My kids say that plain fruit is a boring snack. We dip in nut butters and make smoothies, but they wanted to take summer snacking to the next level. I decided to take their challenge and create a real fruit popsicle recipe using no refined sugar or dairy. The kids enjoyed making popsicles and our real fruit popsicle recipe became an instant hit!
Strawberries are in season right now and we had a pint left over from making jam, so we decided to make a strawberry peach real fruit popsicle. While I am going to share my “recipe,” I want to encourage you to play with the fruit you have available in your fridge, freezer, or garden right now. I also suggest being flexible with the sweeteners and liquids you use – you can whip up a batch of these in 10 minutes flat using a good blender and the ingredients you already have on hand.
Real Fruit Popsicle Tips
- Think of your favorite smoothie and start there.
- Ask yourself if you want an icier popsicle or a creamier style. This will determine what type of liquids you choose and how much you add.
- Keep natural sweeteners on hand like bananas, raw honey, pure maple syrup, and dates.
- The riper the fruit, the sweeter.
- You can blend fruit until smooth or use chunks of fruit. It’s all personal preference.
- Consider adding herbal tea as your liquid base: Mint, ginger, and lemon are all yummy with fruit!
- Make it green: Add some fresh spinach or kale.
- Want creaminess? Add half of an avocado.
- Add some fresh lemon zest (yum!), mint, lemon or lime juice to add a fresh flavor.
- Coconut water can give your popsicle a tropical flair.
- Spice it up: Try adding spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, anise, or tumeric.
- Layer it up. Try making multi-flavor popsicles with 2 or 3 layers.
- Go safe, then be bold.
- Gradually ease back the sweet and see if your kids notice.
- Popsicles aren’t just for kids – treat yourself to flavors you love.
Real Fruit Popsicle Ratios
Your ratios are really going to depend on how creamy vs icy you want your popsicle.
- Traditional Popsicles will have 3/4 liquid and 1 cup of ice to every cup of fresh fruit. Decrease the ice when using frozen fruit.
- For Creamier Popsicles, 3/4 cup liquid for every 1 cup of fresh fruit. Consider using coconut or almond milk as your liquid. Decrease the ice and add avocado, banana, nut butter, or chia seeds for more creaminess.
Make Your Own Popsicle Mold
I couldn’t find our popsicle molds, so we went homemade all the way. Molds are clearly a more eco-friendly option, but Dixie Cups will do in a pinch. We poured our mix into Dixie Cups, my 4 year-old added the craft sticks, we covered with plastic wrap, then we waited for them to set. 
To remove the cup, set it in lukewarm water for short time or simply loosen the sides with a butter knife and the cup will pop right off.
Real Fruit Popsicle Freezing Tips
- Plan ahead. These are not the best “day of” treat.
- Be patient. Popsicles are generally hard in about 6 to 24 hours.
Here are a few recipes we are pinning to try for our next round of Real Fruit Popsicles.
- Beet Berry Popscicles from Love Beets
- Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles from Sugar-Free Mom
- Vanilla Peach Pops from Love and Lemons
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh strawberries; stems removed
- 2 peaches; peeled and sliced
- 1 banana
- 1 date; seed removed
- 1/2 cup almond milk (other milks can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
If making your own molds, line up dixie cups on a cookie sheet.
Add all ingredients to the blender, except ice. Blend until smooth.
Add ice and blend until fully incorporated.
Pour mixture into cups or molds; filling up about 3/4 of the way.
If using cups, add sticks in the center, then cover with plastic wrap.
Freeze a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
https://theinquisitivemom.com/2016/05/real-fruit-popsicle-tips-diary-free-and-no-refined-sugar.htmlDisclosure: Affiliate links included in this post. Proceeds go to support my blog.
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