How To Make Popsicles

If you’ve ever wanted to know how to make popsicles, you are in for a treat! Here you’ll learn the basics of making homemade pops and will find tons of recipes and tips so you can get creative with hundreds of flavor combinations.

Want to skip straight to the recipes? Check out all my popsicle recipes, or try my favorites like three-ingredient lemonade popsicles, coconut rum pineapple popsicles, or dairy-free strawberry banana smoothie popsicles.

I stood on Hallmark’s Home & Family stage a few years ago and shared two of my favorite 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 an ice-cold popsicle made with fruit 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, these homemade ice pops have all sorts of delicious flavors and are good options for anyone who wants to avoid the high fructose corn syrup in the store-bought versions.

Continue reading to see how you can make easy homemade ice pops, and check out our summer popsicle recipes!

Why You’ll Love Making Homemade Popsicles

You control the ingredients: Have you ever looked at the ingredients of a box of popsicles in the grocery store? Yikes! Once you learn how to make ice pops at home, you’ll be in charge so you know what you’re making is a healthy snack.

Customizable flavors: The flavor combinations you can use are literally endless. The hardest part is deciding which combo to try next!

Fun for parties: Who doesn’t love being the best hostess ever? The next time you’re having a summer party, whip out these frozen treats and watch your guests’ eyes light up.

How To Make Popsicles

The process of making these frozen treats is simple and requires just a few ingredients. Here are the basic 3 steps to making homemade popsicles: 

Blend: Puree frozen fruit, sweetener, and a liquid in a blender.

Shape: Pour into a popsicle mold (check out my favorites below!) and add wooden sticks.

Freeze: Freeze for 24 hours.

Homemade Popsicle Supplies

Here is a list of supplies you’ll need to make your homemade ice pops:

Molds – You can be as basic or fancy as you want with these. Check out my favorite popsicle mold below!

Blender or food processor – You’ll need this for making your popsicle blend silky smooth. You’ll find a list of my favorites below as well.

Bowl with a spout – This makes pouring the mixture into the molds so much easier.

Popsicle sticks – It just wouldn’t be a popsicle without the stick!

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: 

Vitamix Blender

Breville Super Q Blender

KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender 

Looking for more? Check out these 11 blenders to buy.

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 also add some Greek yogurt to the recipe for a creamy twist.

Fruit Popsicle Recipes 

Now that you have the basic formula for how to make popsicles with fruit, 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!

Three 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 pop 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 ice pop, you’ll use ice to thicken the base.

Always add a tablespoon of cornstarch to cream-based pops to make them creamy and not icy! It’s the best tip! 

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!

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 

Popsicles aren’t just for kids – adults love them too! 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 pops are a fun treat made with some of our favorite fruits. It’s a fun way to serve a cocktail, but in popsicle form!

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. 

Frozen Margarita Homemade Popsicle Video

Homemade Popsicles for Kids 

One of the best treats for kids during the summer is homemade fresh fruit pops. 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 pops. You can even freeze green smoothies into frozen pops! 

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. 

Eden’s Tips

Use wholesome ingredients: Make your ice pops healthier by using vegan and dairy-free ingredients, natural dye instead of artificial colors, and natural sweeteners like honey or Stevia. You can even use vegetable juice in your popsicles!

Get creative: Make fun shapes by using different molds or add a bit of pizzazz with herbs, edible flowers, and edible glitter. Try making a layered pop for multiple flavors. You can even make pops from cold brew coffee and cream!

Leave room for expansion: When juice and water freeze, they expand. 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. Leave 1/4 inch of space at the top of the mold.

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 frozen treats 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 under water again. It will come out quickly when it’s ready.

How to Keep a Cream Popsicle from Becoming Icy

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.

Making Popsicles Without a Mold

If you don’t have a 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 it overnight. You can also make ice pops in muffin tins.

Are Popsicles Good for You?

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.

When to Serve Popsicles

This icy treat is perfect for so many special occasions and holidays like: 

Birthday Parties

Summer Picnics and Garden Parties

4th of July  or Tropical Parties

Pool Parties or Dining Alfresco