Delicious Homemade Popsicles! Recipes, Tips, and More
Beat the heat with these amazing homemade popsicle recipes. From refreshing and healthy fruit pops to creamy delights. This guide has everything you need to know to make delicious popsicles at home! Plus information about the best popsicle molds, healthy store-bought options, and more.
Table of Contents
- The Best Base Ingredients for Popsicles
- Build Your Own Popsicle: Basic Recipes
- How to Make Homemade Popsicles
- Irresistible Popsicle Recipes
- The Best Popsicle Molds: Store-bought and Homemade
- Techniques and Tips: Layers, Swirls, and More
- Nutrient Packed Popsicles
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Homemade Fruit Popsicle Recipe
On a hot day, there is nothing better than a popsicle! Whether you are looking for fresh fruit ice pops, creamy popsicles, or homemade fudgicles, you can find a popsicle recipe you will love!
Last summer I started making homemade popsicles and I haven’t looked back! Not only are they extremely easy to make, but they are also so much tastier (and healthier!) than store-bought popsicles.
Instead of artificial flavors and sugars, these homemade popsicles are packed with fresh fruit and good-for-you ingredients. Trust me, homemade tastes just as good, better in fact, than any store-bought option.
Use this guide to find all the best popsicle tips, recipes, molds, and more. Plus find the basic recipes for creating your own unique flavors at home.
The Best Base Ingredients for Popsicles
The first step to making any homemade popsicle is choosing the base. This will determine the consistency and style of the pop.
- Fruit-based popsicles: Fruit is a healthy and refreshing base for popsicles. From juicy strawberries and peaches to tropical fruits like mango and pineapples, virtually any fruit can be blended into a delicious frozen treat. Plus the natural sweetness of the fruit means healthier, lower-sugar popsicles.
- Creamy yogurt popsicles: Almost any yogurt can be used for the base of a popsicle including plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, and soy/coconut/almond milk yogurts. Choose either plain yogurt blended with fruit or use flavored yogurt to create all different flavor combinations. Yogurt also adds a tangy flavor, protein, calcium, and probiotics to the popsicles.
- Creamy milk popsicles: Another option for creamy popsicles is milk. Use any type of dairy milk, soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. Full-fat dairy milk and coconut milk will create the creamiest, richest popsicles.
- Juice-based popsicles: Using juice as the base for popsicles is one of the easiest options. Try out different combinations using orange juice, lemonade, pineapple juice, nectars, and more. Apple juice is also a great neutral juice to blend with almost any fruit. Coconut water is also a great option when combined with fruit for a light, refreshing popsicle.
No matter what base you choose for your pops, use high-quality ingredients and ripe, seasonal produce for the best flavor.
Build Your Own Popsicle: Basic Recipes
Here are the basics for making fruit popsicles and creamy popsicles. Blend the following ingredients together and create your own unique flavor combinations
- Fruity popsicles: 4 cups of fresh or frozen fruit with + 1/2 cup liquid + 1-2 tbsp sweetener
- Creamy: 3 cups fresh or frozen fruit + 1 cup yogurt/milk + 2-4 tbsp sweetener. For creamy popsicles, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to achieve a very creamy (not icy!) texture.
- Mix-ins: Once you know the basics, you can switch things up in terms of texture and ingredients. Make super smooth popsicles or keep things chunky with bits of fruit inside. Make extra healthy popsicles by blending in spinach or vegetables. Add mix-ins like chocolate chips, sprinkles, granola, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, diced fresh fruit, or nut butter. Add lemon or lime juice for citrus flavors. You can even add fresh herbs, ginger, or chili powder to create more sophisticated pops.
- Liquid options: Water, coconut water, juice, dairy and alternative milk, coconut milk, or yogurt. Anything that will work in a smoothie, will work in a popsicle.
- Sweetener options: When possible, use natural sweeteners like honey, agave, or maple syrup. You can also use Stevia, regular sugar, coconut sugar, or simple syrup. The sweeter the fruit, the less sweetener is needed.
Now that you have the basic recipes for making homemade sweet treats, here are some fun flavor combinations to consider.
- Berry blends: Combine different types of berries to make bright, fruity popsicles using any combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
- Tropical mixes: Take inspiration from tropical flavors like pineapple, mango, passionfruit, watermelon, and guava. Combine them with coconut milk or coconut yogurt for a creamy tropical treat.
- Citrus-inspired: Make super refreshing popsicles with lemonade, limeade, orange juice, or a combination of fresh citrus.
- Creamy delights: Make indulgent flavors with chocolate, peanut butter, bananas, coconut, coffee, vanilla, and more.
- Unique flavor combinations: Don't be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with flavors like mocha, matcha, chili lime, hibiscus, creamsicle, cheesecake, mint chocolate chip, iced tea, or chai.
- Seasonal ideas: Make red, white, and blue popsicles for the Fourth of July using vanilla yogurt, strawberries, and blueberries. Make birthday popsicles with rainbow sprinkles. Celebrate summer days with creamy lemonade popsicles with fresh strawberries. There are so many fun ways to create unique popsicles for holidays and celebrations.
How to Make Homemade Popsicles
Making homemade popsicles couldn’t be easier. All you need is a blender, your ingredients, and popsicle molds. Here’s what to do:
- Make your popsicle mixture: All good popsicles start with a blended mixture of fruit (or yogurt, chocolate, etc) and liquid. The key to making a good popsicle is making a mixture that tastes delicious before you freeze it. See below for basic recipes.
- Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds: Once you have your mixture, pour it into the popsicle molds and add the popsicle stick. Make sure to leave about ¼ inch open at the top. The mixture will expand as it freezes so you need to leave some space.
- Freeze for 4-8 hours: Depending on the size of the popsicles, they will need between 4-8 hours to freeze.
- Remove the popsicles from molds: For most popsicle molds, you will need to run them under hot water to release the popsicle from the mold. Then enjoy!
Irresistible Popsicle Recipes
Here are some of our favorite popsicle combinations to try! From tropical flavors to classic berry popsicles and some of our favorite indulgent chocolate and cream pops.
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles
Made simply with fresh fruit and creamy Greek yogurt, these Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles make the perfect healthy treat to enjoy on a hot day. Serve them as a tasty midday snack or a refreshing dessert after dinner.
Lemon Lime Popsicles
Made with fresh fruit, honey, and water, these Lemon Lime Popsicles are the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. Serve them as a healthy midday snack or at your next barbecue for a delicious icy treat!
Creamy Banana Popsicles
Made with just 4 wholesome ingredients, these Banana Popsicles are healthy treats the whole family will enjoy. These popsicles are so delicious, you won’t believe they’re actually good for you!
Mexican Cucumber Paletas
Mexican Cucumber Paletas feature a refreshing combination of blended cucumbers, kiwis, and lime juice. Bursting with flavor and loaded with nutrients, these icy treats are the perfect way to cool down on a hot day.
Strawberry Popsicles
Homemade strawberry popsicles made with fresh sweet strawberries and a touch of honey are bursting with flavor and perfect for a hot day.
Peaches and Cream Popsicles
These delicious Three Ingredient Peaches and Cream Popsicles are the perfect healthy summer treat. Made with fresh peaches, Greek yogurt, and honey - they are easy to make and incredibly refreshing.
Mango Popsicles
Homemade Mango Popsicles made with fresh mango, lime juice, and a touch of honey are the perfect refreshing summer treat. Packed with mango flavor and made with real fruit.
Watermelon Mint Popsicles
These homemade Watermelon Popsicles are made with fresh watermelon, lime juice, and honey for a refreshing and delicious summer treat! Made in the blender in less than five minutes.
Fresh Fruit Popsicles
Made simply with coconut water and a delicious combination of fresh fruits, Fresh Fruit Popsicles are the ultimate healthy treats. These homemade popsicles are wholesome, flavorful, and best of all—they’re kid-approved!
Healthy Fudgesicles
These homemade Healthy Fudgesicles made with Greek yogurt, almond milk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup are creamy, delicious, and a protein-packed summer treat.
Healthy Watermelon Popsicles
Watermelon Popsicles are refreshing, good for you, and made without any refined sugars. These easy to make popsicles are full of fresh fruit and loved by kids and adults.
The Best Popsicle Molds: Store-bought and Homemade
Believe it or not, not all popsicle molds are made equally. After trying out lots of different molds, these are our favorites. They are durable and easy to use.
- Onyx Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds: In my opinion, these are the best popsicle molds on the market, but they are on the pricy side and only worth it if you will be making lots of homemade popsicles. I love them because they are stainless steel, have reusable popsicle sticks with a silicone ring to keep them in place, and are dishwasher safe. It’s also very easy to remove the frozen pops and they never fall over in the freezer.
- Tovolo Classic Pop Molds: These plastic molds are affordable, easy to use, and work great. They make a nice size popsicle that freezes in about 4 hours. These are also dishwasher safe and have a reusable plastic popsicle stick.
- Popsicle Lab: If you don’t want plastic, these silicon popsicle molds are really nice, dishwasher safe, and can be made with wooden popsicle sticks or plastic sticks. One of the best parts of this mold is the small hole in the cover for adding the popsicle stick.
- Push Pops and Freeze Pops: Sometimes a smaller popsicle is nice and these push-pop and freeze pop molds are great for those days. There are lots of options from these reusable silicone molds to disposable molds.
Homemade Popsicle Molds
There are lots of ways to make homemade popsicles at home without fancy molds. Here are the most popular options.
For any of these options, if you find the popsicle sticks won’t stay in place, simply cover them with aluminum foil. Press the popsicle stick through the foil and they will stay in place.
- Dixie Cups: Simple and easy. Just pour the popsicle mixture into a small disposable cup, add a wooden popsicle stick, and pop it in the freezer.
- Muffin tins: Another option that most people have on hand. They can be a little tricky to remove from the tray. In most cases, you will need to let them defrost for a couple of minutes or run the tray under warm water.
- Large ice cube trays: Another great option if you have any larger ice cube trays on hand. Silicone trays are the easiest.
- Loaf pans: This is one of the more difficult options, but it does work. Cover the loaf pan with foil to add popsicle sticks. Then when they are frozen, use a shark knife that you have run under very hot water to slice the “popsicle loaf” into individual pops.
- Leftover yogurt containers: Save your leftover yogurt containers! They work great as popsicle molds.
Techniques and Tips: Layers, Swirls, and More
Once you start making popsicles, you'll quickly realize that there are so many ways to make beautiful, picture-worthy pops. Here are some fun techniques to try at home,
- Layered popsicles: Create more than one base recipe and layer in the different flavors and colors for a beautiful layered popsicle.
- Swirl popsicles: Add two different flavors to the popsicle mold and then use the stick to swirl them together. Once frozen, the beautiful swirl pattern will show. You can also swirl in things like nut butter, chocolate syrup, or fruit puree.
- Fresh fruit popsicles: Leave bigger chunks of the fruit in the popsicles for texture and a stunning presentation.
- Dipped Popsicles: Once the popsicles are frozen, dip them in chocolate, yogurt, granola, sprinkles, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut.
Nutrient Packed Popsicles
Most homemade popsicles are naturally healthy since they are made with fresh fruit and nutritious ingredients. If you want to make even healthier pops, consider these options:
- Green smoothie popsicles: You can turn almost any green smoothie into a delicious popsicle. Simply make your green smoothie using spinach or kale and then pour it into a popsicle mold. We love making green smoothie pops with this tropical green smoothie and peanut butter banana green smoothie.
- Protein-packed popsicles: For protein-rich options, use a protein-rich base like Greek yogurt or protein-rich milk. Then for even more protein, blend in protein powder, collagen, silken tofu, chia seeds, or hemp seeds.
- Low-sugar popsicles: If you want to make popsicles low in refined sugars, choose sweet fruits as your base like bananas, pineapple, or mango. If you need a sweetener, opt for a natural sweetener or use Stevia or monk fruit.
- Fruit and veggie popsicles: Don't miss the chance to blend in some extra nutrients by adding spinach, kale, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, zucchini, butternut squash, avocado, or even cooked sweet potatoes into your pops.
- Dairy-free: Make sure to make your base using dairy-free milk like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Or use a dairy-free yogurt or canned coconut milk.
- Gluten-free: Most popsicles are naturally gluten-free. Just ensure that the ingredients you use, especially mix-ins, are gluten-free.
- Vegan: It's easy to make naturally vegan popsicles. Just make sure to choose vegan-friendly yogurt or milk if making a creamy popsicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions about making popsicles at home.
What the the best store-bought popsicles?
While I am a huge fan of making your own popsicles at home, sometimes we need something quick and easy.
When looking at store-bought popsicles, normally I like to start with the ingredients. Whether you are searching for a healthy popsicle or something more indulgent, good quality food starts with good ingredients.
Look for popsicles that:
- Are free from artificial ingredients, flavors, and colors
- Are made with real ingredients - real fruit, real yogurt, real cream, ingredients you can pronounce
- For fruit popsicles, fruit should be the first ingredient
- Have minimal added sugar or use real sweeteners (fruit juice, honey, agave, maple syrup, or cane sugar) instead of corn syrup and artificial sweeteners
Our Favorites
- Deebee’s Organics SuperFruit Freezie Freezer Pops: If you are looking for a healthy popsicle option, these are made with all real fruit, although it is mostly fruit juice. No sugar, no preservatives, just fruit.
- Chloe’s Popsicles: Most of Chloe’s brand popsicles taste delicious and have a very minimal ingredient list - real fruit, lemon juice, water, and cane sugar. The mango, lime, and strawberry flavors are especially good.
- Helados Mexico: These are not the healthiest popsicles on this list, but in my opinion, they are the most delicious. The coconut flavor is my favorite. It is seriously good.
- Good Pops: These are also made with 100% fruit juice and contain no added sugar. They are a good option and most of the flavors are bursting with fruit flavor. The coffee and chocolate flavors are also really tasty. My kids love their freeze pops.
Do I need special popsicle molds to make homemade popsicles?
While popsicle molds are convenient, you can also use alternative options like paper cups, ice cube trays, or even small yogurt containers. Just insert popsicle sticks or reusable handles and ensure they are secure before freezing.
How do I prevent ice crystals from forming on my popsicles?
To minimize ice crystals, follow these tips:
- Make sure the popsicle mixture is well-blended before freezing
- Avoid leaving air gaps in the molds and seal the molds tightly
- Place the popsicles in the coldest part of the freezer.
- For creamy popsicles, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to the base mixture
How long does it take for popsicles to freeze?
On average, it takes about 4 to 6 hours for popsicles to freeze completely. This can vary slightly based on the size of the popsicles and the ingredients used.
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Homemade Fruit Popsicles
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Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh fruit (or frozen)
- 1/2 cup water ( or milk, yogurt, coconut milk, or juice)
- 2 tbsp honey (more to taste)
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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.