coconut cream, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 3 Tbsp shredded dried coconut & 1 Tbsp agave nectar. Pour in molds, then freeze. MANGO POPSICLES: Puree 2 peeled & chopped mangos, 1 cup milk & 1 Tbsp honey. Pour into molds, then freeze. MANGO COCONUT POPSICLES: Blend 1 1/4 cups chopped mangos, 3/4 cup coconut milk, 1 Tbsp sugar & 1 Tbsp lime juice. Pour in molds & freeze. PINEAPPLE POPSICLES: Blend 1 cup chopped pineapple with 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice. Pour into molds & freeze. MANGO BANANA POPSICLES: Puree 4 ripe peeled & pitted mangos, 2 medium bananas & 1 1/4 cups fat free milk. Pour into molds. Freeze. PINEAPPLE ORANGE BANANA POPSICLES: Puree 2 cups chopped pineapple, 3 bananas & 2 peeled oranges. Pour into molds & freeze.
• 10

  MORE FRUIT POPSICLE RECIPES: APPLE GRAPE (GRAPPLE) POPSICLES: Mix 3 cups organic applesauce with 1 cup frozen purple or white grape juice concentrate. Pour into molds & freeze. WATERMELON POPSICLES: Cut a watermelon into chunks & puree it them in a blender. Pour in molds, then freeze. WATERMELON LEMONADE BLUEBERRY POPSICLES: Blend 2 1/2 cups of cubed, seeded, watermelon with 1/4 cup sugar. Pour into molds about one third of the way & freeze for 30 minutes. Blend 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup orange juice & 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract. Pour into molds over the watermelon mixture & freeze. Then blend 2 cups fresh blueberries, 1 cup water, 5 Tbsp sugar & 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Fill the molds. Freeze. WATERMELON MARGARITA POPSICLES: Blend 2 cups watermelon chunks, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 oz tequila & 2/3 cup sugar; blend until sugar is dissolved. Pour into molds & freeze. NOTE: Alcoholic popsicles take longer to freeze than non-alcohol popsicles. APPLE RHUBARB POPSICLES: Puree 2 cups diced rhubarb with 4 ounces of apple sauce & 2 tsp sugar. Pour in molds & freeze. BLUEBERRY HONEY POPSICLES: Blend 1 cup blueberries, 1 Tbsp honey & 1 cup milk. Pour into molds & freeze. SOUTHERN BANANA PUDDING POPSICLES: 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch, pinch of salt, 2 cups milk, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, 2 large bananas & nilla wafers. Whisk sugar to taste, cornstarch & salt in a large saucepan. Add milk & whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Put about half the pudding in a food processor or blender & add bananas. Process until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir the mixture back into the remaining pudding. Divide the mixture among popsicle molds. Insert the sticks & freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. Dip briefly in hot water before unmolding.
• 11

  CHOCOLATE POPSICLE RECIPES: TUTTI FRUITI CHOCOLATE POPSICLES: Blend 1 large banana with 4 ounces low fat, unsweetened coconut milk. Fill molds leaving a little room at the top. Freeze for about 1 hour. Then add raspberries and chunks of dark chocolate evenly throughout. Add sticks & freeze. CHOCOLATE COCONUT POPSICLES: Heat 1/2 cup water, 6 Tbsp sugar & 1/8 tsp salt in a saucepan until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat & whisk in 4 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate until melted & smooth. Whisk in 1 cup coconut milk & 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature. Pour into molds & freeze. CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER POPSCILES: Blend 2 large bananas, 1/4 cup creamy roasted almond butter, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract & 1 tsp sugar. Pour into molds & freeze. CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY (OR RASPBERRY) POPSICLES: 2 cups strawberries, 3 - 6 oz Liberté Méditerranée french vanilla yogurt, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. Puree strawberries, yogurt & sugar in a food processor until smooth. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds, stopping about 1" from the top. Evenly divide chocolate chips among the molds. Stir the chips into the strawberry mixture, stirring out any air pockets at the same time. Insert the sticks & freeze until completely firm. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding.
• 12

  UNIQUE POPSICLE RECIPES: AVOCADO POPSICLES: Mix 1 cup water & 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature. Then mash in 2 small avocados, a pinch of salt, 2 Tbsp lime juice to the sugar-water mixture. Pour into molds. Freeze. SWEET POTATO POPSICLES: Blend the flesh of 3 cooked sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup apple juice, 2 Tbsp honey & 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Pour into molds & freeze. ELECTRIC GREEN POPSICLES: Blend 3 ripe bananas, 1 medium pineapple, 2 cups spinach & water to reach a smooth consistency. Pour into molds & freeze. CUCUMBER MINT POPSICLES: Blend 1 peeled & seeded cucumber, 1/2 cup mint simple syrup & the juice of 1 lemon. Pour into molds & freeze. RED BEAN POPSICLES: Blend 1 cup of red beans (cooked & cooled), 2 cups coconut milk & 1 to 2 cups of evaporated organic cane juice. Pour into molds. Freeze. CARROT CAKE & ALMOND BUTTER POPSICLES: Puree 4 large cooked carrots, 3/4 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup almond butter, juice from 1/4 lemon, cinnamon, ginger, salt & a touch of honey. Pour into molds & freeze.
• 13

  Homemade popsicles come with dozens of health & eco-benefits over buying store-bought popsicles. For example, homemade ice pops are zero waste, while store-bought pops come with sticks, wrappers & boxes & bonus, they're free from icky ingredients. You can make ice pops for everyone from babies to kids to adults & popsicles are so easy to make that they're a great starter way to get kids into the kitchen. Homemade popsicles also cost far less per batch than store bought organic pops & make the perfect low-cost dessert or snack. Plus you can easily use up your leftover food by making pops, thus also cutting down on food waste. You can make anything from squash & carrot pops, spinach pops, sweet potato pops, pops with leftover yogurt & oatmeal, tomato pops & more. There are so many benefits to homemade pops that once you get started, you'll wonder why you ever purchased store-bought pops in the first place. Popsicle benefits aside, there is a slight ice pop learning curve. You'll need to learn about the best molds, how to avoid rock hard pops, which ingredients to choose & more. Get started with the tips & tricks below.
• 14

  Go Organic & Healthy Making homemade ice pops offers some major health benefits for you & your kids, like fewer added sweeteners, zero artificial colors & no questionable added chemicals. However, homemade popsicles are only as healthy (or non-healthy) as you make them. If all you're doing is freezing fruit juice packed with corn syrup or Jell-O, well, you can do better. Choose healthy whole food ingredients like fresh produce, tofu, teas & organic yogurt not fake juices & sugary kid foods like pudding & Jell-O. Also choose organic ingredients for your homemade popsicles whenever possible. Organic ingredients for ice pops don't have to break the bank. Use the tips below to save on healthy, organic popsicle ingredients. •Buy in season organics. For instance, don't attempt to make watermelon popsicles in the dead of winter. •Buy Dirty Dozen produce in organic form before other produce. •Use those leftovers! Puree & freeze half eaten bananas, leftover orange segments, the bottom of the lemonade pitcher & so on. •When organics go on sale, stock up & freeze them. If you buy organic berries in the summer & freeze them, you've got year-round popsicles in the making.
• 15

  Invest in Reusable Popsicle Molds Anyone can pour juice into a paper Dixie cup, pop a stick in & call it a popsicle. However, this doesn't result in eco-friendly popsicles. All those little paper cups & sticks end up in the landfill & result in ongoing popsicle costs. You can do better. Invest in some eco-friendly, BPA-free ice pop molds. There are tons of excellent BPA-free molds on the market. If you're unclear about what features to look for, find popsicle molds that are non-toxic & free from BPA & other chemicals. You'll also want to purchase molds that are dishwasher-friendly & single serve if possible. Having single serve molds around allows your kids easy access to popsicles & allow you to pop out popsicles one at a time vs. holding an entire tray of popsicles under running water. Also make sure you buy molds with reusable handles - all those wooden sticks add up in the landfill over time. See some top BPA-free popsicle mold picks below. •Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds - good for adults & big kids •Tovolo Rocket Pops - smaller than the Groovy set, thus better for younger kids. •Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds - plastic-free but need wooden sticks (a downside). •Freshfoods Fill & Freeze Pops - perfect tiny ice pop molds for babies & toddlers. •Norpro Silicone Ice Pop Maker Set - great for making frozen yogurt squeeze pops.
• 16

  Invest in Ice Pop Equipment If you're new to popsicle making, you'll need some basic equipment - but it won't cost you much. Over the last 10 years I've paid about $100 for ALL my popsicle equipment (not counting ingredients), which is a super bargain. We eat popsicles year round & a box of organic store-bought ice pops can easily cost $4-5. If you buy one box a week, that's about $2,340 vs. the $100 I spent. Homemade even beat cheap artificial popsicles, which are around $2 a box, or $1,040 over the years. First, as discussed above, invest in some really nice popsicle molds. Don't go for cheap dollar store molds. Quality molds are safer & pay for themselves over time because they last forever. A blender is not absolutely necessary, but it does make homemade popsicles way easier & allows you to make more complex popsicle flavors. Don't spend a lot on a blender though. Other nice popsicle equipment to have includes a little coffee bean grinder so you can chop up nuts, oats & herbs for more nutritious ice pops, a decent spatula & if you're short on freezer space (like me) a little extra freezer shelf. Also get some decent popsicle recipe books. I like the books below best... •Pops!: Icy Treats for Everyone •Ice Pop Joy •Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas
• 17

  Use the Correct Amount of Sweetener Newbie popsicle makers often think ice pops are as simple as pouring apple juice (or god forbid Kool-Aid) into a mold & freezing away. However, if you freeze plain old liquids, you'll end up with rock hard ice pops that lack flavor & your kids won't like them. Sure, it's wise to limit sugar, but not at the expense of popsicle quality. Think about ice cubes, which are pure frozen liquid & not flaky or soft, but rock hard. That's the same deal with pure liquid popsicles. What your goal should be are ice pops that offer crunch, but also a bit of icy flakiness. To get the perfect popsicle consistency you usually need to add a sweetener. You can use plain granulated organic sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, agave or nectar. Play around with the amounts, to see how sweet different sweeteners make your pops. If your goal is truely no added sugar pops, you have a few choices. You can make whole fruit pops by simply pureeing sweet fruits (like watermelon or oranges) or use a yogurt, vegan gelatin, organic milk or tofu base, which are more creamy, thus resulting in softer popsicles naturally. Note that the sweeter the fruit, the less sugar you need. For example, melon can usually be frozen as is, while pureed pears freeze up harder if you don't add a sweetener.
• 18

  Avoid Sticky Freezers A common issue surrounding homemade popsicles are sticky, messy freezers. This is one perk store-bought pops have over homemade - the wrappers keep your freezer tidy. Still, you can cut down on the sticky mess with the following tips. •Never overfill your molds. Ice pop mixtures expand as they freeze, spilling out of the mold & into your freezer. Always leave a bit of space at the top when filling your molds. •Use decent ice pop molds that won't crack vs. cheap molds. •Leave even more room when freezing soda. We don't make soda ice pops often, but once in a while we will make root beer float pops (blend one can of organic root beer, one scoop organic vanilla ice cream & 1 cup organic milk). These are yummy, but soda is bubbly & really expands. First, you should open your can one hour before you make your pops & allow the soda to get flat. Then leave extra room at the top when filling your molds. •Get a freezer bin. No matter how much room you leave at the top of your molds, opening & shutting the freezer door allows warm air in which unfreezes your ice pops somewhat, meaning, some liquid will drip out. I take my popsicles, once frozen & place them in a small plastic bin. Not only does this keep drips confined, but it makes it easy for kids to grab a popsicle.
• 19

  Be Creative & Document Your Efforts Boring popsicles are well, boring. Sure you can easily puree some berries & pour them into a mold, but why not be more creative? Experiment with flavors & aesthetics to encourage optimal popsicle enjoyment at your house. Try oddball flavors like pureed carrots, spinach & orange juice or practice making layered popsicles. You can add nutritional texture ingredients to ice pops as well, such as granola, chunks of fresh fruit, chopped nuts, grated coconut, wheat germ & much more. You can brighten pops with a splash of natural food coloring. Try to keep it fun & creative. If you mess up a batch, so what? It's just one batch. Lastly, be aware that the only thing worse than a boring or icky popsicle is the best popsicle ever that you can't remember how to make again. Be sure to document your popsicle concoctions in a kitchen notebook. This way you can remember your popsicle fails & your major successes. For example, my son & I made some AMAZING sparkling pink grapefruit & citrus strawberry popsicles. My mind being crammed with parent stuff as it is, it's unlikely I'd remember how to make these again if left to my own memory devices. Luckily, I documented the process & now we can make these popsicles again & again. Look to recipe books or check out more creative ice pop recipe ideas via the links below. •Tropical pina colada ice pops •Watermelon popsicles •Strawberry ice pops - two ways •Freeze berry smoothies into popsicles •30 homemade popsicle recipes to cool you off this summer •100 homemade organic popsicle recipes
• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
• Printable Recipe Card