Homemade Ice Pops

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Hands down, these homemade ice pops (or freeze pops) are the easiest summer treat you’ll ever make! Made with 100% real fruit and no added sugars, they’re healthy, frugal, and absolutely delicious!

Four homemade ice pops of various flavors lying on scattered ice cubes

Do you remember eating ice pops as a kid? They’re kind of like these Cherry Limeade Popsicles, but they’re frozen inside a plastic tube instead of on a stick.

When we read the ingredients in store-bought ice pops, we started making our own homemade ice pops instead – and we’ll never go back!

While I wasn’t really surprised to find a long list of ingredients in Otter Pops, I WAS surprised to find THREE ingredients we don’t eat in our home: high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and artificial food dyes.

High fructose corn syrup is number two on my list of ingredients to avoid in foods, and artificial preservatives come in number four on that same list.

I want my kids to enjoy these frozen treats – minus the large amounts of sugar, preservatives, and food dye – so this summer, we’re making our own ice pops!

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Ice Pops

SUPER easy to make
Lip-smacking delicious
Frugal
Healthy!

A bowl of strawberries and a glass of juice

What You Need to Make This Ice Pops Recipe

Fresh fruit (or frozen) of your choice. Over-ripe fruit will be sweeter and helps you avoid food waste. Thaw frozen fruit before using it for the best results!
Water or juice. The juice will sweeten the pops without using additional sweeteners. Lemonade, kombucha, juice from canned fruit, or even Almond Milk work too!
Honey or maple syrup (optional). If your family is used to the super sweet ice pops, sweeten them with a natural sweetener.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender.

Step 2. Blend until there are no chunks in the mixture. (The consistency should resemble a thin pancake batter, so use additional liquid to adjust the thickness as desired.)

Step 3. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into reusable plastic tubes or silicone molds.

Step 4. Seal and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Looking down into a blender with strawberries and orange juice inside

Pop Ice Variations

You can also make a variety of flavors all in one session. For example, I will start with strawberries and a little orange juice. I pour those into my tubes, then without washing the blender, I add in more berries. Use that puree, rinse, and repeat the process with two other complementary fruits, like pineapple and mango.

Try these delicious flavors!

Watermelon-Mango.
Orange-Pineapple. A touch of coconut water or Coconut Milk pairs well here too!
Grapefruit. Keep it sugar-free by adding a little honey to balance out the sourness.
Peaches and Cream. Add a little bit of milk or Almond Milk.
Mixed Berry. Use strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
Cherry-Grape. Use frozen cherries or pit your fresh cherries with this tutorial.

Keep in mind the more natural liquid in the fruit you choose, the less additional juice you will need to add.

The sky’s the limit with the flavor combinations you can make, and you can even include some veggies in there, too, like carrots or spinach. I like to think that if it tastes good in a smoothie, it’ll be delicious as an ice pop!

One hand holding a reusable ice pop tube with a funnel in the top, the other hand pouring ice pop mix out of a glass measuring cup

FREEZER POPS SUPPLY TIPS

I used clear plastic pouches from Zipzicle to make these because they most resembled the ones from the store. We’ve been using them for a few weeks now, and they seem to be holding up fine. However, they’re a bit tricky to clean at the zipper and not labeled dishwasher safe. If you go this route, I’d recommend hand washing with a small bottle brush.
Use a high-powered blender like my Blendtec to get the smoothest fruit puree ever. (Plus, you can use it for these 45+ things!)
You can buy these silicone pop molds instead. They’re dishwasher-safe and leakproof too. If you choose this route, buy two sets or be prepared to wash often – your kids will go through frozen ice pops fast!
Using a small funnel made filling the molds really easy. You might be able to get away with using a measuring cup with a pour spout, but I’ve used these funnels so often in the kitchen that they were a worthy investment for me.

How to Freeze Pop Sticks

To freeze your fruit pops, lay them flat on a baking sheet or upright in a large cup or container. Once frozen, you can move them to a freezer-safe storage bag.

Sometimes a little bit of the juice freezes into the zipper. If that happens, simply run the opening under warm water for about 10 seconds.

A child's hand grabs a homemade ice pop from a pile of various flavors

FAQS

Is it ice pop or ice pole?

There are many names for ice pops. In parts of Australia and New Zealand, ice pops are called ice poles.

Are freeze pops bad for you?

Store-bought freezer pops have many unnecessary ingredients, such as food dye, loads of sugar, and preservatives. This recipe that I’m sharing with you is very healthy and customizable!

What are the best ice pops?

The best and healthiest option for ice pops would be my recipe, which is below. You can even throw in some vegetables!

This frozen treat will take you right back to the old days when you’d enjoy a nice frozen ice pop on a hot summer day. Whether you’re making these ice pops for yourself or your kids, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought stuff! Try out this recipe and let me know what you think!

Watch How to Make Homemade Ice Pops

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