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Home Eat Sweets Popsicles

Mexican Paletas

5 from 7 votes
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By: Sarah BondUpdated: May 20, 2022 3 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

How to make Mexican-style popsicles, a.k.a. paletas! This fresh fruit paletas recipe comes in 4 delicious flavors and requires just a handful of simple ingredients.

Mexican paletas on a blue background

This post is in partnership with our friends at PopsicleLab! Thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.

This recipe throws together my two favorite food groups – Mexican food and popsicles – and I am here for it. (And yes. Those are food groups. The food pyramid is dead.)

And so, friends, PALETAS are happening! Having seen a freezer of these tucked into virtually every Mexican restaurant in San Antonio (and tasted many, in the name of research), I figured it was time we learned to make these at home.

Because when life gives you fresh seasonal fruit, we popsicle. Let’s freeze!

4 fruit flavors of Mexican paletas on a blue background

What are paletas?

For the uninitiated, paletas (pronounced puh-LEH-tuhs) are Mexican-style popsicles. Where conventional popsicles typically contain juices and flavorings, paletas boast fresh, local fruit!

Paletas can be either water-based (paletas de aqua) or milk-based (paletas de leche). Today we’re making water-based fruity paletas, choose-your-adventure style! What’ll it be: strawberry, mango, pineapple, or kiwi?

Multicolored Mexican paletas on a blue background

Paletas Ingredients

The ingredients list for this paletas recipe is short – we’re letting the seasonal fruit shine!

  • Fruit: The star of the show, the fruit! You’ll need 6 cups of chopped fruit. We’ll blend half of it and leave the other half in chunks to add fun texture to our paletas.
  • Sweetener: Sugar or honey make great sweeteners for ice pops. Not only do they add sweetness, but their molecular structure helps to improve the texture of the popsicles. For this reason, we don’t recommend artificial sweeteners.
  • Citrus: Lime juice helps to cut through the sweetness (while keeping the color of your fruits bright!) You could replace the lime with lemon or even orange juice.
  • Water (as needed): Depending on the juiciness of your fruit, you may need a splash of water (or juice) to help blend the mixture into a smooth puree.
Assorted fruit on a blue background

The Mold Matters!

It wouldn’t be a proper paleta with the mold, which is why we’ve partnered with PopsicleLab, the makers of our favorite popsicle mold!

The PopsicleLab Mold Set is made of pliable BPA-free silicone, meaning it’s easy to unmold the popsicles after freezing. And the best part? The silicone lid keeps the popsicle sticks upright during freezing (because there is seriously nothing more frustrating than crooked popsicle sticks that prevent you from being able to take the conventionally metal lid off…if you know, you know).

The set comes with wooden popsicle sticks, storage bags, and a funnel (+ it’s eco-friendly and dishwasher safe). Grab your mold just in time for popsicle season!

Popsicle Lab popsicle mold with fruit
Kiwi popsicle in a popsicle mold

Strawberry Paletas

Let’s get this paletas party going with a simple strawberry flavor! You can use fresh or frozen (and thawed) strawberries here. For a fun twist, throw in: vanilla extract, basil, banana, orange (juice), or lemon zest!

Strawberries in a blender
Red strawberry Mexican paletas on a blue background

Mango Paletas

The only thing better than a juicy ripe mango are mango paletas! Use any ripe variety of mango (though Ataulfo mangoes will be the sweetest). To change things up, feel free to add: pineapple, orange (juice), chamoy, chili powder, or strawberries.

Mango in a blender
Mango Mexican paletas on a blue background

Pineapple Paletas

Paletas de Piña are a classic (and my personal favorite)! You can use fresh, canned, or frozen (and thawed) pineapple. For variety, you could add: passion fruit (juice), guava, basil, or mango.

Pineapple in a blender
Yellow pineapple Mexican paletas on a blue background

Kiwi Paletas

I just love the color of these kiwi paletas! Aim for the ripest kiwis you can find, which will be the sweetest and the easiest to scoop out (because you’ll need a lot of them)! Some fun varieties on the kiwi flavor would be to add: spinach (they’re already green, why not amp up the nutrition with hidden spinach?), apple, mango, or strawberry.

Kiwi in a blender
Green kiwi Mexican paletas on a blue background

Hassle-Free Unmolding

Removing the paletas from the molds is often the trickiest part, but not today! Simply run each side of the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds. Then, with the help of the flexible PopsicleLab silicone, the paletas should come right out!

Multi colored Red Mexican paletas in a popsicle mold

Bring the Tajin!

Tajin is a Mexican seasoning with mild chili peppers, lime, and salt. It’s great on fruit, veggies, the rim of drinks, and…paletas of course! If you want to supercharge your paletas with flavor, dip each paleta in a glass of water then sprinkle with a dash of tajin (a little goes a long way!)

Colored fruit paletas recipe with tajin on a blue background

Pop it like it’s hot

Hungry for more popsicle inspiration? I wrote the book on it (no like, really!). Here are some of my favorite ice pop flavors:

  • Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles
  • Mint Chocolate Popsicles
  • Loaf Pan Popsicles
  • Banana Popsicles
  • Passion Fruit Popsicles
  • Or pave your own path with our Ultimate Guide to Homemade Popsicles
Multiple colors of fruit paletas on a blue background

Mexican Paletas Recipe

5 from 7 votes
Prep: 4 hours 5 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories:
Servings: 10 3-oz popsicles
Print Rate
How to make Mexican-style popsicles, a.k.a. paletas! This fresh fruit paletas recipe comes in 4 delicious flavors and requires just a handful of simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Fruit (Pick One)

  • 6 cups roughly chopped strawberries fresh or frozen and thawed
  • 6 cups roughly chopped mango fresh or frozen and thawed
  • 6 cups pineapple chunks fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed
  • 6 cups roughly chopped kiwi about 12 kiwis

The Rest

  • ¼ cup sugar or honey
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
  • Water as needed

Instructions 

  • Blend: Choose the fruit you want to use, then divide it in half. Finely chop half of the fruit and set it aside. Put the remaining fruit in a blender, along with the sugar and lime juice. Blender until smooth, adding a splash of water as needed to get things moving.
  • Mold: Stir chopped fruit into blended mixture. Pour into molds, leaving a little space at the top for them to expand. Firmly tap the mold on the counter to remove any air bubbles. 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.

Tips & Tricks

Tajin makes a fun topping! Just dip each paleta in a glass of water then sprinkle with a dash of tajin (a little goes a long way!)
Did You Make This?

Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Pin on Pinterest
Multiple colors of fruit paletas on a blue background

Thanks again to our friends at PopsicleLab for sponsoring this post! Be sure to grab their top-rated mold just in time for summer!

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  1. Shivam says

    Posted on 5/7 at 10:52 am

    This paleta recipe looks amazing I am going to try it nowww!!!!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 5/8 at 11:44 am

      Would love to hear how it turns out for you!

    • Shivam bisnath says

      Posted on 5/11 at 6:31 pm

      It worked out amazzzzzing it was so yum

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