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These Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles (or as I call them, Darling Lemon Thymes) are the perfect balance of zingy and creamy (with a little herby thrown in). Perfect for keeping in the freezer for a treat on hot summer days.

Lemon buttermilk popsicles with ice on a marble slab
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This time next week, For the Love of Popsicles will be released into the wild!! So obviously this week we’re celebrating with all the popsicles. Today I’m giving you a sneaky little peak into one of my favorite recipes in the book (I know we’re not supposed to choose favorites…but here we are).

These are thyme, lemon, and buttermilk popsicles (but we affectionally referred to them as the Darling Lemon Thymes). The we including my mother, who loves these popsicles so much I wouldn’t put it past her to reserve a shelf in her freezer for these pops alone.

Lemon buttermilk popsicles with ice on a plate

You’ll need

  • Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes these popsicles ultra creamy and a bit zingy (almost like frozen yogurt). Fresh or from-powder buttermilk work well here!
  • Lemon: The lemon flavor is important here, so use fresh lemon juice (rather than bottled). We’ll also use some lemon zest to add even more lemon flavor.
  • Thyme: It sounds weird but I promise its not! The earthy thyme adds a subtle flavor that just works.
  • Sweetener: Use honey or sugar! (Sugar-free substitutes don’t work well here. The sugar crystals are important for giving the popsicles a soft texture.)
Ingredients to make lemon buttermilk popsicles

One of the features I love most in For the Love of Popsicles are the difficulty ratings for each recipe. While most of the popsicles are difficulty level 1 (i.e. you blend, you pour, you freeze), these pops are level 2 (watch out world, ’bout to bring out the big guns). But it’s only because you’ll need to heat up the mixture before freezing to extract all that delicious lemon and thyme flavor!

Lemon buttermilk popsicles with ice in a popsicle mold
Lemon buttermilk popsicles with ice on a marble slab

More healthy homemade popsicles

Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles

5 from 18 ratings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 2-oz popsicles
These Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles are the perfect balance of zingy and creamy (with a little herby thrown in). Keep them in the freezer for hot summer days!

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 lemons
  • ½ cup honey or sugar
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest, 2 lemons
  • 1 ½ cups fresh buttermilk
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Instructions 

  • Heat: Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add lemon juice, honey, sprigs of thyme, and lemon zest. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Fish out the sprigs of thyme; it’s okay if a few pesky leaves remain. Let cool to lukewarm (quicken this up by setting the pan in a sink full of cold water).
  • Freeze: Mix buttermilk into mixture and pour into molds, leaving a little space at the top for them to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until hard (at least 4 hours).
  • Serve: Run the mold under warm water for a few seconds to loosen them up, then remove from the mold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1popsicle | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.8g | Protein: 1.8g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 15.1g

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
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5 from 18 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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5 Comments

  1. Jessica says:

    Looks like you have a lot of great popscicle recipes on here..hopefully I find time to try them all!

    1. Sarah Bond says:

      We love popsicles around here! Enjoy! 😀

  2. Lolly says:

    5 stars
    My ABSOLUTE favorite! Love the sweet and the tart flavors. Thank you for this recipe!!

  3. Kathi says:

    Sarah, can you recommend any particular brand popsicle molds that are easy to remove the finished frozen product? I was looking at Amazon and can’t decide which are preferable. Thx.
    Kathi in hot,hot New Mexico

    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Hi Kathi! I prefer silicone molds like these 🙂 Just run them under warm water to loosen them before trying to remove them from the molds!