Pink and White Striped Yogurt Popsicles: An Easy Valentine's Treats

Need a fun, festive, and easy Valentine’s surprise? Striped popsicles are eye-catching, and so easy to make. Since they’re made with antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice, plain organic yogurt, and just a touch of honey, they’re also pretty healthy. I love to serve these up as a fun after school treat, and a quick dessert.

When making my kids’ treats I always try to use the best ingredients, and organic YoBaby yogurt from Stonyfield Farm is a wholesome, creamy yogurt that makes for a great frozen snack.

These popsicles are a great treat for toddlers and kids, but note that babies under 1 year of age should not have honey in any form.

Pink and White Striped Popsicles
makes six 6 oz. popsicles

3 cups pomegranate-cherry juice
1 1/2 cups plain organic yogurt
4 tablespoons honey, divided

In a small sauce pan, gently heat the pomegranate juice over medium-low heat. Dissolve 2 tablespoons honey into the warm liquid.

In a small bowl, dissolve the remaining 2 tablespoons honey into the yogurt.

Pour the prepared juice mixture into 6 popsicle molds or paper cups. Freeze for 45 minutes, or until the first layer is nearly frozen. Next, pour in the yogurt mixture, filling the molds 2/3 of the way up, insert popsicle sticks, and freeze for another 45 minutes. Finally, add the pomegranate mixture to fill the molds completely leaving the sticks in place. Freeze completely, for several hours or more.

To remove popsicles, run the mold under warm water or just peel the paper cup off of the frozen popsicle.

Recipe from http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2012/02/13/pink-and-white-striped-yogurt-popsicles-an-easy-valentines-treat/

Raspberry Coconut Popsicles: Bring on the Summer

Just so you know, this is going to be the summer of the popsicle. Don’t get me wrong, I pretty much love every frozen treat, especially ice cream. But light and fruity popsicles have fewer calories and are a breeze to make. With plenty of Dixie cups and popsicle sticks on hand, I’m ready to experiment with a host of refreshing flavors.

My first popsicle triumph is this raspberry coconut number. With real fruit accompanied by naturally sweet coconut milk and honey, this is a homemade treat you can feel great about serving your kids. Or yourself.

Raspberry Coconut Popsicles
makes roughly twenty 3 oz. popsicles

1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup blueberries (fresh of frozen)
1 14 oz. can coconut milk (full-fat or light)
2 cups water
1 cup apple juice (or any other juice you have on hand)
1/2 cup honey (or more–adjust to taste)
5 oz. Dixie cups
wooden popsicle sticks

Combine all of the ingredients in your blender. Pour mixture into 5 oz. Dixie cups, filling 2/3 of the way. Freeze for 30 minutes, insert sticks, and continue to chill until the popsicles are fully frozen, 2 hours or more. Carefully cut and tear the Dixie cups off of the popsicles, and seal in a plastic bag. Enjoy!

Recipe from http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/09/raspberry-coconut-popsicles-bring-on-the-summer/

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles

I grew up knowing Strawberry Shortcake more as a character who battled with the Peculiar Purple Pie Man for reasons unclear than as a dessert, but now it’s one of my favorites. When the first real strawberries start to appear in stores and farmer’s markets, my thoughts immediately turn to strawberry shortcake. We’ve been experimenting with popsicles at Brooklyn Supper HQ lately, so with the start of strawberry season, I thought it would be a great time to try this classic dessert in popsicle form. It was a huge success.

The “shortcake” is actually Nilla wafers we had leftover from making banana pudding, crushed and held together with yogurt and honey. The strawberries are actually strawberries, though. The layering makes this a fun dessert for older kids to help with and the results will be adored by kids and grownups alike.

Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles (adapted from Bakers Royale)
makes 12 popsicles

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1/2 cup crushed Nilla wafers
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
1/3 cup honey (more if desired)
12 6 oz. Dixie cups
wooden popsicle sticks

In a medium bowl, combine the crushed Nilla wafers, yogurt, and honey. Set out 12 6 oz. Dixie cups, and fill each one with 2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture. Set in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, puree the berries. Divide the berries among the 12 cups, and freeze for another 30 minutes.

Finally, divide the remaining yogurt mixture among the cups, add a popsicle stick to each one, and chill completely, several hours or more.

To serve, simply cut or tear the cup off.

Recipe from http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/12/strawberry-shortcake-popsicles-a-surprising-summer-treat/

Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles

A few weeks ago, we shared a recipe for strawberry shortcake popsicles. These tasty little treats were so good and easy to make that I got to thinking, what about cheesecake? I love cheesecake, but it’s labor intensive and pretty high in fat. So I came up with these super easy, tangy, and creamy blueberry cheesecake pops. They’re easy to whip up, and have delicious authentic cheesecake flavor.

Made with real blueberries, a smidge of honey, probiotic yogurt, and low-fat cream cheese, you don’t even have to feel (too) guilty about these frozen treats. And while they’re lighter on calories, these have the tang and creaminess cheesecake is known for.

Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
makes twelve 4 oz. popsicles

for the cheesecake section
3 cups whole-milk yogurt
3 oz. cream cheese or Neufchatel
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dice up the cream cheese into small chunks, and whisk into the yogurt until smooth, though a few cream cheese chunks is fine. Add the graham crackers, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla, and stir.

for the blueberry section
2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

In your blender or food processor, puree the blueberries, honey, and lemon juice.

To assemble the popsicles, spoon 3 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture into Dixie cups and freeze for 30 minutes. Then spoon in 3 tablespoons of the blueberry mixture, insert wooden popsicle sticks, and freeze for another 30 minutes. Then add another 3 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture, being careful not to disturb the popsicle stick, and freeze until the popsicles are cured, at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Recipe from http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/24/blueberry-cheesecake-popsicles/

Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) cream cheese, light
6 Tbsp icing sugar
30 Tbsp (2 cups) Cool Whip 95% Fat Free Whipped Topping

Directions
Puree blueberries and cream cheese and icing sugar in a blender until smooth.
Gently fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into popsicle molds or ice cube trays and freeze until firm.
Run mold under hot water to loosen popsicles so they are easier to unmold.

Recipe from http://jaxsper.blogspot.com/2012/09/blueberry-cheesecake-popsicles.html

Painting Summer with a Rainbow of Popsicles...

One summer in high school, I was babysitting for a little boy, maybe four or five years old.  I gave him an orange popsicle and then we went outside to the backyard of his house so he could eat it while playing and not make a mess inside.  Ten minutes later, I took the popsicle-covered boy back into the house to clean up the sticky streaks running down his face, arms and legs.  I had no idea how so much of it could end up on him instead of in his mouth.  One of life's great mysteries...

We made popsicles all the time when I was a kid, but it was generally frozen grape or cherry Koolaid - nothing too imaginative or exciting.  The heat isn't going to let up anytime soon, so I have five icy, easy and refreshing popsicle recipes to share today - two from earlier this summer and three new ones.  And they're all a wonderful way to use up leftover small quantities of berries and fruit, yogurt, milk, or anything else you have that's taking up space in the fridge.  No Koolaid involved!

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Strawberry Orange Creamsicles

These delicious popsicles are made up of half orange juice and half cream, with pieces of strawberries and Mandarin oranges.  My previous post on these ended up being the third most viewed post of all time on my blog, so I'd say they're worth mentioning again!

Strawberry Orange Creamsicles
printable recipe

• 12 popsicle molds
• 12 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
• 1 can (10.5 ounces) mandarin orange slices in juice, drained
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1 cup cream or half 'n' half

Place the strawberry and orange slices in the popsicle molds.  In a glass measuring cup with a pourable spout, combine the orange juice and cream.  If you like, you can add a little powdered sugar, but I thought the orange juice was sweet enough without any added sugar.  Pour the juice mixture into the popsicle molds.  Insert a popsicle stick into each; freeze until firm, about 2-3 hours.  Run the molds under warm water for 30 seconds to loosen the popsicles before eating.

Yields 12 servings

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen 

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Strawberry Popsicles

I made these with leftover strawberry sauce I'd reduced down to pour over a Peanut Butter and Jelly Tart for my "blogiversary", so they have an intense strawberry flavor.  When strawberries are at their peak is the perfect time to make these popsicles.

Strawberry Popsicles
Click for recipe in previous post. 

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Very Berry Stripey Popsicles

The creamy look of these pretty striped popsicles comes from pureeing berries with milk, and the stripes are made by freezing the popsicles in stages, letting each level set before pouring in another.  I used just strawberries and blackberries, but you can use as many different berries or fruit as you like in a variety of colors to create a rainbow of stripes.

Don't limit yourself to berries if you prefer other fruit - peaches would be fantastic!

Very Berry Stripey Popsicles
printable recipe 

• 1/3 cup blackberries
• 1/3 cup raspberries
• 1/3 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup whole milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, divided
• 8 popsicle molds

In a blender, puree the blackberries with 1/3 cup of the milk, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.  Repeat with the raspberries and then the strawberries.  If using very seedy berries like blackberries and raspberries, you may want to strain out and discard the seeds after pureeing them with the milk.

Pour one of the fruit purees (I would suggest starting with either strawberries or raspberries and keeping the blackberries in the middle for color contrast) into the popsicle molds.  Freeze for 1 hour, inserting a popsicle stick into each after 30 minutes; check back and straighten out the sticks as needed.. Pour the next fruit puree into the molds.  Freeze for 1 hour.  Pour the last fruit puree into the molds.  Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until completely solid.

Yields 8 popsicles.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen

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Cherry Yogurt Popsicles

The Greek yogurt I used in these didn't freeze completely solid, giving these a slightly creamy mouthful.  Combined with sweet cherries, they're a satisfying substitution for ice cream.  And the stripey straws instead of popsicle sticks were so cute!

Sweet Cherry Yogurt Popsicles
printable recipe 

• 24 sweet red cherries, pitted
• 2 tablespoons Grenadine (or simple syrup)
• 1 cup full fat or reduced fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 8 popsicle molds

Place the cherries and Grenadine in a food processor; puree until liquidy.

In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, vanilla, milk and powdered sugar until smooth.

Spoon the cherry puree and the yogurt mixture into the popsicle molds, alternating or swirling together as desired.  Insert popsicle sticks (or red and white stripey straws) and freeze until solid.

Yields 8 popsicles.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen 

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Pineapple Coconut Popsicles

These tropical popsicles are a little tart from the pineapple and not too sweet.  They'd also be fantastic with other tropical fruit like mango and kiwi.

Pineapple Coconut Popsicles
printable recipe

• 1 fresh pineapple
• 1 can (14 ounces) lite unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 16 popsicle molds

Cook's Note: If you don't have enough popsicle molds (I only have 8), save the extra fruit and liquid in the refrigerator.  As the popsicles get eaten, just refill and refreeze.  Or, just cut the recipe in half...

Slice off the rind and the core of the pineapple and discard.  Cut the pineapple into 1-inch wedges.  Place 3 wedges in each of the pineapple molds.

Place the remainder of the pineapple in a blender.  Add the coconut milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and coconut extract.  Blend until completely smooth.  Pour into the popsicle molds.  Insert popsicle sticks, wedging them into the pineapple chunks; freeze until solid and enjoy!

Yields about 16 popsicles.

Recipes from http://www.curlygirlkitchen.com/2012/08/painting-summer-with-rainbow-of.html

Rainbow Popsicles: Colorful Summer Treats

Spring conjures images of sunshine and flowers, but this spring has been thoroughly soggy with rain, rain, and more rain. You’d think with all this wet weather, we’d at least get a few rainbows, but despite some serious rainbow sleuthing with my daughter over the past few weeks, we haven’t spotted a single one. Yesterday, I took matters into my own hands and made these cheery rainbow popsicles.

Made with fresh lemonade, orange and pomegranate juice, these popsicles are juicy and sweet rainbow treats. Rainbow popsicles are pretty easy to make, but they take time since each layer needs to freeze before you add the next one. This basic recipe is also a great jumping off point for your own custom-color and flavor combinations.

Homemade Rainbow Popsicles
makes twelve 4 oz. popsicles

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups pomegranate juice
3 cups lemonade
1 cup orange juice
food coloring (natural food coloring is available at some health food stores)
Dixie cups
wooden popsicle sticks

In a medium sauce pan, heat the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in the corn syrup. Set aside to cool.

Next, prepare and chill the liquid layers:

Red: combine 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 tablespoons simple syrup, and 2 drops red food coloring.
Orange: combine 1 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons simple syrup, and 1 drop red and 1 drop yellow food coloring.
Yellow: combine 1 cup lemonade, 2 tablespoons simple syrup, and 1 – 2 drops yellow food coloring.
Green: combine 1 cup lemonade, 2 tablespoons simple syrup, and 1 – 2 drops green food coloring.
Blue: combine 1 cup lemonade, 2 tablespoons simple syrup, and 1 – 2 drops blue food coloring.
Purple: combine 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 tablespoons simple syrup, and 2 drops blue and 1 drop red food coloring.

Pour the red layer into your Dixie cups, to about 1/4” thickness, and freeze for 30 minutes. Add the orange layer, in the same way, and freeze for another 30 minutes. Place the sticks in the center (the two layers should hold them pretty well), pour in the yellow layer, and freeze for another 30 minutes. Add the green, blue, and purple layers in the same fashion. The purple will come very close to the top of the cup, so handle carefully. Allow the popsicles to freeze for 3 hours, though for optimal curing, let them freeze overnight.

There will be some simple syrup leftover–keep it in your fridge for future popsicle, lemonade, or cocktail making.

To serve, simply make a small incision in the rim of the Dixie cup and tear the cup off

Credits to http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/20/rainbow-popsicles-colorful-summer-treats/