Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

This summer, make your own treats loaded with flavor and light on guilt

popsicles

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There are hundreds of ways to make your own popsicles this summer.

Did you know?

Del Monte pulled two sweet publicity stunts for its line of smoothies, crafting molds of “James Bond” leading man Daniel Craig (License to Chill) and everyone’s favorite Hollywood train-wreck, David Hasselhoff (The Hoffsicle).

No offense to the lovers of frozen Gatorade. It has its place. But seven years into the gourmet popsicle trend, it’s time to get creative.

Cherry is tasty, but cherry rose tea is fantastic — and almost too beautiful to eat, what with the petals and fruit suspended in ice. Maybe fig cheesecake is more your speed. Avocado? Chai? Chocolate-dipped strawberry red wine?

There’s a recipe for that.

Watermelon, lime and ginger

The juiciest of all melons screams summer. This pop pairs its simple sweetness with a spicy backbone of ginger and plenty of tongue-zinging citrus.

• INGREDIENTS: 1 seedless watermelon, chopped (about 5 cups), 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup lime juice, 2 tsp grated ginger, pinch fine salt,

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 2. Pour into molds. 3. Insert popsicle sticks. 4. Freeze.

Grape, green apple and kale

You like that smoothie packed with green goodness? This is the popsicle version. Refreshing and pleasingly grassy, it’s the medicine that helps the kale go down.

• INGREDIENTS: 2 cups white grape juice, 2 cups seedless green grapes, 2 cups stemmed and torn kale, 2 ripe bananas, 1 chopped green apple, pinch fine salt

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 2. Pour into molds. 3. Insert popsicle sticks. 4. Freeze.

Yogurt, fruit, honey and granola

If you crave the richness of ice cream but are trying to be good, or if you have kids who need to be tricked into eating something deliciously healthy, this pop works for a portable breakfast or a late-night indulgence that won’t ruin your diet.

• INGREDIENTS: 5 cups vanilla Greek yogurt, chopped fruits of your choice, granola with nuts, honey

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Layer ingredients into mold, starting with yogurt and continuing with fruit, honey and granola. 2. Insert popsicle sticks. 3. Freeze.

Kiwi, coconut and chia

Chia is a star in the health-food world. The relative of mint is bursting with nutrition, and the texture has a lovely, squishy pop that lends itself to puddings. This recipe can be made with lower-fat soy or almond milk, but the creator recommends going with syrupy-sweet coconut milk.

• INGREDIENTS: 1 3/4 cups canned coconut milk, 3/4 cup soy milk, 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 tbsp agave syrup, 3 kiwis, peeled and sliced

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Soak seeds in mixture of milks and agave syrup for at least 20 minutes to allow plumping. 2. Place kiwi slices in molds, using a utensil to press fruit snugly against each side. 3. Pour liquid mix on top, being careful not to upset the kiwis (as they provide the visual punch). 4. Insert popsicle sticks. 5. Freeze.

Champagne and berries

If any ice pop could be Las Vegas’ official flavor, it’s this one. Especially during pool season. It’ll work with any Champagne you love, as the translucence is a perfect foil for jewels of fruit. To please all palates, split the molds between dry and sweet bubbly.

• INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup sweet Champagne, 3/4 cup dry Champagne, 10 oz mixed berries, pomegranate arils and apples (sliced thin)

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Fill half the molds halfway up with sweet Champagne. 2. Do the same in the other molds with dry Champagne. 3. Layer in fruit. 4. Insert popsicle sticks. 5. Freeze.

Vanilla, apricot and bourbon

Believe it or not, this is a 100-calorie treat with just 14 grams of sugar. And it licks like ripe apricot cobbler with melted ice cream chased by bourbon. It might just be the best thing on a stick.

• INGREDIENTS: 1 vanilla bean, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 1/2 cups apricot nectar, 1/2 cup bourbon, pinch fine salt

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and run dull side of knife down each half, scraping up seeds. 2. Combine seeds and sugar in a large bowl and add apricot nectar, bourbon and salt, and whisk until smooth. 3. Pour into molds. 4. Insert popsicle sticks. 5. Freeze.

Molds

Molds made of BPA-free plastic or slick silicone provide classic shapes and every kind of cuteness you can attach to a stick — or a pair of cartoony legs.

• Sunsella is a good place for beginners to start, as the molds resemble the basic push-pop model in a dishwasher-safe rainbow of silicone.

Price: $10.45 (on sale from $16)

Tidbits: The lids are touted as leak-proof no matter how you position the molds to freeze. And your purchase comes with a free recipe book on digital download.

• Zoku makes round molds and mini molds and collections of characters under themes such as “space,” “dino” and “safari.”

Price: $7.99 for a single mold; $14.99-$19.99 for a specialty set of six

Tidbits: Each Zoku stick is shaped like a heart, making for a sweet surprise. And each character mold comes with particular matching appendages, whether it be parrot feathers or monkey paws. Mix them up for another layer of delight.

• Tovolo is known for its Groovy Pop Mold, which uniformly freezes six standard-style pops that can be individually removed without upsetting the cluster.

Price: $11.79 for a six-pop setup on Amazon

Tidbits: Whimsy is available, from the yeti and the zombie to the “thumbsicle.” With 4.5 stars after almost 1,650 reviews on Amazon, this brand is dominating.

Sources: bakersroyale.com, lezoemusings.com, Real Simple, thelittleepicurean.com, Woman’s Day

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