Want tricks to make your kids eat fruits?
Can ice pops be healthy?
Do you prepare homemade popsicles or buy store bought popsicles for your kid?
Today I am going to share with you 3 healthy homemade popsicle recipes with just three ingredients.
Define Popsicle?Really, I don't know how to define it. Well, here it goes.
Popsicles which is better known as ice pops or ice lolly are icy and lickable frozen flavored blocks held with a stick
There are many varieties of popsicles such as
- Fudgsicle - Delicious chocolate flavored pops
- Creamsicle - Made with ice cream core and a fruit sherbet coating
- Dreamsicle - Similar to creamsicle, but instead of ice cream it's made with iced milk
- Yosicle - Popsicles made with yogurt
Popsicles got an amazing story. It was invented by an 11 year old boy Frank Epperson in Oakland (California).
This invention was a fortunate happenstance when one night Epperson left a cup outside in his San Francisco porch. The cup was filled with powdered soda, water and a small wooden stick that was used for stirring. The cup stayed there overnight.
Low temperatures at night caused the mixture to freeze. In the morning he found the soda mixture in frozen state. So he showed the cup under hot water and pulled out the hardened mixture using the stick as a handle.
He was surprised by his invention and he kept making them again and it became a hit in his friends circle. Once married and become a father, he started preparing these pops for his kids.
In 1923, Epperson patented his invention. Actually he had been calling the frozen treats "Eppsicles," but his children demanded on calling them "Pop's 'sicles." And so the name Popsicle was given to this ice lolly when he filed for the patent.
Also try our simple Homemade Mango Ice Cream Recipe
What are the benefits of homemade popsicles?- Homemade popsicles are healthy
- Less expensive compared to store bought popsicles
- Free from added colors, chemicals or preservatives
- You can make these with any fruits, vegetables, cocoa powder, coconut milk, yogurt, milk, ice cream, chocolate chips, corn flakes etc
- Leftover foods can also be made into healthy popsicles for kids
- Your kid's not so favourite fruits can be used to prepare an ice treat for them
All set to make popsicle? What are the things you need now to make popsicles?
How to unmould ice pops once it is prepared?Fill a container with water and dip the mould about 30 seconds or show the side walls of moulds under running water. Remove the mould from the water and place it on a flat surface. Grip the handles and pull it gently upward to get pops.
3 Simple popsicle recipes for toddlers and kids:
I am just giving you three simple homemade popsicle recipes which I made recently for my son Rithvik. Feel free to explore with your own idea to prepare this cold snack.
#1. Watermelon Kiwi Popsicle Ingredients:- Watermelon chunks - a few
- Kiwi fruit - 1
- Sugar (optional) - 1 teaspoon
Blend watermelon chunks after removing seeds in a blender. If you want you can add sugar.
Peel kiwi fruits and cut a few round slices, one slice for each mould. Place each slice in each Popsicle mould, and then pour watermelon juice into each moulds. Place in the freezer for maximum 6 hours.
After the freezing time unmould and enjoy your real fruit popsicle recipe.
Want to add more kiwi to your kids plate? Try this Homemade Kiwi Fruit Jam recipe
#2. Orange Popsicle Ingredients:- Orange juice - 350 ml (or as desired)
- Vanilla essence (optional) - ¼ teaspoon
- Sugar - 2 tablespoon (as per your taste)
Extract orange juice from fresh oranges using orange extractor. Add in sugar and vanilla essence.
Mix well and pour the orange juice into each mould. Place in the freezer for 6 hours. After the freezing time unmould and enjoy your ice pops
#3. Chocolate Popsicle (Fudgsicle) Ingredients:- Thin coconut milk - 350 ml
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
- Sugar - 3 tablespoon (as per your taste)
Extract coconut milk from fresh grated coconut or you can go for readymade coconut milk. Add in cocoa powder and sugar to coconut milk
Mix well and pour this into each mould. Place in the freezer for six hours. After the freezing time unmould and enjoy your ice pops
Don't want your chocolate to be cold? Try this Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe
Notes:- Popsicles are not advisable for babies below 1 year old
- Popsicles are not ideal for kids who have frequent colds, cough, throat infection or fever
- Try making ice pops with using single fruit and mixture of fruits. Explore!
- If you want a creamy pop you can blend the fruits with yogurt which make it a yogurt fruit popsicle recipe
- You can also use boiled and cooled milk instead of water to make the ice pops
- You can first place any fruit slices of your choice in the mould and then pour the juice or puree over it
- Freezing times depends upon the effectiveness of your freezer and your pop base. It will take maximum six hours
- I usually prepare ice pops at night. Freeze it overnight and serve my kid as mid-morning snack
- You can keep pops in freezer for three to four days. It's always best to have within two days and if milk is added as base have it within a day
You can also read my review of paddle pop ice creams.
Do you make popsicles at home? What was that one hit popsicle combination that you tried last time?
Do make these healthy homemade popsicle recipes for your kid and let me know in comments how he or she liked it.