Homemade Ice Pops Recipe | Foodal (2024)

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Being a kid during the summer is the ultimate example of freedom.

Running around the park all day. Hanging out with friends while you run a lemonade stand. Swimming at the local pool.

Whether it was summer camp, sports clubs, or whatever that summertime joy looked like for you, I’m sure you have fond memories of those days.

I’m also pretty sure that those sun-filled, steaming hot days sometimes included ice pops.

Those frozen pops in the plastic wrappers hold a special place in my heart. They showed up everywhere from summer camp to swim practice to picnics in the park with my friends when we were all home from college on vacation.

Personally, I was all about the red ones because they turned my lips red, and I felt like I was wearing lipstick by the time I was done.

Of course, now I realize that those pops might not have been made with the purest or most healthy of ingredients, with everything from added sweeteners and unnatural flavors to artificial dyes.

Since I learned how to make ice pops at home, I have never had to buy them again, and you won’t either.

This recipe only requires three ingredients – fruit, water, and a little sweetener. I used honey here, but you can also use agave syrup if you prefer a vegan option, or some other alternative that’s to your liking.

Not only are they delicious, they’re fully customizable, and you can create them in whatever delicious fruit flavors you wish, favorites from back in the day, or ones you only dreamed about but could never find at the store as a kid.

Fruit Combination Ideas

Looking for some inspiration? There are tons of ways to customize and get creative with this recipe!

You can use any combination of fruit you would like, as long as the total weight of the fruit comes out to ten ounces.

To make these taste more like a smoothie, consider using your choice of milk (dairy, oat milk, soy milk, etc.) instead of water. You can even impart more flavor with coconut milk or coconut water for a tropical island vibe.

Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Strawberry banana
• Cherry peach
• Strawberry watermelon
• Banana, mango, and pineapple
• Pineapple, orange, and guava
• Mixed berry
• Pineapple with coconut milk (tastes like a piña colada!)

You can even sneak in some veggies like spinach or carrots, if you are trying to get some picky kids to eat more vegetables.

Tips for Freezing

To freeze a large batch of these ice pops, arrange them on a baking sheet so they all lay flat. Or if you have space, you can store your ice pops standing upright in freezer-proof cups or containers.

Once they are frozen, they can be moved to freezer bags for storage.

Depending on their final position, note that the liquid will freeze at the top of the pouches, so these might be a little difficult to open. When you are ready to eat them, simply run the opening under warm water for 10 seconds to unstick it.

Be sure to label the individual pops with the flavors you choose, or label the freezer bags you store them in so you can remember what you made. Also note the date you made them so you can keep track of when to use them up by.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Measure Ingredients

Prep any fruit as needed. You can use fresh fruit that has been peeled, seeded or cored, and chopped as needed in the case of larger pieces.

Feel free to use a combination of fresh and frozen fruit, if that’s what you have on hand!

Measure out all of the ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Blend

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. It’s best to load the blender with firm and frozen ingredients furthest from the blade.

For an upright blender with blades at the bottom, add the liquid and sweetener first, followed by the fruit. For an inverted blender, load the fruit first, so it will be furthest away.

Using a funnel, pour the mixture into popsicle sleeves to the “fill” line.

This recipe fills 6 standard ice pop sleeves per batch. I like to use these ice pop pouches from Zipzicle, which come in packs of 36. Pick up a pack on Amazon.

Step 3 – Freeze

Lay them flat in the freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until set and firm.

You could also position them upright and freeze while standing in a container, if you have enough space in the freezer. This can help to make them easier to open!

Frozen popsicles can be stored in the freezer in a resealable zip-top bag.