Fruit popsicles | The Rowdy Baker

When my blogging group decided to go with a traditional red, white, and blue theme for our recipes this month, the thought of turning on the oven made me break into a sweat, so I opted for frozen fruit bars for the 4th of July, and for the hot days ahead. Easy instructions are below, and you’ll also find the links to the other bloggers’ posts. Hope you’ll check each one out!

Blended strawberries, lemon, and blueberries are layered in molds for a red, white, and (mostly) blue ice pop. Lightly sweetened, these are a healthy alternative to store bought frozen treats.

Before I give you instructions, I have a few tips:

I originally wanted to use pineapple and coconut milk for the white layer, but it took too much pineapple to achieve a flavorful mixture, which made it yellow…and I really wanted white. So, lemon and coconut were my Plan B, which worked beautifully. You could also add a bit of Greek Yogurt if you’d like. Heavy cream will curdle. (Ask me how I know.)
You can make these without the gelatin, but they will be a little bit icier. Your call!
The blueberry layer is blended, and has a bit of a pulpy texture. I don’t mind it at all, but if you do you can try straining it before adding the gelatin mixture – and then add a little juice or water to make at least 6 ounces.
Speaking of blueberries, I used my favorite frozen Wild blueberries, which were a lot more burgundy than blue…more the color of huckleberries. Try using regular blueberries for a truer blue color.
Make sure you give each color adequate freezer time before adding the next layer, and keep the molds level. That will give you nice, crisp lines between each layer.

Here’s how I made these refreshing pops:

Patriotic Fruit Pops

Author: The Rowdy Baker

This recipe makes six 3-ounce frozen pops. There may be a little of each flavor left over. If so, pour it into a paper cup or ice cube tray and freeze just as you would the pops. These are great to drop into a glass of sparkling water! You will need less than 1 package of gelatin for all three flavors. Gelatin may be omitted, but the frozen treats will have a slightly icier texture.

Ingredients

RED:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
WHITE:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
Juice of 1 large lemon
coconut milk added to lemon to equal ¾ cup
BLUE:
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatin (like Knox)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

RED:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, blend the strawberries until smooth. Add the warm gelatin mixture and blend briefly. If mixture is too thick to pour or spoon into molds, add 1 tablespoon water and blend.
Fill molds ⅓ full and freeze for 2 hours, or until firm.
WHITE:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir and set aside.
Put lemon juice in a measuring cup and add gelatin mixture. Add coconut milk to equal ¾ cups liquid.
Remove molds from freezer and add about the same amount of lemon mixture as the strawberry. This should fill the molds approximately ⅔ full.
Freeze for approximately 1 hour. The object is to have it firm but not totally solid, so the handle or stick will be able to penetrate the second layer if necessary.
BLUE:
In a small bowl or ramekin, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Add sugar and hot water and stir thoroughly. Microwave on high for 10 seconds. If you are using lemon juice, add now. Stir and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, blend the blueberries until smooth. Add the warm gelatin mixture and blend briefly. If mixture is too thick to pour or spoon into molds, add 1 tablespoon water and blend.
Remove molds from the freezer and add blueberry mixture to the "fill" line. Add handles or sticks.
Freeze until totally firm - overnight if possible.
Remove pops from molds, running molds under warm water if necessary to release the treats.