Summer is on its way, and as it heats up in Doha, it’s time for some healthy treats to cool us down! Revitalising on a hot summer day, icy fruit-filled pops are perfect for after school, appealing to kids and adults alike and are a healthy alternative to store-bought treats. After all, who can resist an ice-cold lolly during the sweltering days of summer?
Many supermarkets brands are loaded with refined sugar, additives, colourings and artificial ingredients, but these ice lolly recipes offer both nutrition and fun. Full of fresh fruits and juices, these mouth-watering pops are guilt-free treats that the kids will love. As an added bonus, making your own ice lollies is super-easy and the kids will enjoy helping. Whipping up these beauties requires only a handful of ingredients, a few simple kitchen tools and minimal preparation. You’ll be wondering why you have never made
them before!
Fruit is the star of these ice lollies, so choose the ripest and best quality available—the riper it is, the less sweetener will be required. Have a blender or food processor on hand to whizz the fruit into a puree. If you have a fussy eater who prefers smooth and seedless ice lollies then blend the fruit thoroughly and mash the pulp through a fine mesh sieve; otherwise feel free to load up with chunks of fresh fruit.
Fresh juice is always best, but if you don’t have it on hand look for unsweetened 100% fruit juices that do not contain preservatives or additives. Some juices also contain fruit pulp, which adds extra fibre to your child’s diet.
Nowadays there’s a great variety of ice lolly moulds available in all different shapes and sizes, from quirky animals to space rockets. Look for moulds with attached straws to help slurp up melting ice lollies and fast-freezing options like the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.
Once you’ve made these recipes a few times, experiment in the kitchen with your favourite flavour and ingredient combinations. With endless possibilities, you’ll be whipping up unique, icy cold creations in
no time!
Choccy-Banana Pops
A real crowd-pleaser and perfect as a special treat for birthday parties, these little goodies are chocolaty, fruity and delicious. Kids will love making these too! Roll these pops in healthy cereals, fresh coconut, nuts or your favourite toppings. Serves six.
Ingredients and special tools
- 3 ripe bananas
- 5 ounces dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa solids), chopped
- Toppings of choice such as muesli, fresh coconut, chopped nuts, goji berries or chopped dried fruit
- Six wooden ice lolly sticks
Wax paper - Cling film
Directions
- Place all toppings into separate bowls and line a freezer-safe tray with wax paper.
- Peel and cut the bananas in half and slowly insert a wooden stick into each half. Don’t go too fast or you’ll split the banana!
- Place bananas on the tray and cover with cling film. Freeze for one hour.
- In a double boiler, melt the chopped chocolate slowly over the lowest heat, stirring frequently. Pour the melted chocolate into a bowl. Alternatively, place the chopped chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring frequently, until the chocolate has melted.
- Moving quickly before the chocolate cools, dip a frozen banana into the chocolate. If needed, cover any gaps with a spoonful of chocolate.
- Immediately roll the chocolate-covered banana into the topping of your choice and place onto the tray. Repeat the process until all bananas are coated.
- Cover with cling film and place into the freezer until set, approximately three to four hours.
Fruity Pops
Smooth, dairy-free and containing minimal ingredients, these fruity pops are a great start to creating your own delicious refreshing treats. Use unsweetened 100% pure juice and experiment with different flavour combinations. Serves six to eight.
Ingredients
1 cup watermelon juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
Directions
- Evenly distribute the orange juice into the moulds. Place into the freezer until set, approximately 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the mould.
- Repeat for each juice, creating layers until the ice lollies are complete. Freeze until completely set.
Berry Blast Pops
Creamy yoghurt with fruit puree is a yummy combination. Other fresh-fruit purees that combine well are strawberry and blueberry or nectarine and kiwi. When preparing these ice lollies be sure to taste the purees and add a little honey if necessary. Serves six to eight.
Ingredients
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup full cream or Greek strawberry yoghurt
Honey (to taste)
Directions
- Process the raspberries in a blender until they reach a smooth consistency. If preferred, add honey to taste and mix thoroughly. Remove the puree and set aside in a jug or bowl.
- Repeat with the blackberries.
- Pour the purees and yoghurt one at a time into the moulds, creating three to five layers—don’t worry if they are not even. With a skewer or knife, swirl the mixtures together using an up and down motion to create a marbled effect.
- Freeze for three to four hours or until fully set.
Popsicle making tips
- For a delicious dairy-free alternative, try coconut milk or coconut yoghurt.
- Try adding tasty natural flavourings such as vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, rose water or orange blossom water.
- No moulds? Use small disposable plastic or paper cups! Freeze your ice lollies for approximately 30–40 minutes before inserting the wooden sticks to ensure that they stay upright.
- For express frozen yoghurts, insert a stick through the top of a store-bought small yoghurt and place into the freezer.
- Granulated sugar does not mix well into cold liquids and you may be left with a gritty texture. Instead, use liquid sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup at room temperature.
- Don’t overfill your moulds—liquid expands when frozen so leave some space at the top.
- Taste your creations before you freeze them. Flavour combinations can be altered using sweeteners or ingredients before you pop the final product into the freezer.
Note: These recipes use an ice lolly mould with built-in sticks. You may need to adjust the freezing directions if you use a different type of mould.
Ice lolly-making kitchen tools
- Vegetable/fruit peeler
- Blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Paper or plastic cups
- Wooden ice lolly sticks (available at Lakeland and Al Rawnaq)
- Moulds (available at Daiso, IKEA, Lakeland, Virgin Megastore)
- Zoku® Quick Pop Maker (available at Lakeland and Virgin Megastore)
KIM WYATT IS THE DOHA FAMILY GUIDE FOOD CONTRIBUTOR AND IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS FOOD FOR ALL THE FAMILY. FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM: MAMA_BABA_GANOUSH OR FACEBOOK: MAMA BABA GANOUSH.
