Fresh fruit and vegetables are always best, no doubt about that. But in the hot summer months it's refreshing to snack on a cold, frozen treat. Ever since I picked up this awesome popsicle mold, I've been having way too much fun experimenting with sweet and even savory ice pop recipes.
Since I never cook my food and never need to wait for meals to heat up, these pops have really tested my patience, as I need to wait hours while they freeze! Patience is a virtue with these yummy snacks but trust me, all are well worth the wait!
Photo by Lauren Golin
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Freeze Time: approximately 10-12 hours
Servings: 10 Popsicles
Ingredients (adjust ingredients based on your popsicle mold):
2 cups blended watermelon (about 1/4 of a large watermelon)
1 Fresh Young Thai coconut
Juice of 1 lime
3 Kiwis
Directions:
1. Pour the blended watermelon about 2/3 of the way into the mold. Secure the lid to the mold and insert the popsicle sticks. Freeze for 3-4 hours.
2. Blend the water and the meat of the Young Thai coconut together until completely smooth. Remove the lid from the mold and fill half of the remaining space in the mold with the coconut mixture. Place back in the freezer for 2-4 hours. (If you are using a mold with a lid, you need not bother to put the lid back on as it will be tricky to get all of the sticks back through their respective holes. By this time the sticks are frozen in place so the lid is not necessary).
3. Peel and blend the kiwis with the lime juice. Fill the last remaining space in the mold with this blend and place back into the freezer until the pops are completely frozen (approximately another 4 hours).
Cherry (B)anilla
Photo by Lauren Golin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Freeze Time: approximately 8-10 hours
Servings: 8 Popsicles
Ingredients (adjust ingredients based on your popsicle mold):
4 Bananas
2.5 cups pitted cherries
1/2 of a raw vanilla bean or 1.5 TSP raw vanilla powder
Directions:
1. Blend the cherries until completely smooth. A Vitamix works perfectly for this but if you are using a standard blender, you may need to add some water to achieve the desired consistency. Set aside and wash out your blender.
2. Blend the bananas and the vanilla until completely smooth.
3. Layer the the cherry mixture and the banana mixture in the mold, pouring about 1″ layers of each. Using a long wooden skewer, a spare popsicle stick, or a knife, gently stir and poke the mixture up and down to give it a swirled effect. Insert the popsicle sticks and place in the freezer for 8-10 hours or until completely frozen.
Icy Mango
Photo by Lauren Golin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Freeze Time: approximately 8-10 hours
Servings: 8 Popsicles
Ingredients (adjust ingredients based on your popsicle mold):
2 cups fresh or frozen pineapple
2 mangos
1 cup fresh orange juice (you can squeeze the juice of 2-3 oranges with your hands if you do not have a juicer)
2 kiwis
Directions:
1. Blend the pineapple, mangos, and orange juice together until completely smooth. If you are not using a high-speed blender, you may need to add some water to achieve the desired consistency. Fill the popsicle molds with this mixture, leaving about a 1/2″-1″space at the top.
2. Peel the kiwis and make 4 equal slices with each. Drop one slice into each popsicle mold and using a spare popsicle stick, push each slice against the wall of the mold so that it will show when the pop freezes. Insert the popsicle sticks and place in the freezer for 8-10 hours or until completely frozen.
Creamy Fudgesicle
Photo by Lauren Golin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Freeze Time: approximately 8-10 hours
Servings: 8 Popsicles
Ingredients (adjust ingredients based on your popsicle mold):
5 Bananas
4 TBSP Raw carob powder
1/2 of an avocado (this recommended amount will keep it low-fat. If you desire a creamier texture, use the whole avocado)
Directions:
1. Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and pour the mixture into the molds. Insert the popsicle sticks and place in the freezer for 8-10 hours or until completely frozen.
Lauren Golin writes about raw food at her website withrawintentions.com, where a version of this post originally appeared.