Popsicle recipes and a complete guide to making homemade popsicles. Learn the basics of making popsicles and get creative with hundreds of flavor combinations.
I stood on Hallmark’s Home & Family stage a few years ago and shared two of my favorite popsicle recipes. It was a highlight for me, and the pops were a hit. Popsicles have always been a part of my life, from childhood to adulthood.
I remember enjoying fruit popsicles on warm summer days growing up and grabbing chocolate pops out of my grandma’s freezer. I’ve been making them for my kids now for years. Making your popsicles is rewarding and a great way to create any version of a popsicle you want. From healthy homemade popsicles to creamy fudge pudding pops!
Continue reading to see how you can make easy homemade popsicles, and check out our summer popsicle recipes!
Why is it called a Popsicle?
It seems so fitting that the first popsicle was invented by an 11-year-old boy, Frank Epperson. In 1905, he left a cup filled with water, soda powder, and a wooden stick for stirring outside on his porch. It was a chilly night in Oakland, California, and he woke to an ice pop treat! The rest is history!
It’s a fun story; you can read more about it here!
3 Steps to Making Homemade Popsicles
Homemade popsicles are simple to make with just a few ingredients. Here are the basic 3 steps to making homemade popsicles:
- Puree Frozen Fruit, Sweetener, and a Liquid in a blender.
- Pour into a popsicle mold and add wooden sticks.
- Freeze for 24 hours.
Frozen Margarita Homemade Popsicle Video
The Best Popsicle Molds
Let’s start with the popsicle molds. It’s essential to have a good popsicle mold, and luckily, there are many molds you can use to make your pops. From shapes to classic molds, here is a list of my favorite popsicle molds:
Classic Popsicle Molds – I use these molds often and like them. Make sure to buy extra sticks for it.
Collapsible Popsicles Molds: These are made with silicone molds that allow easy release. A collapsible design makes it easy to pop out your popsicles.
Freezer Bags: We use these when making our margarita popsicles. They’re great for boozy popsicles as they have a slushy texture, and the bags are perfect.
Silicone Molds: These are similar to push-up pops but in a new silicone design. It’s an easy, no-fuss way to make the perfect ice pop.
Ozera Popsicles Molds: A classic design but in a silicone base.
Silicone Popsicle Molds Cartoon Shape: These are great for younger kids as they come in small sizes and are shaped as cute characters.
Monster Popsicles Molds: My boys love these! We make easy fruit juice popsicles in these adorable monsters. They’re too fun! They also have dinos and zombies!
Lekue Tropical Fruit Ice Cream Pop Molds: We made watermelon and pineapple popsicles from these fun shapes!
Popsicle Sticks: Some of the molds above come with reusable sticks. If you’re using a classic mold, then popsicle sticks are necessary!
Supplies
Here is a list of supplies you’ll need to make your homemade popsicles:
- Molds
- Blender or food processor
- Bowl with a spout
- Popsicle sticks
Fruit Based Popsicles
Homemade fruit popsicles are recipes that are made with whole fruit. Fruit popsicles are made with your favorite fruit, a liquid like fruit juice or water, and a sweetener. You can add herbs and berries and try different combinations of fruits for fun flavors.
You can make these healthy popsicles, mostly dairy-free treats; however, you can add some Greek yogurt to the recipe.
Fruit – Choose ripe and juicy fresh fruit and berries to puree in a blender. Make your fun flavor combinations! Here are some suggestions for fruit that you can make fruit popsicles from:
- Mango and Pineapple
- Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
- Honeydew
- Cucumber
- Orange
- Ripe Bananas
- Watermelon
- Papaya
For extra flavor use herbs like mint, basil, cilantro, and lavender in your recipes.
Sweetener – Add in a liquid and a sweetener. For sweeteners, add honey, sugar, Stevia, or maple syrup.
Liquid – Juice or water both work as a liquid for fruit-based pops.
Blend – Add all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth!
Pro-tip: Always taste the fruit puree before adding it to the molds. When ingredients freeze, they lose flavor. The puree should have an intense fruit flavor and be sweeter before freezing.
You’ll need about 2 1/2 cups of fruit puree to make 8 popsicles.
Fruit-Based Homemade Popsicle Recipes
Now that you have the basic formula for making fruit popsicles, here are some of our favorite recipes!
Coconut Water Fruit Pops
Made with coconut water, these are pops perfect for adults and kids on a summer’s day. Packed with fruit with a sweet flavor, these are guilt-free treats!
There Ingredient Lemonade Pops
Three-ingredient honey lemonade pops will cool you down during the hot summer days!
Mango Ginger Ice Pops
If you love exotic fruits like papaya and mango, you’ll love these mango popsicles! A burst of tropical flavors with a hint of vanilla and spicy ginger. These are the perfect treat for summer and are super simple to make.
Watermelon Juice Popsicles
This watermelon popsicle recipe is super hydrating and will cool you down this summer. Make this using fresh watermelon juice, a little lime or lemon juice, and some added sugar.
Cream Based Popsicles
Cream-based pops are also delicious. These recipes have a cream base like heavy cream, yogurt, almond milk, or full-fat coconut milk. These can be blended with fruit or other ingredients like peanut butter, Nutella, cocoa powder, or dark chocolate.
If you’re not using frozen fruit to make a creamy popsicle, you’ll use ice to thicken the base.
Always add a tablespoon of cornstarch to cream-based popsicles to make them creamy and not icy! It’s the best tip!
Cream-Based Popsicles Recipes
Here are some of our favorite creamy popsicles. They are all so good and satisfying for a hot summer day. Follow any of these recipes for step-by-step instructions.
Avocado Popsicles
These avocado pops are creamy and delicious! They’re made with coconut milk and grapefruit juice. Perfect dessert if you’re serving Mexican food or fun for festive parties like Cinco de Mayo!
S’mores Fudge Popsicles
Creamy and delicious fudge pops are a cinch and bound to please! One bite into these yummy, soft, iced treats, and you’ll be hooked.
Roasted Blueberry Créme Fraiche Pops
These Roasted Blueberry Crème fraîche Pops are made with Crème fraîche (a cream made from heavy cream and buttermilk), which makes them creamy and full of flavor!
Bomb Pop Popsicles
A childhood favorite, bomb pops! Made with whole ingredients, they’re creamy, colorful, and flavorful! These popsicles are perfect for celebrating the 4th of July and are a great summer treat.
Dairy-Free Strawberry Banana Smoothie Pops
Easy strawberry banana smoothie ice pops with only four simple ingredients! Make them striped for a fun look, drizzle with honey, and add garnishes like chia seeds and granola!
How to Make Boozy Popsicles
A fun idea for adults is adding some alcohol to the puree! Since alcohol doesn’t freeze, it will be a small amount.
A rule of thumb is to do a 4:1 ratio. 4 parts puree to 1 part spirit. You can also do 1.5 ounces of alcohol to 1 cup of juice.
Boozy popsicles are a fun treat made with some of our favorite fruits. It’s a fun way to serve a cocktail but in popsicle form!
Boozy Popsicle Recipes
Here are some boozy homemade popsicle recipes to get you started!
Negroni Popsicles
I gave the classic Negroni cocktail recipe a fun twist and created the most refreshing grapefruit Negroni popsicles!
Watermelon Tequila Popsicles
These boozy watermelon pops are fresh and full of flavor! They’re shaped like watermelon slices and have an adorable kiwi lime rind!
Pineapple Rum Pops
Delicious and refreshing pineapple rum pops are packed with tropical flavors, like coconut and rum…yum! They’re perfect for hot summer days and fabulous summer parties.
Greyhound Popsicles
A unique twist on the classic Greyhound, we created a Greyhound cocktail ice pop!
Margarita Popsicles
If you love a classic margarita, then these pops are for you! One of my favorite ways to make a boozy popsicle is to add the liquid into a freezer bag. This way, you can add more alcohol and don’t have to worry about it entirely freezing.
Homemade Popsicles for Kids
One of the best treats for kids during the summer is homemade fresh fruit popsicles. You can control how much and what kind of sugar the popsicles contain.
Layer pureed fruits, vegetables, and yogurt for a fun and colorful ice pop.
My son came up with the idea to make fresh orange juice popsicles. They ended up being the best morning treat for hot summer mornings! This was such a simple idea, but they absolutely loved them.
You can also make fun shapes using these monster molds!
Hiding Vegetables in Popsicles
Speaking of making popsicles for kids, there is no better dessert to hide veggies in than popsicles! You won’t even be able to taste a 1/2 cup of spinach. So have fun with it and sneak in a few greens or carrots into healthy homemade fruit popsicles. You can even freeze green smoothies into frozen popsicles!
One rule of thumb is always to taste the mix before adding it to the molds. This way, you can adjust if the flavor is too strong or not sweet enough.
Pro-tip: Orange juice is excellent at masking green veggie flavors.
Our unique cold brew and cream popsicle with crushed peppermint.
Freezing Popsicles
Popsicles will take about 8 hours to freeze fully. It’s best to leave them overnight to have enough time to freeze properly.
How long do popsicles last in the freezer?
Leave 1/4″ space at the top of the mold to drop in a thin orange slice (remove the rind!) and for the popsicle to expand.
When juice and water freeze, it expands. If the juice and ice expand over the mold, it makes the removal of the lid on the mold harder. Also, you don’t get a clean edge to your popsicle.
How to Unmold a Popsicle
This part can be tricky, and the last thing you want is a broken popsicle after you’ve waited all night for it to freeze.
The best way to remove the popsicles is to run the bottom of the mold under warm water for about 2 minutes.
Gently pull on the stick to remove it. If it still feels hard to remove, run the mold underwater again. It will come out quickly when it’s ready.
Best Blenders for Making Popsicles
A good quality blender makes a difference when making frozen drinks. A powerful blender will yield a smooth consistency and quickly blend the cocktail. Here are some of our favorite blenders:
KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender
Looking for more? Check out these 11 blenders to buy.
Popsicle Variations
There are so many types of popsicles you can make. Here are some ideas and variations you can do:
- Try vegan and dairy-free ingredients.
- Use natural dye instead of artificial colors.
- Healthier versions without artificial sugar. Use natural sweeteners like honey or Stevia.
- Add booze to your pops!
- Make fun shapes using different molds.
- Add edible flowers and edible glitter to make them unique.
- Use herbs and create unique flavor combinations.
- Use vegetable juice in your recipes.
- You can even make pops from cold brew coffee and cream! See the recipe above!
- Also, try our layered ice cream pops!
When to Serve Popsicles
This icy treat is perfect for so many special occasions and holidays like:
Summer Picnics and Garden Parties
4th of July or Tropical Parties
Pool Parties or Dining Alfresco
Frequently Asked Questions
The cornstarch is what keeps the popsicles creamy. It’s a little secret ingredient we add to our cream-based popsicles. It makes the popsicle so it’s not icy when you bite it, which is essential for flavor and texture.
If you don’t have mold, you can use plastic or paper cups to make ice pops. That is how the very first ice pop was created! Pour the liquid into a cup, add a wooden stick, and freeze overnight. You can also make popsicles in muffin tins too.
Homemade pops can be good for you. Use whole ingredients, fresh fruit, and even vegetable juice to make popsicles healthy. Choose a natural sweetener like honey or Stevia and keep them lower in calories and sugar.
The secret to making no “icy” popsicle is adding cornstarch to the recipe! This will make popsicles less icy and more creamy. Cornstarch acts as a stabilizer and keeps the liquid ingredients in the popsicle from moving and forming just chunks of ice. It’s a genius hack that has also been used for years in ice cream recipes.
Let us know what you think
We hope you’re inspired to make your own homemade popsicles and that you’ve learned some new tips for making ice pops.
Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you make any of these homemade popsicle recipes! We’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment below.
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Homemade Popsicle Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a popsicle mold.
- Freeze overnight.
- To remove in the morning, run warm water over the bottom of the mold to release the popsicles.
Nutrition
Hi Eden,
Thank you for your tips! Can you please tell me which classic mold you use for your popsicles? It looks like the link above is no longer working correctly.
Hi! I used to use the classic plastic mold, but silicone is really great, too! https://rstyle.me/+P4dsoHTUNx4f1nQjYzyZPw
Hi Eden, you look hot by the way, just got the idea this morning to start a popsicles business and guess what you just gave me more inspiration ND more variety of ideas, am really grateful. From Africa , Henry
I just bought some popsicle molds a few weeks ago so my kids could eat them daily (guilt free!). These tips are all so helpful! I had no idea cornstarch is the trick to non-icy popsicles. I’m so trying that! We’ve already tried the watermelon + lime combo, and they were delicious. I had no idea watermelon and lime paired together so well 🙂
Love hearing this Agnes!!! Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad the cornstarch worked for you too!
You say to add corn starch to cream popcicles, but how do keep juice popcicles from being rock hard?
The amount of cornstarch added does not make them hard at all. It actually acts as a stabilizer so reduce chunks of ice and creates a creamy texture.
Is there anything else i can use to make popsicles creamy other than corn starch ?
Ut really depends on the recipe but right now it’s the best option even when using cream for a popsicle recipe. You can also leave it out if you don’t want to add it.
Love your information. However, what happens to me when I make watermelon popsicles is separation…the juice around the bottom and top of the frozen popsicles is light colored, beige. Still tastes good, but how do I get rid of that separation. I think it has to do with the foam that is created in the blender with the watermelon. How do I get rid of the foam?
Thank you for any help1
Hi Pam – We pour the juice through cheesecloth and a mesh strainer. This will remove the foam and you will have a more even popsicle. Hope that helps!
I will try that today…thank you for that information. I use a strainer but not a cheesecloth…a cheesecloth is perfect for filter the foam. And I can’t wait to use some of your recipes so I can expand my knowledge and have more variety. My neighbors and I love homemade popsicles!