My daughters love frozen treats – from ice cream to frozen fruit, they will pretty much eat anything frozen. A few years ago I discovered the Stoneyfield squeezers and have been giving them to my daughter as her special frozen treat ever since. We call them “ice cream sticks” and she loves them.
I wanted to start making our own version of these “ice cream sticks” because I wanted to make them without sugar and also sneak in there some veggies. Plus I love getting my kids involved in cooking and I knew this would be a treat they could make with me.
I found on amazon these Zipzicle pouches (you can also get a silicone version of them) and decided to give them a try. They are so easy to use and you can make them with anything you want!
I give them both to my 3 year old and 1 year old all year round and even have special ones for those times when my oldest doesn’t want to eat much at lunch or dinner because she never turns them down. Plus the fruits give it such a great flavor that the kids can’t even taste the greens in the popsicles.
You can make these healthy popsicles with pretty much any ingredients but I always make sure they have mix of greens, fruit and some form of liquid. I also add to most of them unflavored organic Greek yogurt to add a little extra protein.
Here’s the list of the ingredients that I’ve found taste good in these popsicles:
I get all of these organic and buy most of it at Costco since they now carry a lot of organic produce. If I can’t find it there I buy them at my local grocery story but during CSA season (read more about it here) I just use whatever veggies and fruits I get sent in my weekly box.
Veggies:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Power greens: This is a bag of organic leafy greens that I found at Costco.
Fruits:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Mango
- Banana
- Watermelon
- Lime or lemon
Liquid:
- Coconut water
- Whole milk
- Filtered water (we use a Berkey water filter)
- Juice (I personally don’t use this since I don’t want the extra sugar)
Protein:
- Greek Yogurt – unflavored (we use Wallaby)
- Tera’s Whey organic grass-fed protein powder (also comes in vanilla)
Sweeteners:
I personally don’t use these and my kids haven’t complained so I would try to make the popsicles without it.
Extras:
You can add some extra heathy ingredients, like:
- A blend of prebiotic fiber and probiotics (recommended by Dr. Sears)
- Bee Polen
- Chia seeds
- Coconut oil
When I’m in a rush or don’t have enough produce at home I just use one of these smoothie blend pouches (I also got these at Costco).
Proportions:
I don’t have a set recipe I follow and I just eyeball the ingredients. However I do follow these guidelines and that makes about 8 healthy popsicles.
- When using the smoothie blend pouch: I mix it with 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt and 1/3 of coconut water, milk or water.
- When using produce we have at home: I mix 3/4 cup of fruit, a big bunch of leaves and 1/2 of liquid.
- When adding ingredients from the “extras” list: I add one tablespoon of bee pollen, chia seeds or coconut oil or 1 teaspoon of probiotics. I just use one of these per batch.
I usually just use our blender to mix all the ingredients but if the fruits are frozen I use our food processor. I’ve found that my kids like it better if it’s well blended so there aren’t any chunky parts.
Once you’re done mixing all the ingredients, try the mixture to make sure you like it. Remember, what you might not like, your kids might love.
Add the mixture to the popsicle pouches using a funnel or a measuring cup to avoid a mess and freeze.
Now that you know how to make them, grab whatever you have at home right now and make some healthy frozen popsicles. Your kids will love them and if they don’t just try a different combination next time!
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Johnna says
These are great! I have found several recipes that use apple juice, which has too much sugar for my taste, or a lot if high sugar fruits like pineapple and mango. I absolutely love the ideas and the way you can make your own versions. This is the best set of popsicle recipes I have found.