Showing posts with label popsicle. Show all posts

Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles


Two summers ago I was on a popsicle kick trying out new recipes every week but slacked off last summer. Well I've decided to pick it up again because it's such a refreshing low calorie treat. Have you noticed that strawberries lose some of their rich flavor after you put it in the fridge? I made these popsicles with the strawberries as soon as I brought them home from the grocery store. You also want to use freshly cut watermelon. The combination of the two flavors create a spectacular taste!

Ingredients
  • 3 cups watermelon, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries
  • 1 ts fresh lime juice
  • 1 TB Ideal sugar
Directions
  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste to adjust sweetness.
  2. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
Makes 6 popsicles


Related Posts:
Strawberry Picking
Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles
Balsamic Strawberry Popsicles
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The Best of the Light Ice Creams


I'm an ice cream lover and wanted to give you the scoop on two new ones I've tried and loved. They have less fat, minimal added sugar, and will allow you to satisfy your sweet cravings while keeping you in line with your calorie goals. So get ahead and indulge on these!

First up is the brand Yasso which makes frozen Greek yogurt popsicle bars for 100 calories! So far I've tried the flavors Cookies and Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Sea Salt Caramel. All three are delicious! A package of 4 popsicles costs $5 and while the bars are short they are thick. I bought my mom a package of the coffee flavor and she raves about that one as well. The first three ingredients are nonfat milk, greek yogurt, and sugar, it has 5g protein, 2g fat and 14g sugar.
Enlightened Fudge Popsicles have more nutrients than regular ice cream as they are made of  Skim Milk, Milk Protein Isolate, Erythritol so they are 70 cal, with 8g of protein, 2g fat and 3g sugar.  Compared to regular ice cream it has one-third the calories, 75 percent less sugar and twice the protein. It has fewer calories and sugar than a Skinny Cow or Weight Watchers ice cream fudge bar. If you're focusing on losing weight but still want to indulge in healthy treats, give these bars a try!

Related posts:
Healthy Popsicles
Homemade Healthy Popsicles
Low Cal Peppermint Ice Cream







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Blackberry and Yogurt popsicles


I think you'll love these creamy refreshing popsicles which are only 4 ingredients and will keep you cool this summer! Since blackberries are in season now you should be able to find ones that are sweet. The greek yogurt make these popsicles nice and creamy without the guilt. This recipe can also be made with honey or a little bourbon for a kick.

 Ingredients 
  • 6oz blackberries
  • 2 cups greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup Ideal sugar
  • rind from one lemon
  • juice from half a lemon
Directions
  1. Mix the yogurt, sugar, and lemon.
  2. Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds a little at a time so you can layer blackberries in between. 
  3. Check to make sure there are no air gaps, then freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
Makes 6 popsicles.

You can find more of my popsicle recipes here.





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6 Healthy Popsicle Recipes


I love popsicles! They remind me of summer, my childhood, sunny days and happy things. My favorite from the ice cream truck was the Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake popsicle.

The Today Show did an interesting segment titled "Can you believe diet frozen dessert labels? Tests show that some products have up to 68 percent more calories than labels promise." Turns out Weight Watchers bars and Arctic Zero (protein) ice cream had more calories than their labels advertised, but Skinny Cow bars had less. They can get away with this because the industry allows a percentage of error and the companies do their measurements based on averages of containers. So last year I decided to make my own frozen treats, from whole ingredients and 
had a blast experimenting with different homemade popsicle recipes. 

I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to make and eat as many popsicles as possible this summer! I definitely think home made popsicles are worth the effort because you can make exotic flavors and limit the sugar all at a fraction of the price. I don't want to consume something that is made with sucrose (splenda) or fructose cane syrup. I only consume organic daily yet companies like Breyer's and Haagen Daas use milk that has been treated with rGBH (a growth hormone) in their ice cream.  It’s very easy to make popsicles into a healthy snack full of nutritious ingredients. 

 I borrowed this book from the library that has given me tons of new ideas for exotic flavored popsicles. Cupcakes had their heyday a few years back then macaron were the height of summer 2014, this summer is all about popsicle! If you want to jump on the bandwagon, order the popsicle molds I have. In order to release the popsicle from the mold you just have to run it under warm water.

I like to make small batches of popsicles so I can change flavors often. I already have some ideas of new flavors to make! Here are links to my top 6 popsicle recipes that you have to try this summer: 


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Pumpkin Pie Popsicles


I know you're still wondering why I'm still making popsicles now that's it's chilly outside, well it's because it's that time of year when all the amazing pumpkin recipes are coming out I saw this flavor idea and had to try it! I found many recipes for this that use either heavy whipping cream, half and half, full fat coconut milk, greek yogurt, or almond milk as it's base. I used what I happened to have on hand in my fridge (hence the small batch), a little bit at the bottom of a can of coconut milk and fresh pumpkin puree. I use Ideal no calorie sweetener but you can use agave nectar.

Makes 3 popsicles (double for a larger batch)

Ingredients
  • 6oz Pumpkin Puree (I make my own, recipe here)
  • 3 oz Full Fat coconut milk from a can
  • ¼ cup Ideal Sugar
  • ½ ts vanilla extract
  • 1 ts pumpkin pie spice
    Directions
    1. Mix all the ingredients but taste to make sure it has enough spices and sugar.
    2. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours of overnight.


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    Goat Cheese Fig popsicles


    I saw Figs at Trader Joe's and wanted to give them a try. We don't eat them that much in this country, they're more popular in the Mediterranean, although California is a big producer of them. I made this recipe a few times and discovered that figs are a very perishable fruit, growing mold very quickly!  If you're looking for an exotic recipe with a flavor you don't have very often, give these a try. The recipe originally called for 4.5 TB of honey but I cut that in half to save calories.

    Ingredients
    • 10 black mission figs, sliced in half lengthwise
    • 2 TB of honey
    • 2.5 oz of soft goat cheese (about ¼ cup)
    • 2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt
    • ½ TB Yacon Syrup 
    • 2 TB of Ideal Sugar
      Directions

      1. Preheat the broiler.
      2. Lay the sliced figs cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle 1½ TB of the honey over the figs. Broil the figs for 8 minutes.
      3. Meanwhile, whisk the goat cheese, Greek yogurt, remaining honey and other sweeteners in a medium bowl until completely smooth.
      4. When the figs are done, purée them in a food processor or blender until smooth.
      5. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours of overnight.


      Recipe source: snixykitchen

      Makes 6 popsicles
      147 cal, 12g protein, 16g sugar
      (without the honey if will only be 11g of natural sugar from the figs and yogurt)
       
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      Nectarine-Buttermilk Pops


      I've always liked  nectarines better than peaches. Did you know that nectarines are just peaches with a recessive bald gene that make them fuzzless? lol  If you don't have buttermilk (like myself), you can make it by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 TB of lemon juice or white vinegar. This recipe uses my favorite ginger liqueur -  Domaine de Canton. If you don't have it, you could try mixing roasted nectarine with fresh basil. This recipe takes quite a bit of prep work, it's not as easy as my other popsicle recipes, but it's worth the effort. Roasting the fruit brings out a richer, sweeter flavor.These were more orange looking in person, although they look red in my photo.


      Ingredients 
      • 2 lbs of nectarines, thinly sliced
      • 2.5 TB freshly squeeze lemon juice
      • 1 cup Ideal Sugar
      • 3 TB ginger liqueur
      • 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
      • ½ ts finely grated lemon zest
      Directions
      1. In a medium saucepan, toss the sliced nectarines with 3/4 cup of the Ideal sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and let stand until juicy, about 20 minutes. Bring the nectarines to a boil and simmer over low heat, mashing lightly, just until softened, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
      2. Transfer the nectarines to a food processor and pulse to a coarse puree. Strain the puree, pressing hard on the skins to extract as much juice as possible. Add 2 tablespoons of the ginger liqueur and ½ cup of water to the puree; you should have about 3 cups of loose puree. Fill the popsicle molds with half of the nectarine puree and freeze until firm but not solid, about 1 hour.
      3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the buttermilk with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, ½ tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of ginger liqueur and the lemon zest. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved, then refrigerate.
      4. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the popsicle molds and freeze for about 1 hour, until firm but not solid. Pour the remaining nectarine puree into the molds and add the sticks, pushing them nearly through the popsicles. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
      5. Dip the molds in hot water for a few seconds, then unmold the popsicles and serve right away.

      Recipe source: foodandwine


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      Balsamic Strawberry Popsicles


      I know this combination might seem odd but I've been to Italy a few times and they pour balsamic vinegar over strawberries for dessert. With this special ingredient you don't taste the vinegar, but it makes the strawberries taste more vibrant so it's a perfect combination. The vinegar adds a sweet and sour twinge, you won't believe how sweet these strawberries taste, it's unbelievable! Strawberries also benefit from a touch of lemon juice to prop up their weak natural acidity. I am sure you will love theses brightly flavored popsicles too! I bought the white balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe's and also used it in this recipe.
      Ingredients 
      • 4 cups fresh strawberries
      • 2TB white balsamic vinegar
      • 2TB Ideal Sugar
      • 1 TB freshly squeeze lemon juice
      Directions
      1. Wash and dry the strawberries.
      2. Place the strawberries and sugar in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture is finely chopped  but still chunky; you don't want a smooth purée. 
      3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
      4. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours of overnight.
      Makes 6 popsicles.


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      Boozy Apricot Pops


      I absolutely love this flavor combination!  I love Indian food and the spice cardamom. A local gelato place sells cardamom ice cream and that quickly became my favorite flavor! Apricots are an ignored fruit I think. I enjoy eating them when they're in season, it's a mix of peach and melon. I've used them in a smoothie recipe in the past because in the blender they become a smooth thick texture. Make sure you're using soft to the touch apricots that are fully ripe. You can use bourbon or whisky interchangeable. The coconut milk make these very creamy! I use a no calorie sugar, but if you sub it for honey or maple syrup this will be a little higher in calories and will have a lot more sugar in it.

      Apricots to me are a delicacy of a fruit. It has a short season, just in the summer. Dried they are also delicious, but you can’t eat too many or else you end up with gas pains. lol Apricots are rich in carotenoids which are good for protecting your eyesight. Originally they come from China but now the top producers of it are Turkey, Italy, Russia, Spain, Greece, U.S.A. and France. When I think of how to consume apricots I envision either Moroccan couscous or apricot jam in cookies. I’m trying new ways to consume it with these popsicles and an oatmeal recipe coming soon.

      This recipe can also be made with plain yogurt instead of coconut milk. You can make this recipe with fresh apricots, however the flavor of apricots really blossoms when cooked because the heat intensifies their flavor and their sweetness is released.  You have two options to do make them from good to amazing:

      Cook over medium- low heat for 5 minutes with some sugar, stirring often. Once the sugar has melted and the apricots are soft you can pureed it. 

      Alternatively you can roast them at 400F drizzled with some honey and cardamom pods for 15 min.  Then flip over for another 5 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they are completely soft and their juices are bubbles up around the edges of the pan.

      Ingredients
      3 apricots, halved, pits removed
      3 TB Ideal sugar
      ½ can of full fat coconut milk
      ½ ts ground cardamom
      2 TB Whisky

       Directions
      1. Mix all ingredients in your blender and pour into your molds. 
      2. Twirl the sticks in your mold around to get rid of the air bubbles.
      3. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight. 
      Nutritional Analysis
      Makes 5 popsicles
      109 cal, 7g fat, 3g of sugar

       Recipe adapted from tasty-yummies

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      Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles


      Did you know that kiwi has more potassium than a banana, one kiwi has more Vitamin C than an orange, contains tons of fiber, and enhances energy levels too. Kiwis are my mother's favorite fruit so I grew up eating them often. You can add a little white rum to recipe to make watermelon mojitos, but not too much because liquor doesn't freeze well. You could also put gummy bears inside the popsicles. 

       Ingredients
      • 2 cups watermelon, chopped
      • 1 kiwi, peeled and diced
      • 1 ts fresh lime juice
      • 1 TB Ideal sugar
      Directions
      1. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste to adjust sweetness.
      2. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
      Makes 4 popsicles

      Recipe Source: yummyhealthyeasy




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      Pina Colada Popsicles


      I used to make the most awesome frothy and rich pina coladas from scratch. However in watching my calories I haven't made it in a few years so I thought I'd make a pina colada popsicle instead. This recipe only requires three ingredients and is super easy, healthy but creamy.  The key is to not let the pineapple overwhelm the batter. To cut back on sugar I use Ideal sugar for all my recipes.  If you don't have Ideal you can use banana to sweeten this recipe, I'm just not a big fan of bananas and always think they ruin any smoothie they are in. Other good additives are rum but just a tad because it doesn't freeze well. Or you could use rum extract, coconut extract if you don't taste enough coconut in these. For an added kick add some ginger beer.

      Ingredients

      • 1 can light coconut milk
      • 2 cups chopped pineapple 
      • 1 tsp vanilla extract

      Directions

      1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender, until smooth.
      2. Pour into popsicle molds, and freeze.

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      Cherry Vanilla Popsicles


      It's cherry season and I've really gotten into eating them since I bought a cherry pitter. I've made this recipe a few times now as it's become one of my favorites. I've tried it with honey but thought the honey's taste was too strong for this recipe. I've also done half and half with coconut milk for a richer taste. The vanilla is the key ingredient, don't forget it, and taste your batter to make sure it's flavored perfectly before freezing in your molds. Don't use vanilla yogurt, it has added sugar in it. You can add a drop of liquid stevia to this if it's still not sweet enough for you.

      Ingredients
      • 1 cup fresh cherries, pits removed 
      • 2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt 
      • 2 tablespoons agave nectar 
      • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      Directions
      1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
      2. Pour mixture into popsicle molds 
      3. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight

      Recipe Source: thechicbrulee

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      Cucumber Spa Popsicles


      One of my favorite things about spas is cucumber infused water! Cucumbers have a high water content and are moist and help cool you in the summertime. I packed some in my bag for the beach. Did you know that kiwi has more potassium than a banana, one kiwi has more Vitamin C than an orange, contains tons of fiber, and enhances energy levels too. Kiwis are my mother's favorite fruit and I used them in my chia pudding recipe. These popsicles are healthier and cheaper than store bought popsicles, plus I use reusable sticks! The food for these 5 popcicles cost me only $2.48 plus the sugar (I use Ideal no calorie sugar). You should always taste the mixture as you go to determine how sweet you want yours. I've made these a second time adding a cup of green grapes instead of water and lemon juice and it was as sweet as candy!

       ps you could add some Moscato to these popsicles if you wanted, just saying...


      Ingredients
      • 1 cucumber
      • 1 Kiwi
      • 2.5 TB lemon juice
      • Zest of ½ a lemon
      • 2.5 TB Ideal
      • ½ cup cold water
      • pinch of salt (optional)
      Directions
      1. Peel strips off the cucumber leaving on about half of the of the dark green skin.  
      2.  Zest the lemon. 
      3. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender  
      4. Taste and adjust sweetness & saltiness. 
      5. Pour into popsicle  molds and freeze overnight.

      Makes 5 popsicles

       Linking Up With: Sunday Edition

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      Orange Creamsicles


      Remember those delicious Orange Creamsicles from your childhood? Here's a healthy recipe to make them. It's even creamier if you add some coconut milk to it!

       Ingredients
      2 cups unsweetened orange juice
      3/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt
      2 TB raw Agave Nectar
      ¼ ts vanilla extract
      5 tall drops of liquid stevia

      Directions
      1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
      2. Taste mixture and adjust sweetener as needed.
      3. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

      Makes 6 popsicles




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      Grapefruit Rosemary Popsicles


      Ruby Red Grapefruit has always been one of my favorite fruits! These taste absolutely amazing! I think grapefruit gets a bad rap for being a sour fruit, but if you remove all the white pith around the flesh all you will taste is sweetness. Grapefruit is high in Vitamins A & C and is a metabolism booster. I peel grapefruits like I do oranges and eat them that way. After my coconut peach popsicles, I wanted something else exotic and the rosemary added the perfect flavor compliment to this!  If you don't have a juicer you can make this in your blender but really take the time to section the grapefruit and remove as much of the white pith that you can.

      I made this recipe twice with different no calorie sweeteners, once with Ideal sugar and once with Zsweet which I've used in other recipes. I found that Ideal really lives up to its claims of acting like sugar, because it melted properly in the water unlike the zsweet and thus both batches of popsicles came out tasting different. You can read here why I don't use splenda. I like to make small batches of popsicles so I can change flavors often. Also I've found that depending on the size of the fruit I use my recipes make different volumes and your popsicle molds may be smaller than mine so it's not an exact science.

       Ingredients
      • 1 large ruby red grapefruit. 
      • ¼ cup Ideal Sugar
      • 2 TB water
      • 1 ts fresh rosemary leaves
      Directions
      1. Peel the grapefruit and puree in your blender. 
      2. Combine sugar, water and rosemary in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil, about 3-5 minutes.
      3. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse and cool for 30 minutes. 
      4. Remove the rosemary from the water and mix the rosemary infused water with the grapefruit juice in your blender. (This is the most important step, if you don't cook it look enough you will get no rosemary flavor)
      5. Pour into popsicle molds. Check back in one hour because the water and grapefruit juice separate in the molds so be sure to mix them up again sticking a knife into the molds.
      6. Freeze the popsicles for 6 hours or overnight. 
      Nutritional Analysis:
      Makes 3 or 4 popsicles
      63 cal, 5g sugar (from the grapefruit)

      ps you could add vodka or St. Germain liquor to these popsicles if you wanted, just saying...


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      Peach Coconut Cream Popsicles


      Last year I posted some popsicle recommendations  but this summer I thought I'd like to make my own so I can control all the ingredients. I like to eat clean which means no sugar 95% of the time. I only consume organic daily yet companies like Breyer's and Haagen Daas use milk that has been treated with rGBH (a growth hormone) in their ice cream. I bought some popsicle molds which don't require wooden sticks because their sticks are reusable (no different than washing a fork lol). In order to release the popsicle from the mold you have to run it under warm water.

      This so popsicles are so incredibly delicious! The trick is to not overwhelm the batter with too much peach so just eyeball it. Don't use vanilla flavored yogurt because it has added sugar in it. Before you make this recipe refrigerate the coconut milk overnight in your fridge. What happens when you open the can is that the thick, creamy layer rises to the top of the can and the liquid stays at the bottom. Separate them as you will use each layer separately.

       Ingredients:
      • ¼ cup thick coconut cream 
      • 2.5 TB of the liquid under the coconut cream
      • ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
      • 2.5 TB of Ideal Sugar
      • 1 large peach, skin on diced into tiny pieces

       Directions:
      1. In a large mixing bowl, stir and combine all ingredients. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, filling each mold to the brim. Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hours.
      2. Remove popsicles by running mold under warm water for several seconds.

      Recipe Source: thescrumptiouspumpkin

      Nutritional Analysis:
      Makes 4 popsicles
      76 cal, 2g protein, 4g fat, 5g sugar (mostly from the peaches)




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