Complete Guide to Making Homemade Popsicles & Recipes (2024)

Popsicle recipes and a complete guide to making homemade popsicles. Learn the basics of making popsicles and get creative with hundreds of flavor combinations.

I stood onHallmark’s Home & Familystage a few years ago and shared two of my favorite popsicle recipes. It was a highlight for me, and the pops were a hit. Popsicles have always been a part of my life, from childhood to adulthood.

I remember enjoying fruit popsicles on warm summer days growing up and grabbing chocolate pops out of my grandma’s freezer. I’ve been making them for my kids now for years. Making your popsicles is rewarding and a great way to create any version of a popsicle you want. From healthy homemade popsicles to creamy fudge pudding pops!

Continue reading to see how you can make easy homemade popsicles, and check out oursummer popsicle recipes!

Why is it called a Popsicle?

It seems so fitting that the first popsicle was invented by an 11-year-old boy, Frank Epperson. In 1905, he left a cup filled with water, soda powder, and a wooden stick for stirring outside on his porch. It was a chilly night in Oakland, California, and he woke to an icepoptreat! The rest is history!

It’s a fun story; you can read more about it here!

3 Steps to Making Homemade Popsicles

Homemade popsicles are simple to make with just a few ingredients. Here are the basic 3 steps to making homemade popsicles:

1. Puree Frozen Fruit, Sweetener, and a Liquid in a blender.
2. Pour into a popsicle mold and add wooden sticks.
3. Freeze for 24 hours.

Frozen Margarita Homemade Popsicle Video

The Best Popsicle Molds

Let’s start with the popsicle molds. It’s essential to have a good popsicle mold, and luckily, there are many molds you can use to make your pops. From shapes to classic molds, here is a list of my favorite popsicle molds:

Classic Popsicle Molds – I usethese moldsoften and like them. Make sure to buy extra sticks for it.

Collapsible Popsicles Molds:These are made with silicone molds that allow easy release. A collapsible design makes it easy to pop out your popsicles.

Freezer Bags:We use these when making our margarita popsicles. They’re great for boozy popsicles as they have a slushy texture, and the bags are perfect.

Silicone Molds:These are similar to push-up pops but in a new silicone design. It’s an easy, no-fuss way to make the perfect ice pop.

Ozera Popsicles Molds: A classic design but in a silicone base.

Silicone Popsicle Molds Cartoon Shape: These are great for younger kids as they come in small sizes and are shaped as cute characters.

Monster Popsicles Molds:My boys love these! We make easy fruit juice popsicles in these adorable monsters. They’re too fun! They also havedinosandzombies!

Lekue Tropical Fruit Ice Cream Pop Molds:We made watermelon and pineapple popsicles from these fun shapes!

Popsicle Sticks: Some of the molds above come with reusable sticks. If you’re using a classic mold, then popsicle sticks are necessary!

Supplies

Here is a list of supplies you’ll need to make your homemade popsicles:

• Molds
• Blender or food processor
• Bowl with a spout
• Popsicle sticks

Fruit Based Popsicles

Homemade fruit popsiclesare recipes that are made with whole fruit.Fruit popsiclesare made with yourfavorite fruit, a liquid like fruit juice or water, and a sweetener. You can add herbs and berries and try different combinations of fruits for fun flavors.

You can make these healthy popsicles, mostly dairy-free treats; however, you can add some Greek yogurt to the recipe.

Fruit– Choose ripe andjuicy fresh fruitand berries to puree in a blender. Make your fun flavor combinations! Here are some suggestions for fruit that you can make fruit popsicles from:

• Mango and Pineapple
• Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
• Honeydew
• Cucumber
• Orange
• Ripe Bananas
• Watermelon
• Papaya

For extra flavor use herbs like mint, basil, cilantro, and lavender in your recipes.

Sweetener– Add in a liquid and a sweetener. For sweeteners, add honey, sugar, Stevia, or maple syrup.

Liquid– Juice or water both work as a liquid for fruit-based pops.

Blend– Add all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth!

Pro-tip: Always taste the fruit puree before adding it to the molds. When ingredients freeze, they lose flavor. The puree should have an intense fruit flavor and be sweeter before freezing.

You’ll need about 2 1/2 cups of fruit puree to make 8 popsicles.

Fruit-Based Homemade Popsicle Recipes

Now that you have the basic formula for making fruit popsicles, here are some of our favorite recipes!

Coconut Water Fruit Pops

Made with coconut water, these are pops perfect for adults and kids on a summer’s day. Packed with fruit with a sweet flavor, these are guilt-free treats!

There Ingredient Lemonade Pops

Three-ingredient honey lemonade pops will cool you down during the hot summer days!

Mango Ginger Ice Pops

If you love exotic fruits like papaya and mango, you’ll love these mango popsicles! A burst of tropical flavors with a hint of vanilla and spicy ginger. These are the perfect treat for summer and are super simple to make.

Watermelon Juice Popsicles

This watermelon popsicle recipe is super hydrating and will cool you down this summer. Make this using freshwatermelon juice, a little lime or lemon juice, and some added sugar.

Cream Based Popsicles

Cream-based popsare also delicious. These recipes have a cream base like heavy cream, yogurt, almond milk, or full-fat coconut milk. These can be blended with fruit or other ingredients like peanut butter, Nutella, cocoa powder, or dark chocolate.

If you’re not using frozen fruit to make a creamy popsicle, you’ll use ice to thicken the base.

Always add a tablespoon of cornstarch to cream-based popsicles to make them creamy and not icy! It’s the best tip!

Cream-Based Popsicles Recipes

Here are some of our favorite creamy popsicles. They are all so good and satisfying for a hot summer day. Follow any of these recipes for step-by-step instructions.

Avocado Popsicles

These avocado pops are creamy and delicious! They’re made with coconut milk and grapefruit juice. Perfect dessert if you’re serving Mexican food or fun for festive parties like Cinco de Mayo!

S’mores Fudge Popsicles

Creamy and delicious fudge pops are a cinch and bound to please! One bite into these yummy, soft, iced treats, and you’ll be hooked.

Roasted Blueberry Créme Fraiche Pops

These Roasted Blueberry Crème fraîche Pops are made with Crème fraîche (a cream made from heavy cream and buttermilk), which makes them creamy and full of flavor!

Bomb Pop Popsicles

A childhood favorite, bomb pops! Made with whole ingredients, they’re creamy, colorful, and flavorful! These popsicles are perfect for celebrating the4th of Julyand are a great summer treat.

Dairy-Free Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pops

Easy strawberry banana smoothie ice pops with only four simple ingredients! Make them striped for a fun look, drizzle with honey, and add garnishes like chia seeds and granola!

How to Make Boozy Popsicles

A fun idea for adults is adding some alcohol to the puree! Since alcohol doesn’t freeze, it will be a small amount.

A rule of thumb is to do a 4:1 ratio. 4 parts puree to 1 part spirit. You can also do 1.5 ounces of alcohol to 1 cup of juice.

Boozy popsicles are a fun treat made with some of our favorite fruits. It’s a fun way to serve a co*cktail but in popsicle form!

Boozy Popsicle Recipes

Here are some boozy homemade popsicle recipes to get you started!

Negroni Popsicles

I gave the classic Negroni co*cktail recipe a fun twist and created the most refreshing grapefruit Negroni popsicles!

Watermelon Tequila Popsicles

These boozy watermelon pops are fresh and full of flavor! They’re shaped like watermelon slices and have an adorable kiwi lime rind!

Pineapple Rum Pops

Delicious and refreshing pineapple rum pops are packed with tropical flavors, like coconut and rum…yum! They’re perfect for hot summer days and fabulous summer parties.

Greyhound Popsicles

A unique twist on the classic Greyhound, we created a Greyhound co*cktail ice pop!

Margarita Popsicles

If you love a classic margarita, then these pops are for you! One of my favorite ways to make a boozy popsicle is to add the liquid into a freezer bag. This way, you can add more alcohol and don’t have to worry about it entirely freezing.

Homemade Popsicles for Kids

One of the best treats for kids during the summer is homemade fresh fruit popsicles. You can control how much and what kind of sugar the popsicles contain.

Layer pureed fruits, vegetables, and yogurt for a fun and colorful ice pop.

My son came up with the idea to make fresh orange juice popsicles. They ended up being the best morning treat for hot summer mornings! This was such a simple idea, but they absolutely loved them.

You can also make fun shapes usingthese monster molds!

Hiding Vegetables in Popsicles

Speaking of making popsicles for kids, there is no better dessert tohide veggies in than popsicles! You won’t even be able to taste a 1/2 cup of spinach. So have fun with it and sneak in a few greens or carrots into healthy homemade fruit popsicles. You can even freeze green smoothies into frozen popsicles!

One rule of thumb is always to taste the mix before adding it to the molds. This way, you can adjust if the flavor is too strong or not sweet enough.

Pro-tip:Orange juice is excellent at masking green veggie flavors.

Our uniquecold brew and cream popsiclewith crushed peppermint.

Freezing Popsicles

Popsicles will take about 8 hours to freeze fully. It’s best to leave them overnight to have enough time to freeze properly.

How long do popsicles last in the freezer?

Leave 1/4″ space at the top of the mold to drop in a thin orange slice (remove the rind!) and for the popsicle to expand.

When juice and water freeze, it expands. If the juice and ice expand over the mold, it makes the removal of the lid on the mold harder. Also, you don’t get a clean edge to your popsicle.

How to Unmold a Popsicle

This part can be tricky, and the last thing you want is a broken popsicle after you’ve waited all night for it to freeze.

The best way to remove the popsicles is to run the bottom of the mold under warm water for about 2 minutes.

Gently pull on the stick to remove it. If it still feels hard to remove, run the mold underwater again. It will come out quickly when it’s ready.

Best Blenders for Making Popsicles

A good quality blender makes a difference when making frozen drinks. A powerful blender will yield a smooth consistency and quickly blend the co*cktail. Here are some of our favorite blenders:

Vitamix Blender

Breville Super Q Blender

KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender

Looking for more? Check out these11 blenders to buy.

Popsicle Variations

There are so many types of popsicles you can make. Here are some ideas and variations you can do:

• Try vegan and dairy-free ingredients.

• Use natural dye instead of artificial colors.

• Healthier versions without artificial sugar. Use natural sweeteners like honey or Stevia.

• Add booze to your pops!

• Make fun shapes using different molds.

• Add edible flowers and edible glitter to make them unique.

• Use herbs and create unique flavor combinations.

• Use vegetable juice in your recipes.

• You can even make pops from cold brew coffee and cream! See the recipe above!

• Also, try our layered ice cream pops!

When to Serve Popsicles

This icy treat is perfect for so manyspecial occasionsandholidayslike:

Birthday Parties

Summer Picnics andGarden Parties

4th of JulyorTropical Parties

Pool PartiesorDining Alfresco

Frequently Asked Questions

Let us know what you think

We hope you’re inspired to make your own homemade popsicles and that you’ve learned some new tips for making ice pops.

Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you make any of these homemade popsicle recipes! We’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment below.

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