4 Popsicle Recipes
Originally published I Invented Popsicles! - Sort Of by Deniz Tekant
Photo by Melissa Shao
General Notes:
We recommend buying molds for these recipes but just as young me, you can get old containers and ice cream sticks and call it a day.
If your popsicles are stuck to the molds, run them under warm water for a few seconds to loosen them up.
Try popping your popsicle directly into a boozy cup. The melted popsicle pairs perfectly with 2 shots of vodka/Bacardi/Malibu!
With spring just around the corner, I start remembering the frozen treats that make me feel like a kid again. Growing up in Istanbul, I had been exposed to all types of food from all around the globe, but surprisingly, some of the very common kids treats in the US such as popsicles, Nerds, and Oreos did not make it across the Atlantic.
For me, growing up no lunch box was complete without a kids yogurt cup. It was a simple treat for most kids, but I saw something more. I saw a world of culinary opportunities and I took them. I began saving the wooden sticks from my ice cream, for my new invention. Breaking them in half, I stuck the ice cream sticks into my yogurt cup, popped them in the freezer, and waited. The result: A fruity, creamy, frozen treat. I was a genius! As I grew older, I started saving the empty yogurt cups and ice cream sticks to pour whatever juice we had at home to re-freeze. Hot tip: ketchup and mayo are not the greatest flavors for popsicles… But as I kept trying different mixes, I was also getting really successful batches, and wanted to share them with my friends. For a school picnic, I made 20 colorful popsicles from different juices and my classmates loved them! Thinking I was the new Gordon Ramsay, I was disappointed when, as a college student, I found hundreds of popsicle options at my local Wegmans. Nevertheless, I still want to believe that my creation was the first of its kind. Today, I present to you my four all-time favorite popsicle recipes.
Veggie - Spinach & Kiwi & Banana
Ingredients
1 cup spinach
1 ½ banana, thinly sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup milk (Any type of milk will work!)
½ cup fresh parsley
3-4 tbsp honey, to taste
1 tbsp ginger, grated
Instructions
Place 1 kiwi and half a banana into the molds.
Blend together the spinach, milk, honey, ginger, and parsley. Add the remaining banana and kiwi slices to the mixture and blend until smooth. For a sweeter taste, add more honey.
Pour the mix into the molds.
Freeze overnight or until the popsicles harden.
Fruity - Clear popsicle (apple juice) with visible fruit inside
Instructions
Start by adding the bigger slices into the molds and use the smaller berries to fill in the empty spaces. Add as many or as few berries as desired, pressing them against the sides of the molds.
Once done adding the fruits, fill the molds with apple juice, leaving 2-3 inches of space at the top for expansion.
Freeze overnight or until the popsicles harden.
Ingredients
½ cup strawberries, thinly sliced
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup pomegranate
1 peach, thinly sliced
1 kiwi, peeled and thinly sliced
Apple juice, as needed depending on the size of your molds
Tips: You can add any fruit you like!
Creamy - White Chocolate and Pop Rock covered Cherry yogurt
Instructions
In a bowl, combine yogurt, honey, and vanilla extract.
In a food processor or with a hand blender, purée the cherries until smooth.
Add a spoonful of yogurt in the molds followed by a spoonful of the cherry purée. Continue these steps, alternating with the yogurt and cherry purée until all molds are full with 2 inches of space at the top. For an ombré look, swirl the mix with a thin tool (could be a fork or a chopstick!)
Freeze overnight or until the popsicles harden.
Melt the chocolate wafers of your choice in a bowl. This can be done in a microwave or in a water bath.
Once melted, remove the popsicles from the molds, dip or drizzle the melted chocolate on top, depending on preference..
Sprinkle the pop rocks on top before the chocolate freezes.
Tip: you can use any fruit you want here, if you hate cherries substitute with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches etc…
Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup sweet cherries, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup melting chocolate wafers, white milk or dark whichever you prefer!
1 pack pop rocks
Boozy - Frosé (Frozen Rosé) or Miami Vice
Instructions
Combine everything but the ½ cup strawberries in a blender.
Place the rest of the strawberries into the molds.
Divide the mixture in the molds equally, leaving 2-3 inches of space at the top for expansion.
Freeze overnight or until it hardens.
Ingredients
1 ½ cup strawberries, 1 cup quartered ½ cup chopped for decoration
1 cup pears, peeled and cubed
1 ½ cup rosé
4 tbsp. simple syrup