Healthy Homemade Popsicles

You only need 3 ingredients to make these easy, healthy homemade popsicles: berries, yogurt, and honey! And my favorite part about Greek yogurt popsicles? You can eat this delicious and nutritious treat for breakfast! 

Homemade Popsicles are My Favorite Way to Beat the Heat

I created this healthy popsicle recipe because I wanted to take my daily fruit smoothie on the go. I was craving something frozen, packed with flavor, with the benefits of Greek yogurt for protein and gut health, honey for antioxidants and sweetness, and plenty of berries for added vitamin C. 

Many of us eat our bowl of yogurt with honey, so why not as a frozen treat on a hot summer morning? Homemade yogurt popsicles can be a healthy dessert, but I also love them as a high-protein snack throughout the day. 

The great thing about making healthy snacks from scratch–whether it’s Chocolate Date Bars, Olive Oil Granola, or Homemade Popsicles–is they do not contain artificial flavoring, syrups, thickeners, or dyes. And these sweet (but not too sweet) treats are kid-approved!

You may wonder if making popsicles is as simple as blending and freezing your favorite fruits and yogurt. The short answer is yes, but there are a few tricks to get the best texture and flavor. It’s not rocket science, it’s just a matter of knowing what to do and avoid. So here it goes!

Healthy Popsicle Ingredients

You only need three easy ingredients to make healthy homemade popsicles.

• Berries: I like to use a combination of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (fresh or frozen, both work). You can add other frozen varieties, such as mango, peach, or kiwi.
• Honey: Helps sweeten the popsicle and keep the texture creamy. You could substitute honey with maple syrup or agave (though I find the flavor less delicious). Honey has a unique and mellow flavor. 
• Yogurt: Greek full-fat yogurt is best. The higher the fat content, the creamier and dreamier the result. Most other yogurts retain too much water, which will water down the taste and form more ice crystals. Low-fat yogurts also tend to be too tart. 

How to Make Homemade Popsicles

• Mix. Place 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, and 1/4 cup honey in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness, if desired, by adding a little more honey.
• Assemble. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place the lid on the molds. Freeze overnight, or until firm (minimum 6-8 hours).
• Serve. To unmold, let them stand at room temperature for 5 minutes or run the bottom of the mold under warm water and wiggle the stick to remove the popsicle. Serve immediately.

Are Fresh or Frozen Berries Best for Yogurt Popsicles? 

You can use fresh and frozen berries interchangeably to make homemade popsicles. I can’t say that one is better, though both offer their own advantages.

Benefits to Frozen Berries

• Generally picked and frozen at their ripest. 
• Lasts several months, unlike fresh fruit that goes bad quickly (see our post on how to store berries for tips to make them last as long as possible).
• Easy to keep on hand.
• Already washed, prepped, and sliced.
• Generally more affordable when fruit is not in season.

Benefits to Fresh Berries

• Nothing quite beats the flavor of fresh, seasonal, and ripe fruit picked as close to harvesting as possible. A local farmers’ market is best in this case.
• You can add unblended fresh berries to the popsicle mold for texture and aesthetic beauty.

What is the Best Yogurt for Yogurt Popsicles 

Firstly, the fat content of the yogurt, along with the type of sweetener you use (more details below) affects the texture of your popsicles. The less water in the yogurt, the fewer ice crystals will form, giving you a creamier consistency. With that in mind, I recommend using whole milk and full-fat Greek yogurt. 

Greek yogurt is essentially plain yogurt that has been strained to remove water, resulting in a rich and creamy consistency. Substituting with low-fat yogurt will produce a tart, watered-down popsicle with a more crystallized rather than creamy texture. 

Remember that not all Greek yogurts are the same. Look for one that only contains milk and active cultures. Avoid yogurts artificially thickened with gums and pectins, as their high moisture content can change the texture and create a chalky mouthfeel.

The best ratio for a perfect popsicle is 1:1, which means using equal amounts of yogurt and fruit. 

Best Sweetener for Homemade Popsicles

The sugar content is the next vital ingredient to ensure your homemade popsicle has a pleasant texture. Sugar molecules lower the freezing point and reduce the formation of ice crystals. So if you add more sugar, you’ll have fewer ice crystals.

As much as popsicles need sweetener, I try to substitute with a healthier option and generally avoid overdoing it. So, hang with me here while I quickly explain why “Invert Sugar” is best for frozen foods. 

What is Invert Sugar? 

Inverted sugar is a 50-50 mixture of glucose and fructose. It is made of a sucrose water solution (basic sugar syrup) heated with the addition of an acid (such as citric acid or cream of tartar). Here are the benefits: 

• Sweeter than regular sugar, so you need less to achieve the same level of sweetness.
• Has a more complex and uniform sweetness with a flavor profile of honey and caramel notes. 
• Extends the product’s shelf life by reducing the growth of bacteria that can cause spoilage. 
• The finished product has a smoother texture, not gritty or crystallised.
• Lower glycemic index than regular sugar, which causes a slower increase in blood sugar levels. 

Examples of Inverted Sugars

• Honey
• Corn syrup
• Golden syrup
• Molasses
• Agave Syrup
• Maple Syrup

Although all these inverted sugars can be used instead of refined sugar, not all are suitable for popsicles. For instance, using molasses will affect the color of the berries, and using maple syrup will dominate the taste. To avoid these issues, I discovered that the most enjoyable invert sugar is honey.

Which Inverted Sugar Is Best? 

Honey is a type of inverted sugar formed by an enzyme from the nectar collected by bees. Once frozen, honey will not overpower the taste of the fruit but add a subtle yet delightful mellow flavor. It doesn’t change the brightness of the fruit’s colors. It equally keeps the yogurt from crystallizing and forming too much ice. 

• THE BIG PICTURE: Honey is the best sweetener for homemade popsicles because it has a delicate flavor and prevents ice crystals, making for a creamier texture.
• TIP: Use a delicate, runny honey so it doesn’t overpower the berries, like our Greek Alfa Wildflower Honey. 

The Best Popsicle Molds

Popsicle molds come in many shapes, styles, and sizes—endless options. You can choose from stainless steel popsicle molds, silicone ice cream bar molds, or plastic (BPA) molds. You could also use Ice Pop Pouches and transparent plastic tubes. All varieties are available online. 

All popsicle molds, except the silicone type (where you peel the flexible mold away from the popsicle), require running water to loosen the popsicles. Here are my top three tips for selecting popsicle molds:

• Easy to clean: Look for dishwasher-safe molds that hold up to many washes. Stainless steel molds are long-lasting in comparison to plastic molds.
• Easy to unmold: Look for molds that loosen easily and quickly. Stainless steel molds are best for this (metal conducts heat faster than plastic).
• Easy to fill: Use a mold that resembles a traditional popsicle’s shape and size, and does not leak or spill in the freezer. You want a mold that does not tilt or spill and holds most recipes’ volume (roughly 3-4 ounces). 

How to Make DIY Popsicle Molds

I highly recommend buying a popsicle mold; however, if you don’t have one, here is a quick solution if you are DIY-inclined. You will need popsicle sticks and very narrow glasses, cups or disposable cups. The size should be like a popsicle size. 

• Pour the popsicle mixture into the narrow glass. 
• Place aluminum foil or plastic wrap over the top and punch the stick through. This ensures the popsicle stick does not move and no smells are absorbed from the freezer.
• Freeze, then unmold by running the glass or cup under warm water.
• Wiggle the spoon to help it unmold and enjoy it immediately. 

Ways to Mix it Up

• For a more vibrant color: Cook the berries with honey on the stovetop and cool before blending with the yogurt. This will also make the popsicles a touch sweeter. 
• For a swirly popsicle: Alternate layers of plain yogurt and berry mixture to the mold, repeating until filled. 
• For more texture: Stir chopped berries into the mixture after blending. 
• For an extra smooth and seedless popsicle: Puree the berries and strain them through a fine-mesh strainer. Add this mixture to the yogurt and mix to combine. 
• Other flavors: I love playing around with new flavors, depending on what fruits I have. I also make dairy-free popsicles by substituting yogurt with fruit juices. Some ideas are: Strawberry/banana, watermelon/coconut, peach/honey, pineapple/lime, orange/strawberry, and strawberry/mango. 

How to Store Yogurt Popsicles

Homemade popsicles are best eaten within 1 week. The best way to store them is to remove them from the mold and reseal them in a freezer bag or an airtight container, separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick.

Greek Honey – Thyme, Forest & Wild Herbs

Make your homemade popsicles with the highest quality honey from the Greek island of Crete.