Hellobee

I’ve written before about what it’s like to have a picky eater, and I’ve even shared some of my favorite “recipes” and tips. One of my favorite meal hacks is to make up a batch of (healthy) popsicles to feed Little Cotton Candy. For some reason, anything in popsicle form is fun and delicious, and I’ve never seen him turn down a homemade pop. I thought I would share some of my favorite popsicle recipes I’ve made for Little CC. Most are healthy enough to eat for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Bonus: Popsicles are so great to grab when we’re running late for school. As long as you don’t mind the risk of drips, they’re pretty easy to eat in the car! (And yes, we eat these in the winter, too. It helps that it doesn’t get THAT cold in central Texas.)

Coconut Lime (adapted from Rick Bayless). This one is my favorite popsicle recipe that I’ve ever made. It does involve some added sugar so it might not be ideal for breakfast or snacks if you’re trying to limit your kiddo’s sugar intake. (I also think it would make an amazing grownup treat if you added a bit of regular or coconut rum.)

Ingredients:

• 2 14-ounce cans of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• 1 lime (juice + zest)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your pop molds and freeze for 6+ hours.

Peaches & Cream. Even better if you can get fresh peaches, but frozen works too.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp. honey

Combine peaches in the blender with Greek yogurt and milk, and blend until combined. Add around a Tbsp. of honey, or more to taste, for some extra sweetness. Pour into your pop molds and freeze for 6+ hours.

Frozen Fruit Hodgepodge. This “recipe” is great for one of those weeks when you don’t have time (or budget) to go to the store.

I take about two cups of whatever frozen fruit I have in the freezer—usually some combo of strawberries, blueberries, mango, and banana—and toss it in the blender with some whole milk. Pour into your pop molds and freeze for 6+ hours.

Strawberry Mint. This pop is basically a nonalcoholic berry mojito, which is my favorite hot weather beverage. Little Cotton Candy will eat anything with berries, and this is a good way to sneak in some fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 cups frozen strawberries
• mint leaves (to taste—I like a strong minty flavor, so I use around 20 leaves)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 2 Tbsp. honey or simple syrup

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into your pop molds and freeze for 6+ hours.

Watermelon Slushie. This is Little Cotton Candy’s favorite, and it’s SO easy to whip together.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups watermelon
• 1/2 lime

Scoop out about 4 cups of watermelon with a melon baller and add it to a blender with the juice of 1/2 lime. Blend it up until combined. Pour into your pop molds and freeze for 6+ hours.

Chocolate & Chai (adapted from Eating Well). This is definitely a decadent treat, not so much a healthy breakfast option. But I had to include it because when I made these they turned out so amazing.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 bag Chai tea
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (I sue Ghirardelli.)
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese

Steep 1 cup of boiling water + 1 packet of Chai tea + ground ginger for 5 minutes. Then, combine 1/3 cup boiling water with honey, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until incorporated, scraping down sides. Add tea to the chocolate mixture and pulse to combine. Pour into your pop molds and freeze for 6+ hours.

So, have you tried making your own homemade popsicles? What’s your favorite flavor combo? What do your kids like?