It’s time for summer, which means outdoor fun, trips to the pool, family vacations, and Freeze Pops! With reusable sleeves and a few simple ingredients, you can make these healthy fruity ice pops to keep your family cool and hydrated in the summer heat.
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Healthy Fruit Ice Pops
How many ice pops would you consider to be acceptable to eat in a day? (Asking for a friend. Also asking for my kids, who seem to want to push the boundaries of how many ice pops are socially acceptable in a 24-hour period.)
Well…while we may never have a definitive answer on the recommended daily amount of ice pops (I maintain the answer varies depending on the outside temperature and the level of persistence from the small humans in your family), I do know that these refreshing, fruity ice pops can be enjoyed basically guilt-free.
Why? Because there’s no hidden ingredients in these healthy ice pops, like added sugars or artificial flavors you might get from store-bought ones. Plus, they’re a sneaky little way to get in some extra vitamins, minerals and fiber from REAL fruit. And just 3 ingredients, my friends. Now that’s what I call more than acceptable.
If you are looking for more easy and healthy frozen desserts for your little one, then be sure to check out these delicious Grape Popsicles, Healthy Green Smoothie Popsicles, these reader favorite Homemade Yogurt Tubes, or these hidden-veggie filled Strawberry Popsicles. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Reasons to Love Fruit Freeze Pops
- Simple to prepare
- Makes for a refreshing treat on a hot day
- Naturally sweetened for a healthier treat
- Easy to eat and can be enjoyed on-the-go
- Quick source of hydration and nutrients for kids who don’t drink enough water
- Great recipe for kids to help with in the kitchen
- Variety of flavor combinations
Ingredients
Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Fruit: fresh or frozen fruit works to make these ice pops
- Sweetener: Adding just a bit really brings out the fruity flavors – you can use maple syrup or honey, and even adjust the amount to your liking.
- Liquid: for liquids, you can use juice, coconut water, or water. You can also use yogurt, which I recommend a plain whole milk yogurt, but a plant-based yogurt works too.
Fruit Ideas
Homemade ice pops work equally well using fresh or thawed from frozen fruit. You can pick just one fruit or choose a combination of 1-3 fruits.
- strawberries
- watermelon
- cantaloupe
- pineapple
- grapes
- kiwi
- peaches
- nectarines
- blueberries
- raspberries
Sweetener Ideas
Adding a touch of natural sweetener brings out fruity flavors and helps reduce ice crystals from forming. Any of the following sweeteners will work beautifully.
- maple syrup
- honey (for babies over 1)
- agave nectar
- simple syrup
- sugar
Liquid Ideas
- yogurt – plain whole milk
- flavored yogurt
- plant-based yogurt
- coconut water
- kefir – plain or flavored
- canned coconut milk
- apple juice
- grape juice
- orange juice
- water
Favorite Combinations
- Banana + Peaches + orange juice
- Watermelon + strawberry + coconut water + splash of lime juice
- Raspberries + blackberries + water
- Mango + Pineapple + coconut milk
Health Benefits of Homemade Ice Pops: These ice pops are bursting with nutritious benefits! It depends on the ingredients you use to make them but generally, most all fruits will be high in vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and water, making them a great choice for summer hydration. If you’re using yogurt or kefir, it’ll give these pops a boost of protein, calcium, fats and probiotics.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the ice pop sleeve. Make sure to zip-lock the sleeves closed.
- Lay the ice pop sleeves on a baking sheet, and place it in the freezer.
- Freeze for at least 5 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Open the ice pop sleeves, serve, and enjoy!
Best Ice Pop Sleeves
Frozip 125 Disposable Ice Popsicle Mold Bags – super durable 100% Non-Toxic and BPA Free ice pop sleeves that comes with a clapsable funnel.
Helpcook Reusable Popsicle Molds – made with premium food-grade silicone, these reusable milds are made with a one-piece design so you won’t worry about losing the lid. Comes with 6 drip-guard popsicle molds.
Cooking with Kids
This recipe is great for having your little ones help you with it.
Toddlers
- Toddlers can help measure and pour the ingredients into the blender.
- They can help put the lid on the blender and push start. Note: make sure to talk about not touching the blender blade while making something in the blender, as it can be sharp.
- Once blended, toddlers can help pour the popsicle mixture into the popsicle molds. You may want to pour the popsicle mixture into a smaller measuring cup with pour lip to make it easier on them.
- Toddlers can help load the freezer tubes into the freezer.
Kids
- You can pretty much let older kids make this recipe by themselves.
- They can pick out and measure all of the ingredients. Note: make sure to talk about not touching the blender blade while making something in the blender, as it can be sharp.
- Kids can pour the popsicle mixture into the freezer tubes and place the ice pops into the freezer.
How to Store
Store ice pops in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Recipe Tips
- Using yogurt will give you a creamier base, while using fruit juice or water will make for more of an “ice-pop” popsicle.
- Use a high-powered blender and puree until super smooth, for the best texture.
- If the ice pop is too cold for your little one to hold onto, you can wrap the bottom in a small towel or paper towel for them to get a grip on.
- 3 cups fruit (see options below)
- 4 tbsp honey, maple syrup, agave nectar or simple syrup
- 1/2 cup water, juice, or other liquid (see options below)
Yield: this recipe makes roughly 2 cups of popsicle mixture, which turned out to be 4 ice pops for me (my ice pop sleeves hold a lot of the mixture). So depending on the brand you buy, you could end up getting more or less ice pops.
Notes on Juice: you can omit the juice/liquid if you prefer or don’t have it on hand. It helps thin out the popsicle mixture a little bit, but the popsicles are also great without the juice/liquid added in.
Sweetness: Depending on the sweetness of your fruit and your sweetness preference, I recommend tasting the popsicle base before pouring it into the molds, as you may need a little more sweetener.
Fruit Ideas
Sweetener Ideas
-
- honey (for babies over 1)
Liquid Ideas
-
- yogurt – plain whole milk
-
- kefir – plain or flavored