Keep these healthy homemade ice pops on hand all summer long! Five ingredients or less, featuring sweet, fresh fruit. 27 calories and 0 Weight Watchers SP
Homemade ice pops with fresh fruit are a treat that the kids will love and the adults can indulge in when the days start heating up. No preservatives, additives or questionable sweeteners in these fresh fruit frozen treats!
Growing up in Canada, we called these freezies and in the U.S. they’re often referred to as Otter Pops. Whatever you want to call them, they’re easy to make from almost any fruit that you have on hand. You could even pour in your favorite smoothie mixture!
Blend up the fruit, add a little sweetener and liquid if necessary and use a funnel to pour the mixture into the pouches. I was excited to find the ice pop pouches online (more on that in a moment). They take just a minutes to make and a few hours to freeze. Keep your fridge stocked all summer long!
Where do I find ice pop molds?
I found these ice pop molds on Amazon (affiliate link) and they were a breeze to use! They have a resealable opening at the top and a “fill line” marked on the side so you know how much liquid to add. There are a few different pack sizes available.
Can otter pop molds be re-used?
The FAQ page on the Zipzicles site specifically addresses and I suggest following their recommendations. I wash the pouches by hand with hot water and soap, then turn them upside down over the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula to dry. To be safe, I probably won’t re-use each one more than once or twice. But good news – they are recyclable!
How long do ice pops last in the freezer
This will vary depending on the ingredients used. All-fruit ice pops can be frozen for up to 6 months. However, if the ice-pop include dairy, like the tropical ice pops and berry smoothie ice pops shared below, they should be frozen for just 1 to 2 months.
Tips for making homemade ice pops:
Use the ripest, sweetest fruit you can find! The riper the fruit (before it turns bad, of course), the sweeter it will be, which means you’ll be able to cut back on or entirely leave out any additional sweeteners.
Fresh fruit works best because it doesn’t require as much liquid to be added. If using frozen fruit, you’ll likely need to add some liquid in order to puree it in the blender and to make the mixture pourable. Water, milk, coconut milk and coconut water are all good options.
Insert a funnel into the opening of the ice pop pouch and slowly pour in the fruit puree. Fill only to the “Fill line” marked on the side of the pouch to allow room for the puree to expand as it freezes.
To freeze a large batch of ice pops, arrange them on a baking sheet. The only downside to the method is that the liquid will freeze up to the opening of the pouch, making it a little harder to open. Run the opening quickly under warm water to unstick it.
If you have room in your freezer, place the ice pops upright in freezer-proof cups or containers, with the opening at the top. Once frozen, transfer the ice pops to resealable freezer bags.
Flavor suggestions:
There are nearly endless options. Go for a pure fruit flavor (e.g., strawberry only) or combine some of your favorite fruits.
- Berries – strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, huckleberry, raspberry
- Melons – watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew
- Tropical fruits – banana, mango, papaya, pineapple, passion fruit
- Citrus – orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit
- Grape
Other lightened-up frozen treats:
Chocolate Chunk Avocado Ice Cream {Cookin’ Canuck}
Cherry, Coconut & Honey Frozen Yogurt {Cookin’ Canuck}
Easy Homemade Healthy Popsicles {Happy Money Saver}
Mango Sorbet For One {One Dish Kitchen}
Homemade Ice Pops Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry-Watermelon Ice Pops
- 2 cups chopped watermelon
- 12 fresh or frozen strawberries
- Agave nectar or honey if desired
Cantaloupe Ice Pops
- 3 cups chopped cantaloupe
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- Agave nectar or honey if desired
Tropical Ice Pops
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1/2 ripe banana
- 1 cup fresh or frozen mango cubes
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
Berry Smoothie Ice Pops
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 ripe banana
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
- 2 cups mixed fresh or frozen berries (blackberries, blueberries & raspberries)
Instructions
Strawberry-Watermelon Ice Pops
- Place the watermelon in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the strawberries and puree until smooth. Taste and add agave nectar or honey, if desired.
- Using a funnel, pour the mixture into ice pop molds.
- Freeze until frozen, about 4 hours. Serve.
Cantaloupe Ice Pops
- Place the cantaloupe and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add agave nectar or honey, if desired.
- Using a funnel, pour the mixture into ice pop molds.
- Freeze until frozen, about 4 hours. Serve.
Tropical Ice Pops
- Place the milk and banana in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the mango and pineapple, and puree until smooth. Taste and add agave nectar or honey, if desired.
- Using a funnel, pour the mixture into ice pop molds.
- Freeze until frozen, about 4 hours. Serve.
Berry Smoothie Ice Pops
- Place the milk, yogurt, banana and agave nectar in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the mixed berries, and puree until smooth. Taste and add additional agave nectar or honey, if desired.
- Using a funnel, pour the mixture into ice pop molds.
- Freeze until frozen, about 4 hours. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Maria says
I used coconut water with the frozen fruit to make the Strawberry-Watermelon and Tropical flavors, and they were so delicious!! A yummy and healthy snack.