Perfect Frozen Pops
Summer = Popsicles. Endless flavors & shapes line the frozen food aisle begging to jump in our carts. While we must confess our love of those orginal bomb pops, they simply don't add nutritional value or keep the kids satisfied for long. As we strive to help foster new healthy habits...leaving the added sugar behind is something we hear on repeat. So what's a parent to do when the kids beg for all those different frozen treats?
Enter blender, a few simple ingredients, popsicle molds & some freezer space. Seriously, it's easier than you think and we aren't just saying that. Bonus, if you don't love to follow recipes or don't always have specific ingredients on hand, this is right up your alley. Combinations are endless and recipes are quite very forgiving. Add, remove or sub ingredients as you wish to meet your families preferences or take into account special diets or allergy needs.
Here are some simple starter recipes for your Perfect Frozen Pops.
1. Strawberry Banana Pops (made about 3 pops)
What you need:
- Strawberries (1 Cup)
- Banana (1 Medium ripe)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Coconut Milk
Throw in blender and mix. Pour into molds. Freeze 4+ hours.
*TIP: Don't fill the molds to the very top. Leave 1/2 to 1/4 inch of room for them to expand when they freeze.
2. Peach Banana Pops
It's peach season... and no, we aren't tired of them yet. We used this pin for inspiration but we made a few changes to yield a smaller batch. Also, if we had used plain greek yogurt we would recommend increaseing the honey to 2 Tbsp.
- 2 peaches chopped w or w/o skin (ours were locally harvested & DELICIOUS)
- 1 Banana
- 1 6 oz Vanilla Belfonte Yogurt
- 1/2 cup 1% milk (pick your variety)
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Tbsp honey (optional)
- 1/8 tsp Ground Allspice
Throw in blender. Blend well, pour in pops. See this is super easy huh? The hardest part is waiting for them to freeze.
3. Banana Pops w/ Chocolate Chips
Chocolate is important to us. It just is. Just go with it. Satisfy the sweet tooth with these skinny banana pops.
What you need:
- Banana
- Greek Yogurt (Banana, Vanilla or plain)
- Any Chocolate will do. mini dark choc chips etc. We used a Hershey's bar and grated off little pieces to make them easy to eat. It's chocolate-so use what you have.
- 1 or 2 Tbsp of Milk (coconut milk, almond milk, Milk- Rice Milk)
Blend Banana, Yogurt & Milk. Then stir in chocolate. Freeze. TIP: We added extra chocolate shavings at the bottom of the pop for an added bonus.
Don't have time to dirty up the blender? Try these frozen instead.
1. Grapes- freeze for a couple hours then enjoy. We like them best after about 10 mins out of the freezer. Slushy, but still firm, they are great way to keep your portions in check. It takes longer to eat them frozen so often you feel full by the time your done. Green or Red- take your pick.
2. Yogurt Tubes. Pick your brand- freeze them overnight. Helpful tip: cut them in half for younger kids who can't eat a whole one. Save money & the mess!
3. Applesauce cups. Grape-apple, cinnamon apple, Mango apple etc. There are an abundance of flavors to choose from. Perfect to throw in the pool snack bag. It's amazing how well these go over with kids. Don't forget the spoon! *Tip* these work well to keep food cool on brown bag lunch days or field trips that require all disposable items*
4. Have popsicle molds but not sure your family will want to try the homemade versions? Start slow. Grab some yogurt smoothie drinks (like Danimals or Yo Phoria) Pour directly into molds & see what they think. Another idea is to use V8 Fruit & Veggie juice blends. You can freeze it directly in molds, or freeze in ice cube trays for a fun add to a another recipe. We like the Carrot Mango flavor. A slow start may help them get on board this train.
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What did we forget? Share your smart idea with us on Facebook, Twitter or tag us on Instagram. Follow our Frozen Treats board on Pinterest for more easy & healthy ideas.
