15 Healthy & Homemade Popsicles
These healthy and homemade popsicles are the perfect summer treat for toddlers and kids. They’re oh-so-easy to make at home using fresh fruit, natural sweeteners, and some even have hidden veggies. Plus, find out the best popsicle molds and my top tips!
Homemade Popsicles
These healthy popsicles are the perfect way to keep your little ones cool 🏖 all summer long!
Packed with wholesome foods such as – fresh fruits, natural sweeteners, plain yogurt and even hidden veggies!
To me, homemade popsicles and frozen snacks are a fun way to serve nutrient-dense foods without the kiddos even knowing about it! I guess I’m sneaky like that 😜.
I’m also a firm believer that on a hot summer day, ☀️ these healthy popsicles can be served for any meal of the day – breakfast, lunch, snacks, and most importantly, dessert. I mean, you gotta beat the heat somehow, and these frozen treats will do just that!
Want more snack and treat inspiration? Then check out my best-selling cookbook that has over 100 healthy recipes just for your kids.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- Best Popsicles Molds for Toddlers and Kids
- How to Make Homemade Popsicles
- How to Make Fruit Popsicles
- Great Fruit Suggestions
- Popsicles for Toddlers
- Popsicles for Kids
- Tips
- Recipes
Best Popsicles Molds for Toddlers and Kids
Before we get started, it’s a good thing to make sure you have one (or a few) popsicle molds on hand. Here are some of our favorites that have been used over and over again.
Toddlers
- Zoku Mini Mold: I LOVE these mini popsicle molds for toddlers and younger kids. They are the perfect size for smaller tummies, plus they have the drip guard on them, so they aren’t as messy 😉 (similar version).
- Helistar 6 Popsicle Molds: sightly bigger than the mini popsicles but smaller than the regular size, makes this mold a great option for toddlers who might not be able to finish, or need, a full size popsicle yet.
Kids
- Zoki Classic Popsicle Mold: are great for kids that want more than the mini version. They still have a drip guard, so again, not so messy!
- Silicone Ice Pops Tray: such a cute and fun popsicle tray. I found the popsicles were super easy to remove from the tray!
No Molds – No Problem: if you don’t have a popsicle mold, you can simply use leftover yogurt containers, muffin tins, ice cube trays, baby puree trays, disposable paper cups, or even a loaf pan! If you can’t get the sticks to stay upright, simply cover the mold you are using with aluminum foil and then poke your sticks through.
How to Make Homemade Popsicles
- Mix/Blend: mix together all of the ingredients – either in a 2-cup measuring cup or a blender. If making the hidden-veggie popsicles you are going to want to blend the mixture in a blender for at least 1-2 minutes or until the veggies are completely broken down.
- Fill: pour the mixture into the popsicle molds of your choice.
- Freeze: Place the popsicles molds into the freezer – the colder the better. You will want to freeze the popsicles for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.
- Release from Molds: take however many popsicles you want out of the molds. If the popsicles are not coming out of the molds, you can gently run them over warm water for 30 seconds to help them release.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Make Fruit Popsicles
Fruit popsicles are great for kids as they are naturally sweetened and easily to blend and freeze. Here is one way I love making fruit popsicles:
Smooth Fruit Popsicles
- Fruit: place whichever fresh or frozen fruit I have on hand. Think about fruit combinations you would love to eat together or see my suggestions below. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. No need to thaw frozen fruit.
- Liquid: add a little liquid – water, coconut water, coconut milk, yogurt, etc.
- Sweetener: add a little sweetener – maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, etc.
- Blend: turn on the blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Taste: take a spoon and have a small taste of the popsicle, if it tastes good now it will taste even better when frozen.
- Pour: using your favorite popsicle mold, pour the popsicle mixture into the mold and place the stick and lid inside each mold.
- Freeze: place the popsicle molds into the freezer and freeze for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight.
Chunky Fruit Popsicles
Don’t have a blender? Or want chunks of real fruit in your popsicles, then this recipe is for you!
- Fruit: place fresh or frozen fruit right inside of the popsicle molds. You can use whatever fruit you prefer! If the fruit is too big, just chop it down a little.
- Liquid: Pour in the liquid to the fill line. I love using coconut water in my chunky fruit popsicles because it is clear so you can see the fruit and it is naturally sweetened so you don’t need to add any additional sweetener.
- Freeze: place the stick and lid on each popsicle and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours but preferably overnight.
Great Fruit Suggestions
- strawberries
- raspberries
- cherries
- mandarin oranges
- mango
- pineapple
- kiwi
- grapes
- blueberries
- blackberries
- watermelon
Fun Add-Ins
- greek yogurt
- canned coconut milk
- honey (for babies over 1)
- maple syrup
- squeeze of line
- sprinkles
- splash of apple, grape or cherry juice
Popsicles for Toddlers
- Rainbow Popsicles
- Green Smoothie Popsicles (hidden veggie)
- Yogurt Fruit Popsicles – 8 Fun Flavors!
- Healthy Yogurt Parfait Popsicles
- Hidden-Veggie Carrot & Orange Popsicles
- Sweet Beet Popsicles (plus, 5 fun flavors to try!)
- 7 Healthy Popsicles for Baby + Toddler
Popsicles for Kids
- Rainbow Popsicles
- Green Smoothie Popsicles (hidden veggie)
- Yogurt Fruit Popsicles – 8 Fun Flavors!
- Healthy Yogurt Parfait Popsicles
- Healthy Funfetti Popsicles
- Hidden-Veggie Carrot & Orange Popsicles
Tips
- Releasing: the fastest way to get the popsicles out of the molds is by simply running the mold under warm water for 10-15 seconds.
- Sweetener: I like to use honey, maple syrup or agave nectar to sweeten my popsicles, rather than refined sugar. Using natural sweeteners makes them slightly healthier and I find it doesn’t compromise the texture at all. If serving to babies under 1 year – omit the honey and use a touch of maple syrup if needed.
- Hidden-Veggies: of course I am going to love making popsicles with hidden veggies! I mean the little ones will never know they are in there, plus they add in a boost of nutrients. To make them undetectable, make sure you blend your popsicle mixture for at least 1-2 minutes or until completely smooth.
- Yield of Recipe: some molds are bigger or smaller than others. So it’s important to know that you may have to double or triple some recipes depending on the size of your molds and how many popsicles you are making. I have always found that if I make too much popsicle mixture my kids are happy to drink it like a smoothie for me;)
Healthy Recipes for Toddlers + Kids
Rainbow Popsicle for Toddlers + Kids
These rainbow popsicles are the perfect summertime treat for your toddlers and kids. This healthy frozen treat is loaded with fresh fruits and made with no added sugar. These colorful ice pops are quick and easy to make with only two ingredients!
Get the recipe
Green Smoothie Popsicles
These Green Tropical Smoothie Popsicles are am amazing frozen summer treat for toddlers and kids that are filled with a (not-so) hidden-veggie – spinach!
Get the recipe
Yogurt Fruit Popsicles – 8 Fun Flavors!
These Yogurt Fruit Popsicles are the perfect healthy treat for baby, toddler and kids this summer! They are easy to make with only 3-ingredients and with a prep time of less than 5 minutes. PLUS.. there are 8 easy fruit flavors you have to try!
Get the recipe
Healthy Yogurt Parfait Popsicles for Toddler + Kids
These Healthy Yogurt Parafait Popsicles for Toddler + Kids are the perfect breakfast on a hot summer day! These popsicles are naturally sweetened and filled with protein, probiotics, healthy whole-grains, antioxidants and fiber.
Get the recipe
Healthy Funfetti Popsicles
These Healthy Funfetti Popsicles for Kids + Toddlers are a perfect frozen treat on a hot summer day.
Get the recipe
Hidden-Veggie Carrot & Orange Popsicles
These naturally sweetened frozen treats are a fun and tasty way to serve a fruit and veggie to your toddler. Great for snack time or dessert.
Get the recipe
Sweet Beet Popsicles (plus, 5 fun flavors to try!)
These 3-ingredient Sweet Beet Popsicles are a baby, toddler and kid favorite and are going to be a staple in your house this summer! Delicious, refreshing and creamy, these frozen treats go beyond just a tasty pop, they are also full of veggies, fruit and protein. Plus – there are 5 fun flavors to try!
Get the recipe
7 Healthy Popsicles for Baby + Toddler
These popsicles are made with fruits & veggies(!!) and are so healthy you can feel great about serving them for any meal of the day – breakfast, snacks, lunch and even dinner!
Get the recipe
And for YOU.. after the kiddos go to bed;)
Sangria Popsicle by The Novice Chef Blog
Get the recipe: 14+ Healthy & Homemade Popsicles: Rainbow Popsicles
Healthy and homemade popsicles are the perfect summer treat for toddlers and kids. Make these Rainbow Popsicles or any of the other 14 popsicle ideas for a delicious and healthy snack
Ingredients
- 2 cups assorted rainbow fruit, see below
- 1-2 cups coconut water
- 1-2 tbsp honey (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the fruit to bite-size pieces.
- Place the fruit into the popsicle molds in any order you want.
- If using honey, mix the honey and coconut water together.
- Pour the coconut water into the molds, gently tapping the mold on the counter or gently squeezing the mold to get rid of any air bubbles. Insert the popsicle stick into each mold. Place the popsicle molds into the freezer for at least 5 hours, but preferably overnight.
Notes
Age: 9+ months and up (omit honey for any baby under 1 year).
Yield: this recipe makes roughly 20 ounces, which gave me 7 regular-sized popsicles. Depending on your popsicle molds, you may need to adjust the recipe amounts.
Notes on Fruit: you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, it doesn’t have to be the full rainbow of colors for these popsicles to work. For toddlers and younger kids, I would recommend you chopping the fruit so that they don’t get a huge piece of frozen fruit when they are eating the popsicles. Here are some options in case you want to go for the full rainbow effect – ❤️ RED: strawberries, raspberries, cherries 🧡 ORANGE: mandarin oranges, 💛 YELLOW: mango, pineapple, 💚GREEN: kiwi, grapes, 💙 BLUE: blueberries💜 PURPLE: blackberries, purple grapes I used chopped strawberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries and blackberries.
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