Homemade Popsicles

Today will be my last post for awhile. Our little guy will be here any day and that is going to be my primary focus. I am sure you all will understand. I will pop in here and there and of course on the facebook page, but not every Friday as I have been religiously doing since the birth of this blog. We are very excited for this next stage of life and I am sure the blog will fit in again shortly, but not right away and not consistently probably for a while.

Before I take my little leave of absence, I wanted to share one last quick easy ‘make - it - yourself’ snack. I mentioned awhile back, that I recently purchased some popsicle molds and have been experimenting with those. I don’t want to give up sweets, so as often as I can, I make my own. It allows me to control the ingredients and still enjoy a sweet treat. When I was deciding what popsicle molds to buy, my main goal was to avoid plastic. There are a lot of silicone ones out there and I am okay with silicone, but if I have the option, I will always prefer something different. I ended up with these stainless steel popsicle molds. I have played around with a couple recipes and today I am sharing two of my own - a fruity and chocolate version.  

Strawberry Orange Yogurt Pops

Makes 6

Ingredients

Fresh strawberries, 1 ¼ c

Orange juice, ½ c

Plain whole milk yogurt, ¾ c

Honey, optional

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Taste and add honey if you feel the mixture is not sweet enough. The fruit and orange juice should be enough, but add a bit of honey if you would like.

Better Bonus Tip: If you are using fresh oranges, add some of the zest as well for added flavor.

Pour into popsicle molds, leaving an inch or so at the top.

Stick in the freezer and let firm up for about 20 minutes.

Remove and add popsicle sticks. Place back in freezer and leave alone for a minimum of three hours. I actually recommend longer, but sometimes I don’t want to wait!

When ready to eat, remove the popsicle from the mold by running under warm water for a second or two.

Now onto the chocolate version….

Fudgesicles

Makes 6

Ingredients

Milk, 1 cup

Plain whole milk yogurt, ½ c

Cacao powder (or your favorite chocolate powder), 4 T

Honey, 2-4 T (depending on how sweet your chocolate powder is)

To make, repeat exact same instructions as above.

Easy as that! Do you really see yourself continuing to buy store bought popsicles now?!

Better Bonus Tip: For some other homemade frozen treat ideas, check out here.

I'll be anxious to see which one you all like better. I personally like the chocolate ones better, which surprises me a bit because I normally like fruity desserts over chocolate. Anyway, hope you enjoy and I'll be in touch again soon!

~Ashley