This Homemade Fruit Popsicles recipe is an easy, healthy and refreshing treat or snack to make for your kids this summer! These healthy popsicles are made with only 5 ingredients including fresh fruit and vegetables, in 5 minutes (plus freezing time)! Make a variety of flavors by using different combinations of fruits, juices, and yogurts! A great healthy dessert to enjoy after a day of fun in the sun!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Vitamix. As always, all opinions, photos, videos and the recipe are completely my own!
Summer is here! And there’s nothing like enjoying an ice-cold popsicle after a day of fun in the sun! However, many store-bought varieties contain artificial ingredients, high fructose corn syrup and food dyes.
That’s why I created this recipe for Homemade Popsicles with only 5 wholesome ingredients including fresh fruit and yogurt or pure fruit juice! It only takes 5 minutes to blend up the mixture for this fruit popsicle recipe! The hardest part is waiting for them to freeze before enjoying them!
Homemade Fruit Popsicles: Ingredients for different Varieties
There are many different combinations and flavors you can create with this healthy homemade popsicle recipe! I listed the three varieties I made in the recipe card. But let's chat about some of the different options here!
The important thing to keep constant is the ratio of ingredients! As long as you use the suggested amount fruit, yogurt, juice, etc. your popsicles will turn out great! The only thing to note is that if you add a watery vegetable like zucchini, you will need to decrease the amount of liquid used!
Just be aware that if you are hoping to make pretty colored popsicles, you must choose fruit/juice/yogurt that combine beautifully (e.g. peeled apples and zucchini) or are in the same color family (e.g. red strawberries with red grape juice).
Fruit Suggestions
Here are some of our favorite fruits to use to make this popsicle recipe:
- Strawberries
- blueberries
- raspberries
- apples (peeled if you are looking to create a color other than that of the outside of the skin).
- grapes
- pineapple
- mango
- peaches
- plums
- nectarines
- cantaloupe
- watermelon
Yogurt/Juice Suggestions
In this post I used Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt. I love the creaminess it adds to this popsicle recipe! I also love the added protein and flavor! Here are some other suggestions that you can use! If you use fruit juice I recommend choosing unsweetened varieties not from concentrate.
- Greek yogurt (any flavor or fat percentage).
- Dairy-free yogurt
- regular yogurt (any flavor or kind).
- Apple Juice (used in the green popsicles).
- orange juice
- grape juice
- cherry juice
Other ingredient substitutions
Here are a few suggestions for substitutions for the other ingredients in this popsicle recipe!
- Honey. honey is my favorite sweetener to use in this recipe because it's natural, imparts a subtle but delicious flavor, and is not too expensive! We tried a batch with maple syrup and while it was tasty, I don't prefer popsicles with a maple flavor! Other suggestions are agave, pure cane sugar, or your favorite liquid sweetener!
- Lemon juice. The acidity of lemon juice is important to this popsicle recipe because it keeps them nice and soft and balances out the sweetness. Lime juice can be used for a different flavor if desired!
- Vanilla extract. I absolutely adore the extra flavor punch that the pure vanilla extract gives to these healthy popsicles. However, you could omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand, especially if you're using a vanilla flavored yogurt.
How to make homemade popsicles
This popsicle recipe is very simple with minimal ingredients, but we'll walk through it step-by-step to ensure your success! The first tip I have to share with you about making the best homemade popsicles is...
Use a Vitamix Blender!
If you’ve been around my blog for a while then you know that I exclusively blend with a Vitamix (and have for a decade)! So it's not surprising that I will tell you that the best way to achieve silky smooth popsicles is to use a Vitamix blender!
Of course you can use a different blender to make this popsicle recipe because it’s not difficult to blend. However, if you don’t have a Vitamix yet I highly recommend getting one!
Check out my Vitamix Buying Guide where I give my exhaustive reasons for choosing a Vitamix blender a decade ago, and my top recommendations about which model to buy!
Blend Ingredients
Now that we've established the best blender to use for these homemade popsicles, let's get started! Begin by blending the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe card.
When blending anything in the Vitamix it's important to begin by adding the liquid ingredients. So in this popsicle recipe, start by adding the yogurt or fruit juice. You can use any variety you’d like, but in these photos I used honey vanilla Greek yogurt!
Next add the honey. The amount will vary depending on the sweetness of the berries and yogurt or juice used. I recommend starting with 1-2 TBS and increasing it to suit your tastes! You can use a different sweetener if you’d prefer, but we really love the taste of honey!
Next add the vanilla, lemon juice and then the berries and blend it all together. Start on low speed and increase to medium. This pulls the ingredients down into the blades. Once the mixture starts to blend well increase the speed to high and blend for 40-60 seconds!
Pour Mixture into Popsicle Molds
Once the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout), evenly distribute it between the six wells of a popsicle mold. I created this recipe to perfectly fit in this Classic Popsicle Mold and make 6 popsicles.
Freeze
Once the molds are filled, place the lids and sticks on top and freeze for 8 hours, or overnight. I recommend making these homemade popsicles the day before you would like to enjoy them so you don't have to wait for them to freeze!
I like to make a couple batches of this healthy popsicle recipe and toss them in the freezer so we always have some on hand for when the craving strikes on a hot summer day!
Release from Molds
Whether you use a store-bought mold or make your own, you will need to remove the popsicles from the molds. It's really easy to do!
To release the popsicles from the molds simply run each one under warm water for 30-60 seconds and pull to release. Then you can freeze them for later or enjoy right away!
Store
These homemade popsicles can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months in an airtight container. Enjoy frozen.
FAQs about making fruit popsicles
If you plan on making these fruit popsicles in advance and not eating them as soon as they're removed from the molds, here's how to store them:
Remove popsicles from molds.
Place on a large baking sheet.
Put baking sheet in the freezer.
Once the popsicles are completely frozen, place them in a freezer-friendly container or plastic bag to store!
These homemade fruit popsicles can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months (if they don't get eating right away)!
The trick to creating smooth popsicles with fresh, whole fruits and vegetables is using the Vitamix blender! With it you can blend any variety of fruit or veggies into a silky smooth, delicious icy treat for you and your family!
It's actually super easy to make your own homemade popsicles without a store bought mold, (although I highly recommend buying one because it makes it very easy to whip up a batch of these healthy popsicles)!
If you don't have a popsicle mold you can make your own mold using cups, popsicle sticks and tin foil! Here's how:
Place cups on a baking pan.
Pour popsicle mixture into the cups.
Place tin foil over each cup and use a sharp knife to cut a small slit in middle of the tinfoil on top.
Slide a popsicle stick into each slit.
Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
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Healthy Homemade Fruit Popsicles
refreshing treat or snack to make for your kids this summer! These popsicles are made with only 5 ingredients including fresh fruit and vegetables, in 5 minutes (plus freezing
time)! Make a variety of flavors by using different combinations of fruits, juices,
and yogurts! A great healthy dessert to enjoy after a day of fun in the sun!
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (6.5 oz) liquid/yogurt
- 2 ½ cups fruit
- 4-6 TBS honey
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the container of your Vitamix in the order listed.
- Blend for 50-70 seconds or until the mixture is smooth.
- Evenly distribute the mixture into the six wells of a popsicle mold.
- Secure the lids and sticks on top of the mold and place it in the freezer.
- Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the molds, run each one under hot water for 30 seconds and then release the popsicle.
- Enjoy immediately! To freeze for later, once the popsicles are removed from the molds place them on a baking sheet to flash freeze them for 30 minutes.
- Place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag until you are ready to enjoy them!
Video
Notes
Red Popsicles:
- 2.5 cup strawberries
- ¾ cup vanilla honey greek yogurt
- 4-6 TBS honey
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Purple Popsicles:
- 2.5 cup blueberries
- ¾ cup apple juice
- 4-6 TBS honey
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Green Popsicles:
- 2 cups apples, chopped and peeled (2 small or one medium apple)
- 1 cup zucchini (1 small zucchini chopped)
- ½ cup apple juice
- 4 TBS honey
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup spinach (if zucchini isn’t making it green enough)
If you don’t have a popsicle mold use this method:
- Place cups on a baking pan.
- Pour popsicle mixture into the cups.
- Place tin foil over each cup and use a sharp knife to cut a small slit in middle of the tinfoil on top.
- Slide a popsicle stick into each slit.
- Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
Store
These homemade popsicles can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months in an airtight container. Enjoy frozen.Ingredient Substitutions
- Honey. honey is my favorite sweetener to use in this recipe because it's natural, imparts a subtle but delicious flavor, and is not too expensive! We tried a batch with maple syrup and while it was tasty, I don't prefer popsicles with a maple flavor! Other suggestions are agave, pure cane sugar, or your favorite liquid sweetener!
- Lemon juice. The acidity of lemon juice is important to this popsicle recipe because it keeps them nice and soft and balances out the sweetness. Lime juice can be used for a different flavor if desired!
- Vanilla extract. I absolutely adore the extra flavor punch that the pure vanilla extract gives to these healthy popsicles. However, you could omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand, especially if you're using a vanilla flavored yogurt.
Nutrition
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Virginia Hollenstein
Just received my popsicles set. Can’t wait to try your recipes. Thank you
Brandy
This is a great basic recipe. I was looking for a fruit pop recipe that started with whole fruit. As written, these would be way too sweet for us so I reduced the honey to 2Tbs. I used: 2 cups of fresh firm peaches, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, 3/4 cup plain unsweetened greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 2 Tbs honey. They came out great and perfectly sweet for our tastes. Thanks for the easy to follow post.
Adele
Do you have any suggestions for a banana pineapple popsicle? What can be substituted for yogurt? I can’t eat dairy.
Thank you
Tina
I would try coconut milk, should go well with the banana pineapple theme 🙂
Hiba
What brand of honey vanilla Greek yogurt do you use in this recipe?
Thank you!
Laura
I like Greek Gods.