Recipe: Beat the Heat With Sweet Treats!
Making your own ice pops at home saves money and gives your family a healthy treat.
Hot days can be brutal, and there’s nothing more refreshing than a cool ice pop on a sweltering day. Ice pops are a classic childhood treat that we all love, but many commercially available pops are made from a long list of ingredients that are hard to pronounce and even harder on your body. Old-time favorites like fudge pops are often full of cruelly produced dairy products and unhealthy amounts of sugar, while other flavors are simply artificial and sickly sweet. Luckily, delicious homemade vegan ice pops are super-easy to make and give you the freedom to experiment with your favorite flavors.
You can make these yummy treats with an ice-pop mold, which you can find at stores that sell kitchen items, or you can use plastic or paper cups as molds. These recipes are really simple, and the results are fantastic.
Fruitsicles
1/2 cup pineapple, finely chopped
1 mango, finely chopped
2 kiwis, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 1/2 cups white grape juice (red works but won’t look as nice)
- Combine the fruit in mixing bowl. Transfer into ice-pop molds or cups, filling 3/4 of the way.
- Pour in the grape juice, adding just enough to cover the fruit, and freeze for 2–3 hours.
- Remove from the freezer and insert a Popsicle stick into each ice pop.
- Return to the freezer for an additional 2–3 hours.
Makes approximately 4 ice pops
Go Coconuts
16 oz. coconut milk
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
3 Tbsp. shredded coconut
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Pour into ice-pop molds (filling all the way) or into cups (filling 3/4 of the way) and freeze for 2–3 hours.
- Remove from the freezer and insert a Popsicle stick into each ice pop.
- Return to the freezer for an additional 2–3 hours.
Makes approximately 4 ice pops
Fudgy Dreams
1 cup coconut milk (any nondairy milk will work)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until well blended, about 3–5 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature
- Pour into ice-pop molds (filling all the way) or into cups (filling 3/4 of the way) and freeze for 2–3 hours.
- Remove from the freezer and insert a Popsicle stick into each ice pop.
- Return to the freezer for an additional 2–3 hours.
Makes approximately 4 ice pops
These fun treats will keep you satisfied and cool. If you freeze them in paper cups, simply peel away the paper to enjoy!
Posted by Edwina Baier
