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Now that we’ve found our way into hot weather, it’s time for summer’s simplest frozen treat, the popsicle. It’s my lazy go-to when I want something refreshing that doesn’t require an ice cream maker or tons of prep.
I thought I’d round up all of the popsicle recipes I’ve shared here so far and put them in one place to make them easy to find.
Most of them only take a few minutes of work to put together and then just need to rest in the freezer for several hours or overnight until they’re frozen solid.
I like these stainless steel popsicle molds for their size, shape, and indestructible nature. If you want something that makes more popsicles, these have good reviews.
For my popsicles with edible flowers, I use these flat silicone molds, which also work for ice cream pops (but please add the popsicle sticks to these molds and set them on a sturdy pan or tray before adding liquid—you don’t want a leaky, wobbly mess).
But you can make popsicles in little paper cups, shot glasses, or any small-ish, freezer-safe containers you have on hand.
Popsicles are very forgiving and flexible, so feel free to experiment. But keep in mind a few things:
- Cold dulls flavor: make your popsicle base a little bit sweeter and bolder than you want the final frozen pop to be.
- Alcohol inhibits freezing: boozy ice pops can be delicious, but too much will leave you with more of slushy than a popsicle.
- Sugar also inhibits freezing: if you add too much sugar, your ice pops won’t freeze solid enough to come out of the molds.
Popsicle Recipes to Beat the Heat
This collection of delicious and refreshing popsicle recipes will give you plenty of inspiration for summer frozen treats.
This includes bright citrus flavors as well as floral, tea, and rich coconut popsicles as well. There's something for everyone here.
These, like most popsicles, are quite simple to make. The most complicated part is probably tracking down the Thai tea. I found mine at Golden Pacific, a local Thai grocery store. If you have trouble finding it locally, you can, of course, order it online. You could also substitute any plain black tea and double the vanilla extract. You wouldn’t get the brilliant orange color, and the flavor would be a little different, but it would still be good. If you freeze these in non-traditional popsicle molds such as shot glasses or dixie cups, make sure to let them partially freeze, about 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the molds and your freezer) before adding the sticks. You want the mixture to be frozen enough to keep the sticks in place.
These popsicles get a double dose of coconut from sweetened condensed coconut milk and regular coconut milk and they get brightened with plenty of freshly squeezed lime juice.
There's an extra layer of lime flavor from a simple syrup that gets infused with strips of lime zest.
Sweetened condensed coconut milk is available in many grocery stores these days but be sure double check the amount on the can you buy—there isn't a clear standard size among the various brands. (This recipe is flexible enough you can probably use a little more or less and be fine.)
These are naturally vegan and gluten free.
I can’t get enough of these popsicles. They’re sweet and refreshing. They taste like mango with just a hint of lime. I start with frozen mango pulp (which is 100% mango, no sugar, stabilizers, or preservatives added) which I find available at Latin grocery stores. You could start with fresh mangoes and puree the flesh in a blender or food processor or use the frozen chunks of peeled mango in the frozen fruit aisle of your grocery store if you have trouble finding the pulp. If you don’t have popsicle molds, you could freeze this mixture into a shallow pan and scrape it with a fork every 30 minutes to make a granita. You can use any popsicle molds you like, or even tall shot glasses or small disposable cups to make these. If you are using molds that don’t have lids to hold the sticks in place, let the popsicles freeze for about 2 hours or until they start to set up and then add the popsicle sticks.
These popsicles are very tart and replete with lime flavor. For these to taste right, the lime juice should be freshly squeezed. In my experience, limes vary quite a bit in the amount of juice they produce. (They’re also the peskiest citrus to juice. If you want to make the task easier, I recommend using something like this.) I got 3/4 of a cup of juice from just 3 large limes, which were what I could find at the local Latin grocery store, but I think that’s an unusually large yield per fruit. Gerson recommends using smaller limes and says it will take 10 limes to yield the desired amount of juice. If you have medium sized limes, I’m guessing you’d need 5-6 limes. I’d recommend buying an extra couple of limes beyond what you think you’ll need just to be on the safe side. I’ve been using all-metal molds, but you can use any molds (including household items like tall shot glasses or little paper cups) you have around. If your mold doesn’t have a lid to hold the popsicle stick in place, wait for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the popsicles are partially frozen to add the sticks.
These popsicles are tropical with a great balance of sweetness and tartness. Look for unsweetened frozen passion fruit puree in Latin grocery stores. You can use pre-cut pineapple if you want to make this even easier. If you have an ice cream maker, you can chill this mixture and spin it into a sorbet like Fleming does. I went the easier route and made them into popsicles in these plastic-free molds. If your mold doesn’t have a lid to hold the popsicle stick in place, wait for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the popsicles are partially frozen to add the sticks.
Kylee Cooks
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
I JUST bought popsicle molds, and have been wondering what I should make first. Now I have 6 to choose from. going to pin this for later. YUM!
Mary
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Perfect timing :)
Ben @ FoxValleyFoodie.com
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Wow, what fantastic popsicle ideas! I am going to have to run to the store and get some sticks!
Mary
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Thanks Ben!
Tracy | Baking Mischief
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
I become completely obsessed with popsicles over the summer, so I love this post! All of these popsicles look great, but those Thai Iced Tea ones are particularly dreamy! Oo, and the lime ones look good too.
Mary
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
You should totally make the Thai iced tea ones! If you're a Thai iced tea fan, I'm guessing you'll love them.
strawberryblondiekitchen
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Thai Iced Tea Popsicles!!! OMG!! I love this list. I'm going to make my way through all 6!
Mary
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Let me know how they turn out!
Tracy @ Served from Scratch
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Just in time for summer! Homemade popsicles are totally on my must make list for this summer - what a great list to choose from!
Mary
Wednesday 1st of June 2016
Thanks, Tracy! I love all of these!