Frugal and Healthy Popsicle Recipes

Frugal and Healthy Popsicle Recipes

This summer has already been a long one for us. The humidity is taking quite a while for this dry-heat girl to get used to!

We’ve been doing what we can…the house has been staying at a fairly reasonable temp on the main floor (and yes, we have had to sleep a few nights downstairs to get out of the heat in the bedrooms!), we got a little pool for outside that we get to play in on the worst days, and we’ve been making as many meals that don’t need the oven turned on to make them as possible.

But one thing that every little family needs in the summer are some tasty, cold popsicles!

In the past I’ve made Homemade Fudgesicles  (which are SO good!) and Frozen Yogurt Popsicles. While both are delicious, this summer I was looking for some all fruit options for our dairy-free toddler. I also wanted to use more fruit because well, that’s what I have canned so it’s a cheaper and easier option for us. I love any kind of new recipes to use my home canned goods!

For popsicle molds we us these great Norpro Silicone Popsicle Molds. They are easy to keep clean, they actually fit in my tiny freezer, and they tend to make less of a mess than a regular popsicle shaped mold because you push up the popsicle as you go. Plus they are inexpensive and will last a long time because they can’t break like regular plastic molds.

*Note: We do not add any sugar to our popsicles, fruit is sweet enough!

The simplest and most frugal of all popsicle recipes is just to use fruit juice. This can either be home canned or from the store. If we are getting juice from the store I try and find the not-from-concentrate or nectar variety since it usually won’t have added water and is generally a thicker, or flavorful juice that works perfectly for any of these healthy popsicle recipes! I also use this juice to make Homemade Gelatin.

Some of our favorites are:

• Peach Nectar
• Apple Juice (unfiltered)
• Pear Nectar
• Apricot Nectar
• Orange Juice (fresh)

Another great way to create delicious healthy popsicle recipes s to use pureed fruit that you have at home. Occasionally I have fruit that we don’t eat right away and it gets a little mushy, this is perfect for popsicles! Simply stick the fruit in the blender and puree, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze. You can either do straight pureed fruit or you can add in juices as well. (Blend the fruit and juice together.) If you don’t have fresh fruit you can also use home canned fruits which are very easy to puree since they are already cooked down.

 Here are some of our favorite juice and fruit combos:

• Pureed Strawberries and Pear Nectar
• Pureed Peaches or Pears and Apple Juice
• Grape Juice and Applesauce
• Apple Juice and Cantaloupe or Watermelon

Here are even more ideas that you can pin and save for later!

Peach Nectar + Pureed Strawberries

Peach Nectar + Pureed and Grapes 
(I don’t strain the grapes, too much nutrition in the peels!)

Apple Juice + Pureed Grapes

Pureed Strawberries + Apple Juice

Pureed Strawberries + Pear Nectar

Applesauce + Pear Nectar

Pureed Pears + Blueberry Nectar
(Can use Pearsauce too!)

Pureed Peaches + Blueberry Nectar

Pureed Peaches + Apricot Nectar

Applesauce + Apricot Nectar

Pureed Pears+ Apricot Nectar

The possibilities are truly endless and you can make your little ones favorite snack by simply combining some of their favorite fruits into their popsicle treat.

 

To keep it as frugal as possible, use the fruits you’ve already canned or whatever you can currently pick up from the farmer’s market or grocery store that is affordable. Juice popsicles tend to be a little bit more on the frugal side, however we’ve found that the juice + puree combos have the best flavor. But of course, both types are a great way to beat the heat!

What are your favorite healthy popsicle recipes or fruit combos to make in a popsicle?