Remember summer as a kid? In the heat of the day, someone’s mom would come out and offer everyone popsicles as a sweet way to cool off. Some days we’d have those long frozen treats in a soft plastic tube; basically frozen sugar water. They were tasty, sticky, but not really very good for us.
Those double popsicles probably weren’t much better for us, but we enjoyed the challenge of trying to snap the pieces apart without breaking off either of the tips. Sometimes we were successful. That was the taste of childhood.
These days, of course, you can still find those freezer pops in their pre-frozen state, ready to pop in the freezer for a quick, cool treat. They haven’t gotten any better for us—just sugar, water, and food coloring that stains your fingers. And those double popsicles are still around, and still just as sticky.
The freezer aisle at the supermarket offers healthier frozen options now, but they’re not cheap. Luckily, it’s easy to make healthy, tasty frozen treats in your own kitchen with just a few ingredients—none of them sugar!
You can try some variations with this recipe, including adding in some seasonal fruit. Once in a while, I like to add whole blueberries. If you decide to try that, you’ll want to partially freeze your mixture, then spoon in alternating layers of pureed fruit and whole blueberries—otherwise the blueberries will all sink to one end, and that’s no fun!
You can also freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and use it to make breakfast smoothies, or as part of your own homemade cocktail mixer.
Our fresh orange freeze pops will help you beat the heat while giving you a delicious serving of fruit. Chances are, you’ll never go back to those childhood sugary treats again!
PrintFresh Orange Freeze Pops
Fresh oranges are delicious on their own. But if you’re looking for a frozen treat to beat the summer heat, make your own fresh orange freeze pops. All you need is oranges, pears, a blender, and popsicle molds. They’re refreshing—and no added sugar!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6; Makes 4 to 6 freezer pops 1x
- Category: Desserts
Ingredients
- 3 large oranges
- 1/2 teaspoon zest from one orange
- 2 pears
Instructions
- Finely grate one of the oranges to get about 1/2 teaspoon of zest.
- Peel and chop the oranges.
- Peel and core the pears.
- Put oranges, zest, and pears into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture into popsicle containers and freeze until solid.
Notes
- You can also freeze this mixture in decorative silicone molds to use as a garnish for summer drinks.
Have you made these fresh orange freeze pops? They’re a great heat-beating treat with no added sugar—please tell us how they turned out for you.