The BEST Healthy Homemade Popsicles
The BEST Healthy Homemade Popsicles to try this summer! Kids AND grown-ups will fall in love with these healthy popsicle recipes! Each one in naturally-sweetened, gluten-free, and dairy free.
Summer is here and it’s time for all the popsicles!
Homemade popsicles are a summer staple at our house. And if you’re thinking, “can popsicles be healthy?” the answer is YES! It’s easy to make healthy popsicle recipes from nourishing ingredients that taste as delicious as they look!
I love that they’re a healthy option, made from fruit (and sometimes veggies, too!), and don’t have any added refined sugars or dyes. Plus, it’s easy to add some protein or fiber, depending on what ingredients you add to the blender! They’re a snack I feel good about eating any time of day! (And we’ve literally eaten them ANY time of day.)
That’s the beauty of homemade fruit popsicles–the ingredient list is so great you could eat them for breakfast just as easily as afternoon snack.
There are SO many different flavor combinations you can choose from, but to get you started, I’m sharing some of our favorite healthy popsicle recipes today. Here are some of our favorites…
Homemade Popsicle Recipes, At A Glance
But First: Need a Popsicle Mold? Here’s Our Favorite…
We’ve tried a LOT of popsicle molds over the years, but THIS POPSICLE MOLD is the one we love the most. It’s the BEST popsicle mold for homemade popsicles! It has 10 slots, a lid to hold the sticks in place, and stays upright well in the freezer. It’ll also last you YEARS. We’ve literally made hundreds of popsicles in ours over the last 6 years, and it’s still going strong!
15+ Healthy Homemade Popsicle Recipes To Try This Year
Now that you’ve got a good popsicle mold, it’s time to make some healthy ice pops! Here are 15+ of our BEST healthy popsicle recipes…
Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles (Vegan & Paleo!)
3 ingredients, 100% fruit, and our family favorite! These are a great way to use up leftover watermelon (or a watermelon that wasn’t as good as you thought it’d be). My kids love helping with these and we almost always go back for seconds!
Key Lime Pie Popsicles (Vegan-Friendly, Gluten-Free)
These creamy lime popsicles taste like a slice of your favorite key lime pie! Made from healthy ingredients, they’re the perfect summer treat! (Gluten-Free & Vegan-Friendly)*Pro tip: zest your limes before you juice them!
Dole Whip Popsicles (Paleo & Vegan!)
Inspired by one of our favorite Disneyland treats, these healthy Dole Whip Popsicles taste like a bite of summer sunshine! The ingredient list is short & sweet and the flavor is perfectly satisfying. You’ll love them!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Popsicles (Vegan)
Creamy, chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness! These healthy chocolate peanut butter popsicles have delicious, rich chocolate peanut butter flavor and are made from healthy ingredients.
You can serve them plain, or try one of our yummy topping combinations to make them something extra-special. (My favorite is peanut butter + crushed peanuts!)
Strawberry Orange Sunrise Popsicles (Paleo + Vegan)
This flavor was a fan favorite this year, and I totally get it! These healthy strawberry orange popsicles taste like a mocktail you’d sip by the pool or beach. We LOVE their fresh flavor and bright color.
Mango Passion Fruit Popsicles (Paleo, Vegan)
These passion fruit popsicles taste like a tropical vacation! With only 3 ingredients, these homemade popsicles couldn’t be easier to put together, and the creamy, sweet fruit gives them unbelievably fresh flavor. SO GOOD on a hot day!
Healthy Chocolate Covered Bananas (Vegan & Paleo!)
If you’re looking for a frozen treat that *doesn’t* involve a popsicle mold, these tasty chocolate dipped bananas are a great way to go! They’re a brilliant way to use ripe bananas, and the big list of toppings makes them SO much fun!
Lava Flow Popsicles – Paleo & Vegan!
These might just win the award for prettiest. With a creamy coconut-pineapple layer swirled with fresh strawberry, these lava flow popsicles taste like an island vacation! (Plus, they look fancy, but they’re SO EASY!)
Blueberry Pomegranate Popsicles
Talk about luscious! These healthy blueberry popsicles are made of 100% fruit and the fruit puree gives them a creamy sorbet-like texture you’ll fall in love with!
Healthy Raspberry Sorbet Popsicles (Paleo + Vegan)
These gorgeous homemade raspberry popsicles have the MOST delicious, intense fresh raspberry flavor. The popsicles themselves have just 2 (100% fruit!) ingredients, and the optional chocolate shell only has another 2 ingredients. They’re paleo, vegan, and allergy friendly, but taste like a scoop of the best raspberry sorbet you’ve ever tasted.
Mango Lime Popsicles
Even if your kids aren’t into green foods, they’ll likely go for these mango lime popsicles! (Limes = green, right?). Just a few ingredients and these are bound to be a favorite!
Creamy Peach Popsicles (Paleo & Vegan)
These peaches-and-cream popsicles are made from healthy ingredients and SURE to please when the weather heats up! (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan)
Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles (Vegan or Paleo!)
These taste like a glass of delicious strawberry lemonade (or those yummy strawberry lemonade ices you can buy sometimes!). My kids love the sweet-tart flavor and happy color.
Lime in the Coconut Popsicles (Paleo or Vegan)
Okay, so the name *might* get that song stuck in your head, but you won’t even mind when you’re eating these coconut milk lime popsicles. Creamy, dreamy, delicious! (And there are only 3 ingredients!)
Virgin Blackberry Mojito Popsicles
Blackberries are Milo’s favorite, so we pulled these healthy blackberry popsicles together. Plenty of fresh berry flavor, a little lime, and the tiniest hint of mint. My kids generally HATE mint, but gobble these right up. (PS – not into blackberries? You can totally make these with strawberries or raspberries instead.)
Healthy Homemade Fudgecicles (Chocolate Popsicles)
A creamy chocolate popsicle was always one of my favorites growing up. These healthy homemade popsicles don’t use any added sweetener, yet somehow they taste a WHOLE lot like chocolate ice cream. Count me in!
Raspberry Peach Popsicles
Another delicious swirled popsicle, this one has layers of creamy peach and refreshing raspberry. So easy, so delicious. (And did I mention pretty? Because WOW!)
Strawberry Balsamic Popsicles
Don’t panic! These do NOT taste like balsamic vinegar or salad dressing. Pinky promise. Instead, the *tiny* drop of balsamic brings out all that fresh strawberry flavor in the most amazing way. My kids love these, adults love these, you’ll love these.
Superfood Very Berry Popsicles
Sneaky sneaky! These mixed berry popsicles are also hiding a few secret doses of super foods! We love how bright and fresh they taste. Yum!
FAQ + Tips For Making Homemade Popsicles
How Long Does It Take Homemade Popsicles To Freeze?
Plan on at least 3-4 hours for the best results. You want them frozen solid! Otherwise, they’ll break when you try to pull them out of the popsicle mold. If you’re using a larger popsicle mold or are making thicker pops, give them 5-6 hours.
How To Get Popsicles Out Of A Popsicle Mold.
It sounds funny, but the trickiest part about making homemade popsicles (besides waiting for them to freeze!) is getting them OUT of the popsicle mold. Don’t worry, though. Here’s what you do: Run each well of your popsicle mold under cold water for a few seconds, then jiggle the sticks side to side to loosen the pops. (Run the mold under water again if they’re still not loosening.) That’s it!
How To Make Popsicles Without A Popsicle Mold.
If you don’t have a popsicle mold, you can pour the popsicle mixture into small paper cups (3 oz. size), and cover the cups with foil. Insert the popsicle sticks through the foil (it’ll help keep them upright) and place the cups on a level surface (like a plate, cutting board, or baking sheet) and freeze until completely solid. When you’re ready to serve, remove the foil and peel away the paper cup!
The Best Way To Store Homemade Popsicles
You might be tempted to just leave them in the popsicle mold, but that can cause the popsicle mold to taste like your freezer! Instead, transfer all the frozen popsicles to an airtight freezer bag and store up to 1 month.
TRUST YOUR TASTEBUDS.
Fruit is always variable when it comes to texture and sweetness, so your tastebuds will be your best guide in determining when the recipe is sweet enough for your taste. If, after blending, the mixture doesn’t seem quite sweet enough, feel free to add honey or agave to taste. (Blend well so you’re sure it’s combined!)
More Healthy Snacks To Try:
Now I really want a popsicle! 🙂 May have to try one of these.
I hope you love them as much as we do Genie!
Every one of these sounds incredibly delicious , and they all look gorgeous!!
Love this roundup, Emily! I especially like the looks of those lava flow popsicles. I need to get a popsicle mold!
You’ll be coming with all sorts of amazing popsicle creations in no time! I bet your kids would love it! 🙂
So many flavors … so little time! 😁 💕
RIGHT?!