Flashback alert! You're nine years old, school’s out for summer and the sweet sound of the ice cream truck creeps into your ears as you’re chilling on the curbside with your BFF. Rocket pops for two! Fast forward 20 years and you’re the one stuck behind the ice cream truck in the middle of rush hour, after a long day at the office with nothing but last week’s empty coffee cup. Where did those good ol’ days go?
Rest assured, your popsicle years are far from over. We have rustled up 7 sensational superfood popsicle recipes that you will never grow out of.
Taste the Rainbow
This recipe is the king when it comes to superfood power. Not only does it contain an abundance of delicious fresh fruit, but it also includes some super berry powders, you may not have heard of. Maqui powder a vibrant purple berry native to some regions of South America. It has the greatest anti-oxidant value of almost every other berry and is an abundant source of polyphenols including anti-aging anthocyanins, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Next, we have Goji berries, traditionally used in Asian Herbal medicine to promote vitality and well being. Goji berries are a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Iron. And lastly, we have included Camu berry powder, nature’s richest source of whole food Vitamin C and a traditional superfruit prized by the indigenous people of the Amazon.
- 1 cup coconut water, divided
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tsp Maqui Berry Powder
- 1 cup apple juice
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- 11/2 cup frozen mango chunks, divided
- 1 tbsp dried Goji berries_
- 1 large orange, peeled and chopped
- 1.2 cup frozen pineapple
- ¼ teaspoon Camu Berry Powder_
- Small handful baby spinach
- 5 drops of liquid Stevia per fruit base (to taste)
Chill your popsicle molds by placing them in the freezer for a minimum of 20 minutes. Then, in a blender, puree ½ cup of the coconut water with the frozen blueberries and maqui berry powder. Note that each blended layer should be thick and very frosty—if not, add more frozen fruit. Taste for sweetness and add a little stevia to slightly over sweeten the fruit—about 5 drops should do the trick for each round. Blend the mixture once more. Divide it between 10 (or desired quantity) popsicle molds, filling each 1⁄5 high. Place the molds in the freezer while you prepare the next layer.
Superfood Cake Pops
This recipe includes ground flaxseed and chia seeds. Both of these nutrient-dense super seeds are an excellent source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids and high in dietary fiber.
- 8-10 Pitted Medjool Dates
- ¼ cup of Flaxseed, ground_
- 1 cup unsalted and raw cashews, soaked for at least 6 hours in water
- 1 tbsp coconut cream
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Chia seeds_
- 3 fresh figs
- 4 dixie cups, 3 oz
- 4 popsicle sticks
Blend cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, and figs together and put aside. Blend the chopped dates in a food processor until a ball forms around the edge of the blender. In a bowl combine the processed dates and ground flax seed together. Knead well with your hands. Press roughly 1 oz of the date mixture into the base of the dixie cup, working around with your thumbs to achieve a smooth consistency. Fill in the remainder of the dixie cup with the cashew mix and sprinkle Chia seeds on the top for decoration. Insert a popsicle stick and freeze for 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature a few minutes before serving.
Mint Chocolate Chip
A classic favorite. Though this isn’t just your regular mint chocolate chip. With spinach and kale providing extra green goodness, we have also swapped the chips for nibs. Cacao nibs are lower in fat than regular chocolate chips, but even more so, they are a fantastic source of Potassium and high in dietary magnesium.
- 1 cup milk of your choice
- 1 cup frozen spinach or kale
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ cup of mint leaves
- 1 frozen banana
- ¼ cup of Cacao Nibs
Blend milk, greens, vanilla, honey, mint, and banana in a high powered blender then transfer to a bowl. Fold in the cacao nibs and then freeze for 2-4 hours.
Strawberry Mango Chia
This is the taste of summer. Rich in sweet, sun-ripened strawberries, succulent mango and fresh coconut water, your tastebuds will be in tropical paradise. Aside from the chia seeds, our superfood hero here is coconut water, containing five essential electrolytes including: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium, to keep you well hydrated in the warm weather.
- 1½ cup strawberries
- 11/2 cup of diced mango
- 11/4 cup of coconut water
- 4 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp honey
Puree strawberries (fresh or frozen) with half of the coconut water in a blender or food processor. Taste the mixture and blend in honey to reach desired sweetness, if needed. Stir in 2 tsp of chia seeds and set aside. Puree mango (fresh or frozen) with the other half of the coconut water in a blender or food processor. Taste the mixture and blend in honey to desired sweetness, if needed. Stir in the remaining 2 tsp of chia seeds. Alternately pour each fruit mixture (for a marbled look) into popsicle molds and freeze until set.
Blue Spirulina Popsicles
Spirulina is nature’s super protein; providing an easily digestible, cholesterol-free source of 22 essential amino acids. Combine this with delicious citrus tasting Baobab fruit powder and its high Vitamin C content and you have a very powerful popsicle.
- 1 cup frozen nut milk cubes (almond/cashew milk)
- 1 1/2 cups coconut water
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsps lemon juice
- 1/8 cup maple syrup (more or less to taste)
- 2 tbsp Spirulina powder
- 1-2 tbsp Baobab Powder
Throw all ingredients in a blender, blend smooth, pour into molds, pop sticks in after 1/2 hour, and freeze overnight. To remove from molds without melting is a bit of a challenge. I fill a stew pot with hot water from the tap, and stand the frozen Popsicle stand in it, taking care to not let it tip. Every 1 minute or so, I remove the whole mold and tug at a Popsicle. If none slide out, I put the mold back in the water another 1/2 min or so and keep doing this until I have all the pops out, wrapped in wax paper and popped back in the fridge to enjoy as needed!
Peaches and Cream
This recipe switches things up by replacing cream with Kefir. Derived from the Turkish word “keif”, meaning, “good feeling”, this unique cultured dairy product containing about 30 different strains of bacteria and yeast. This makes it a fantastic source of probiotics, even more so than yogurt. Kefir has also shown evidence to help with digestive issues, and can often be consumed by those with a dairy sensitivity.
- 3-4 large peaches, cut in half and pit removed
- 4 tbsp honey
- 1 cup kefir
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the halved peaches cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle 2 tablespoons of honey over the peaches. Roast the peaches for 20 minutes until tender. Transfer the roasted peaches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and then pour the puréed peaches into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the kefir, remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, and vanilla extract. Gently swirl the kefir into the peach mixture (for the marbled effect, be sure not to over mix - just swirl enough to distribute the kefir). Use a funnel to fill each popsicle mold with the peachy creamy mix. (Note: Fill just under full because it will expand a bit when it freezes, which can make the lid difficult to remove). Place the lid over the mold and insert your popsicle sticks as straight at possible. Freeze for 4-6 hours, or until frozen solid. For best results, freeze overnight. To help remove your popsicles from the mold, fill a large bowl with warm water and briefly dunk the bottom part of the mold in the bowl or briefly run the mold under running warm water.
Blueberry Matcha Pop
This is iced tea on a stick. Matcha tea has become a popular ingredient in a variety of sweet dishes in recent years but why stop at cake and icecream? Its detoxifying, energy boosting, anti-aging qualities make it everything you wish you could get from a dessert. Well, your wish just came true.
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ avocado
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp Matcha Green Tea
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread your blueberries into a thin layer and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of honey and roast for 10 minutes or until bubbly and piping hot. Allow blueberries to cool completely and transfer the blueberries, juice and all into a bowl and set aside. Blend together the coconut milk, avocado, remaining honey, salt and matcha until smooth. Distribute your roasted blueberries evenly into the molds, then pour the matcha mixture into the molds and give them a gentle stir. Cover, add the sticks and freeze until completely frozen. Now who said popsicles were just for kids...