How to make healthy homemade popsicles from A to Z, including how to make fruity, creamy, and even hidden veggie popsicles!

My first cookbook, For the Love of Popsicles will be released on May 7th (which is like…REALLY soon, y’all!) So in celebration of what is bound to be dubbed The Summer of Popsicles (okay, only I have dubbed it that), we’re going through all the basics of how to make your own homemade popsicles.
As with the recipes in For the Love of Popsicles, these are healthier than your average pop, containing down-to-earth ingredients and less sugar. Click the links below to jump around the post:
- The basics of homemade popsicle making
- How to make fruity popsicles
- How to make creamy popsicles
- Hidden veggie popsicles
- Homemade popsicle FAQ
Best popsicle molds
Before we dig into the popsicle recipes, it’s important that we’re working with a good popsicle mold! Here are our favorites for making perfect homemade pops:
- PopsicleLab’s Silicone Popsicle Molds (pictured below): With environmentally-friendly silicone, these complete sets have all required accessories and make unmolding your popsicles a breeze (+ dishwasher safe, win). A recent favorite of mine! (And level up your set-up with PopsicleLab’s premium popsicle sticks!)
- Quick Freeze Molds: With quick-freezing technology, these freeze popsicles in minutes (though they make less and have a much higher price point).
- Push Pops: While we like to avoid single-use plastic around here when possible, sometimes you just need a push pop for on the go!
The basics of healthy homemade popsicle making
Before you start whipping up your homemade ice pops, you’ll need to choose your adventure! Are you going creamy or fruity? Yogurt is a great basis for creamy pops, while fruit purees are great for making fruity pops. Once you’ve got that established, there are a few basic principles to making your own popsicles.
Flavor: Ripe (or even slightly overripe) fruit is the best flavoring for popsicles because it’s naturally the most sweet! You can supplement the sweetness with a touch of honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, or sugar if needed. Keep in mind that when food freezes the taste becomes less intense, so taste your mixture and make it slightly sweeter than you would a smoothie, because the sweetness will be less intense when frozen.
Mold: You’ve got your perfectly flavored mixture and you’re ready to mold it! A few of my favorite popsicle molds are the PopsicleLab’s Silicone Popsicle Molds (which are easiest to clean and unmold) and the classic popsicle shape mold (used to make the pops in these photos). If you don’t have a popsicle mold, shot glasses, yogurt containers, muffin tins, and ice cube trays work well! The mixture will naturally expand as it freezes, so be sure to leave a little space in the top of your mold when you add the mixture.
Stick: Without sticks they’re just ice cubes, right?! Add popsicle sticks (I recommend the sticks from PopsicleLab, which are food-safe and environmentally friendly)! The lid of your mold should help them to stand straight, but if you have issues with them going crooked, tightly wrap the top of the mold with aluminum foil (trying to prevent the foil from touching the popsicle mixture). Then just poke your popsicle sticks through the foil and they will stand upright!
Freeze: Next comes the freezing! Depending on how thick your popsicles are, it should take anywhere between 4 and 8 hours to freeze solid. For even more perfect pops, turn your freezer as cold as it will go. The quicker your popsicles freeze, the soft they will be in the end (I go into this a bit more in For the Love of Popsicles)!
Unmold: I’ve found the fastest and most efficient way of unmolding popsicles is by simply running the mold under warm water. I just hold the bottoms of the mold under running water, moving it around to evenly warm each mold. After about 10 seconds your popsicles should come out easily!
How to make fruity popsicles
When I think of homemade popsicles, bright red strawberry pops are the first to come to mind! And it’s probably because fruit and popsicles are just a match made in heaven.
To make healthy homemade popsicles with fruit, you’ll need to pick a fruit! Most berries work beautifully in popsicles, though you can also use mango, pineapple, kiwi, banana, peach, or watermelon.
Then add your liquid and your sweetener. I love using juice to give the popsicles even more flavor (especially a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!), but you could also use water or milk. Finally, add a touch of sweetener if it’s needed.
How to make creamy popsicles
When I polled readers on which popsicle they usually preferred – creamy or fruit – the creamy popsicle lovers just barely beat the fruit lovers! And when it comes to creamy popsicles that are also healthy, there are a few popsicle foundations that I always come back to!
Whole milk plain Greek yogurt is great for making homemade popsicles. It has a lower water content than regular yogurt, meaning less water crystals to make your popsicles icy (plus it’s high protein!)!
Full-fat coconut milk from a can is another great basis for making healthy creamy popsicles. The results in a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture (though it’s higher in fat than Greek yogurt).
Whichever you choose, Greek yogurt or coconut milk, you’ll want to sweeten it some (with honey, agave, maple syrup etc), then mix it with your favorite popsicle flavors.
How to make hidden veggie popsicles
And the category for “popsicle flavors you didn’t know you needed” goes to…hidden veggie! As a rule of thumb, most things that make a good smoothie also make a great popsicle! Case in point: green smoothie popsicles!
Spinach has a neutral flavor that blends seamlessly into most mixtures, so try adding a handful to your next batch of pops to start off your veggie-filled popsicle journey. Feeling adventurous? You can also try adding avocado, shredded carrots, roasted sweet potato, or roasted beet! (Each of these veggies is featured in a recipe in For the Love of Popsicles!)
Homemade Popsicles FAQ
You can make popsicles in yogurt containers, muffin tins, shot glasses, or even a loaf pan! If you have trouble getting the sticks to stand upright in these unconventional molds, tightly wrap the top of the mold with aluminum foil (trying to prevent the foil from touching the popsicle mixture). Then just poke your popsicle sticks through the foil and they will stand upright!
It all comes down to the molecular structure of popsicles! Water freezes into ice cubes, which is obvious not an ideal popsicle. But when you start adding things like sugar, fibers from fruit, or fat from coconut milk, the molecules can’t freeze as neatly and the result is a creamier, more bitable popsicle.
Sugar is an important ingredient in popsicles because it’s the difference between a soft popsicle and an inedible ice cube. With that said, you can make sugar-free popsicles by either using fruit purees (which have natural sugars and fibers to keep your popsicles soft) or by using a full-fat coconut milk or Greek yogurt as a base. These creamy options can be sweetened with sugar-free sweetener without a huge difference in texture. Give these Sugar-Free Strawberry Popsicles a try!
Yes! Follow our pupsicle recipe, which uses dog-safe ingredients and supplies.
Have more questions about making your own popsicles? Ask them in the comments below!
Ingredients
Berry Lemon
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 ½ cup fresh berries
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 to 4 Tbsp honey or sugar
Rainbow Fruit
- 1 cup sliced fruit
- 1 ½ cups coconut water
- 2 to 4 Tbsp honey or sugar
Berries and Cream
- 1 ½ cups fresh berries
- 2 Tbsp honey or sugar
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Coconut Lime
- 1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 Tbsp lime zest
- ¼ cup honey
Sneaky Spinach
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 bananas
Instructions
- Mix: Mix your ingredients and pour into molds according to the popsicle you want to make:Berry Lemon: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into molds.Rainbow Fruit: Distribute fruit into molds. Combine coconut water and honey, then pour into molds, tapping on the counter to remove air pockets.Berries and Cream: Puree berries until smooth (add a touch of water or juice if needed to get things moving). Stir together yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Spoon berries and yogurt into molds in alternating layers.Coconut Lime: Stir together all ingredients. Pour into molds.Sneaky Spinach: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into molds.
- Freeze: Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.
- Unmold: Run mold under warm water for a few seconds to loosen, then remove pops from the molds.
Kris says
These sound amazing! Would love to make them for my children but my daughter is allergic to dairy and hates coconut. Any suggestion of a substitute? Thanks for your help and having such great recipes all the time!
Sarah says
Thanks so much Kris! Does she like bananas? You could blend up bananas with a splash of dairy-free milk, then throw in fruit or flavors. I usually count 1 banana as 1/4 cup when substituting it for yogurt or coconut milk.
Carmen R Martinez says
Getting ready to make my 1st fruit pops. Love your directions and flavors.
Beau says
I was excited to see this guide because I’m a huge Popsicle fan, and then even more excited to see you had a book coming out all about pops! Just ordered your book “For The Love of Popsicles” off Amazon. I can’t wait to get it and start having fun. I’ve lost 15 pounds since purchasing your Cook It Fresh vegetarian dinner recipes. Those recipes were a big help for me transitioning over to a vegetarian lifestyle.
Sarah says
Aw that’s AMAZING Beau! So happy to hear the Cook It Fresh recipes are working for ya! 😀 I think you’ll find some pop recipes in that book to keep up with your healthy eating, there are quite a few that are pretty low cal! Happy popsicle making!! 😀
Kris says
Thanks. Good call, she loves bananas! Going to make some tonight-yippee!!
CT says
I made the creamsicle pops for my boys and they loved it! Can’t wait to order your popsicle book now. Do you know how many ounces the silicone mold that you use holds? Trying to compare the 2 ice cream molds that you use and would prefer a smaller portion size for my kids. Thanks!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it! The PopsicleLab Silicone Molds that I recommend hold 2 ounces. 😀
Janet says
Hi Sarah!
Love the popsicle recipes. Maybe it’s just me but I didn’t see vanilla listed with the berries and cream recipe. How much vanilla Please😄
Gonna make some of these Doon as I get back from the store. Keep up the creatively yummy work
And Popsicle On!!! Janet
Sarah says
Yay! Enjoy! It’s 1/2 teaspoon 😀
LG says
I want to make an ice Coffee popsicle for my mom for mothers day. Do you think it will work, I didn’t see coffee in the ingredients (I like to be creative!).
Sarah says
It can work, but you’ll need to mix it with either sugar or cream to give the popsicle a good texture (pure coffee will make an ice cube that can’t be bitten into).
Mohini Negi says
my Popsicles are not even in taste, all the flavour gets concentrated either at the bottom or at the top and remaining Popsicle is just ice.
Pls suggest what can be done.
Sarah says
After freezing for about 1 hour, stir up the popsicles to disperse, add the sticks, then freeze til solid 😀
Kitty says
Have you ever used almond milk? If so, do you need a sweetener with it?
Sarah says
Almond milk isn’t great because it’s mostly water, so the texture is very icy. I would recommend coconut milk (canned) instead). And yep, I would sweeten with a few tablespoons os honey or sugar.
Doris says
So fun…thanks! I”m wondering if you could say more about making popsicles in a loaf pan…I can’t imagine how that would work!
Sarah says
Hi Doris! I wrote a whole tutorial on it here!
Joy says
How long do these last in the freezer? I would love to keep some made for when folks unexpectedly come over
Sarah says
These stay fresh in a freezer-safe baggie or container for 1 to 2 months 😀 Enjoy!
JoJo Suliman says
How long do the popsicle stay on the Freezer
Sarah says
I usually recommend 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight, freezer-safe container!
Kay says
I had a can of coconut milk to use when I was making popsicles last night – I hunted around until I found your coconut lime recipe – which is so simple, four ingredients, all in the house! These are the tastiest popsicles I’ve made. Thank you SO much for the recipe. (one can full-fat coconut milk, zest of two limes, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup honey. Whisk together, pour into mold and freeze.) Just like that. Delicious.
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Kay! Sounds delish! 😀
Marian says
Hi There,
Love the taste of your recipes! But….
My popsicles have been coming out really icy and crusty, almost as if they’ve been freezer burned all the way through. Any thoughts on how to combat this?
Sarah says
Hi Marian! This is either a problem of needing more sugar or more fat (or both!). Aim for a higher fat yogurt/coconut milk as the base, which will combat that iciness. And then adding some sugar will help prevent those ice crystals 😀
Sarah says
Hi! I want to make some popsicles for my kids. I’ve tried ones with yogurt and they just aren’t liking them… can I substitute coconut milk for any recipe that includes yogurt to make a creamy pop? Any other suggestions? They dont like the tangy taste of yogurt…
Sarah says
Yep you can definitely use canned coconut in place of the yogurt! Or use a flavored yogurt with less tang 😀
Sandra Ann Daugherty says
Have you ever used a flavored jello (sugar free)
Sarah says
Yep I tried sugar-free jello and it was AWFUL! The texture was just so bad. I believe it can be done with regular jello but haven’t tried it out personally.
Cornelia says
Hi….can you use Almond milk instead of coconut for the creamy Popsicles?
Sarah says
Almond milk is going to give you a much icier texture than coconut due to the lower fat content. If you use almond, you’ll probably need to add a bit more sugar or simple syrup to help improve the texture.
Joanne McDonald says
Thanks for the creamy recipe it help me to understand the ice in the my popsicle
Aya says
I love summery treats!
Erin says
How do you keep the coconut fat from rising to the top? I’m finding that 3/4 of the pop is great, but the top (next to exposed popsicle stick) is all flavorless coconut fat.
Sarah says
Strange, I haven’t had this happen! You might just freeze for an hour, stir to recombine, then freeze until solid.
Esnart Kamanga says
I just bought some popsicle moulds and when I made ice lollies they turned out rock hard. What can I add to make them have the consistency of store bought ones?
Sarah says
It needs something to break up the ice crystal formation (so fruit puree, simple syrup, or a whole fat dairy like cream, coconut milk, or yogurt). With that said, store bought pops are flash frozen, which also help give them a softer texture. Homemade will always be a little firmer because we can’t do that in household freezers.
Selena says
How long do homemade popsicles last in the freezer?
Sarah says
About 1 to 2 months, if stored in airtight freezer bags or containers! 😀
Amy Palanjian says
As a fellow blogger, I just want to say that the structure and content of this post is so great. You covered it all—well done!
Sasha says
Is it necessary that the ice cream
Liquid base churns first for a bit in an ice cream maker before filling the lollie moulds
I find that the heavier ingredients such as carob chunk
Settles to the topmost lollie tip of the mould
Which is not right
Sarah says
Depending on the fillings, yes you could let them freeze slightly before adding the chunks!
Aisha says
Cool I loved it!
LINDA says
THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT PAGE FULL OF WAYS TO MAKE POPSICALS.
tHEY ARE ALL DELICIOUS.
Lelieth says
I made home made Popsicle love them love ur variety ideas..and I gonna try some more..thank u kids love it.
jan pennington says
Hi SARA!
I recently saw all those colorful popcicles ? and asked if you would
send the recipes. You sent them nearly immediately. But….the
colorful photos came – without the recipes! That part was blank!
I would appreciate it if you would try again, without the
“frames”.
BTW you are definitely a “Poster Gal ” for the Vegetarian
world.
Thank you,
Jan Pennington
Sarah says
Hi Jan! Could you email me so I can better understand the issue? 😀 sarah@liveeatlearn.com.
Aww and that’s so kind of you to say!
April says
I didn’t have all the ingredients so I improvised I learnt you can change the ingredients up add something else or not add something either way they are so good and very easy!
Anastasia Walterscheid says
We like to use cashew milk in our popsicles.
My nephew is a picky eater…I’m always trying to get him to expand his variety of foods. I never thought about spinach or roasted sweet potatoes in a popsicle! Thanks for sharing! I enjoy Salsa popsicles with fresh peaches!
Audrey says
How about a sweet n spicy recipe with chili?
Sarah says
That’d be delish! Something like what we did in our Mexican Paletas recipe!
Jab says
What are popsicles called that are all flavors but are not frozen. You can freeze them as you need them.
Sarah says
Freeze pops! 😀
Mark Weinhardt says
You certainly seem to know your popsicles!
My father is a diabetic and refuses to drink much water. I’ve been making him popsicles out of crystal light, and he LOVES them, but I’d like to make them a bit more “bitable” and a little less “ice cubey”. Do you think a small amount of coconut milk mixed with the water might do the trick?
Sarah says
Yes! Coconut milk would help improve the texture a bit. Otherwise, try something like the Zoku fast-freezing mold. The faster the pops freeze, the softer they will be!
MELANIE MENDOZA says
THANKS FOR THE TIPS, IN POPSICLE MAKING !!! IT REALLY HELPS ME , W/T GREAT IDEAS FOR A ” PERFECT POPSICLE “.
MELANIE MENDOZA says
BTW, I WANT TO PURCHASE; A ” SILICONE” MOLDER . WHERE , DO U THINK, I CAN BUY IT ? THRU , UR CATALOGUE, IF U HAVE ANY ? I GUESS, IT MAKES THE ; CLEANING EASIER, AFTER EACH USE. THANKS !
Sarah Bond says
Check out PopsicleLab molds on Amazon! 😀
Alan Baird says
Just made some with my young daughter, now its, Are they ready yet?
Paul M says
Thanks for your advice! I recently purchased Tiki popsicle molds off the internet – I love them, but my first attempt with using juice was a bit too ice cube-ish. I realized I needed some help! So thanks for your suggestions. I’ll look for your book!
Mary M says
Made coconut lime popsicles. Fantastic. Plan to try other ones soon. Great summertime treat that’s healthy. Thanks!
Jessica says
The berry lemon turned out nicely! The flavor is zingy! I didn’t have quite enough lime juice, but the coconut lime still turned out decent for me. The berries and cream is also pretty good.
Innocent Gama says
Hello i need to make them for commercial purposes please help me.
Sarah Bond says
Hi there! We’re more about the small batch popsicles at home. What can we help with?
Ellen LaPenna says
Wow, I really enjoyed this post. A friend gave me a lot of delicious oranges and I purchased fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving, making a yummy (and raw) orange cranberry sauce (with fresh ginger, cinnamon and honey). To finish the leftover ingredients, I just made another big batch and thought popsicles would be a great idea. Your post gave me a quick run down of how to do this in an appealing, easy-to-understand way. Even in my tiny house, I have some muffin tins and popsicle sticks I was using to label my plants. Thanks for your help!
Sarah Bond says
THIS is what I love to hear!! What a great way to repurpose that cranberry sauce. So impressed – enjoy! 😀
Peter Dunning says
Where can I get popsicle molds ?
Sarah Bond says
These are my favorite popsicle molds! 😀
Ivy says
Hi Sarah I love this recipe
Anastasia says
Have you tried using dates to add sweetness instead of honey or sugar?
Sarah Bond says
Yes! Date’s work well, just be sure to puree them 😀
rishi says
love this !!!!!!!!!!
Paula says
Such a helpful guide. I’ve been making banana-fudgicles by pureeing banana with a wee bit of maple syrup and a few tablespoons of cocoa. They are so yummy!! Also, I sometimes add vanilla yogurt, I found a brand here in BC, Canada that has no added sugar cuz the cows are grass fed so the yogurt is naturally sweet.
Lynda says
I made the lemon-buttermilk pops for my sister that had a lot of food restrictions but likes lemons. We liked them and I have since made several of your original popsicle recipes. I don’t understand why you would worry how long popsicles will keep in the freezer: mine disappear fast. I like to make half recipes so I can have several flavors to offer to company. Thanks!
... says
How can i make a coffee popcicle? I want it for my mother
Sarah Bond says
I would mix coffee with some heavy cream and sugar! 😀 Or you could make this coffee smoothie and freeze it into molds.
Alex Averill says
Great stuff, thank you! Can’t wait to try all these recipes! Any discount codes for the products you’re promoting?
Sarah Bond says
I don’t, sorry! I typically link to the best but most affordable options though 🙂
Karen says
Can I use non fat yogurt instead of full fat
Sarah Bond says
We recommend higher fat yogurts, which make the texture much nicer when frozen! You can use non fat yogurt, but it will be more icy and harder.
Miranda says
Just to confirm- I can leave out the sugar from the berry lemon pops because the puréed berries will keep it from going all ice-y?
Sarah Bond says
They should prevent major iciness, yes!
Wanda edwards says
I haven’t tried yet but it seems to be something everyone should try.
Miranda says
What are the fruits you put inside that coconut water one – looks like kiwi, strawberry, banana, and … pineapple? Mango?
Sarah Bond says
Yep! Kiwi, mango, black berries, strawberries 😀