Make It Monday: Frugal & Frozen–Refreshing Homemade Ice Pop Recipes for Summer

by TFF, posted in Recipes

Here’s a previous post that ran in 2012, when my kids were younger…but still a favorite here at TFF!

Homemade ice pops are tasty, inexpensive, and healthy. Here are some versions to try this summer. 

Though I’d love to buy a Zoku pop maker, I’ll wait until I see one on sale. For now, I’ll use the good old-fashioned cup and stick method, or maybe get some basic molds.

It turns out homemade ice pops are all the rage. I would love to get a Zoku Quick Pop Maker (it makes ice pops in seven minutes!), but I think I will wait until I find one on sale. But you can make these recipes in anything from a Zoku to a paper cup/craft stick! I bought two molds at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a coupon. (The store also carries an Xpress Popsicle Maker for $29.99., but even with a coupon, I’m not willing to spend the money!)

Here are three basic ideas for DIY pops:

Juicy Blend:

We bought a bottled organic lemonade (cherry-lemon blend) that tasted just awful, but we salvaged the juice by pouring it into ice pop molds. The lemonade was delicious frozen! So if you have drips and drabs of leftover juice or you bought a somewhat vile-tasting product, try freezing it.

Berry and Yogurt Blends:

Of course it’s a no-brainer–mix low-fat yogurt with berries in a food processor and pour into molds. Whatever doesn’t fit into the molds is a smoothie, anyhow, so drink up. My kids love this kind of blend as an ice pop. If the blend needs some liquid, just drop in a bit of fruit juice or lemon juice to thin it out a bit.

Sugar-free strawberry-lemon popsicle:

(great for diabetics and those on low-glycemic food plans):

(The fruity taste of this ice pop is unbelievable! My entire family went crazy for these. It costs about .46 cents to make 7-8 pops but I did not get the jello on sale, and I did not get the best price for the Crystal Light, either. It still came out nice and frugal.)

  • mix 1/2 packet of Crystal Light lemonade powder with 1 cup cold water.
  • whisk till dissolved.
  • in another bowl, dissolve one 3-oz package of sugar-free strawberry jello in 1 cup boiling water.
  • stir until fully dissolved.
  • blend lemonade and jello mixtures.
  • pour blended mixture into ice pop molds to freeze.

For more sugar-free pop ideas, visit Sixuntilme.com. Also visit All Recipes for this dessert. And new!! Click here for more frugal, innovative ways to use up bits of fruit and fruit juice.

Strawberry jello plus lemonade make the most delicious ice pop mix! Photo: Marilyn, TFF

I’ll spare you the experiment I made by whipping together part-skim ricotta cheese and strawberries. Ricotta is great whipped with fruit and a bit of sugar (tiny bit), but frozen, you have to develop somewhat of a taste for it. The ricotta-strawberry pop idea is good for a low-low-low-fat and low-low-low-sugar treat, but don’t count on your kids asking for seconds.

Stick to the lemonade/jello recipes for happy kids!

~Marilyn, TFF

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4 thoughts on “Make It Monday: Frugal & Frozen–Refreshing Homemade Ice Pop Recipes for Summer”

  1. Perfect post. Hubby and I love frozen fruit pops. Gotta get a form set so we can make our own.
    Here’s another frugal tip. Frugal Gazette gives this frugal recipe: whenever you have finished with your jam, preserves or jelly and there is still a hint of the stuff left in the jar, simply add in a bit of milk, shake and then pour into a pop cycle mold and freeze. Delish.

    1. What a great idea! Call it drip-and-drab pops! LOL! It’s amazing how freezing something makes it taste great. ~Marilyn, TFF

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