It’s peak summer, which means popsicle season is in full swing. I’m not normally one to make homemade popsicles, specifically mango and raspberry swirl popsicles, but seeing them all over Instagram provided a bit of inspiration.
They seemed pretty accessible and easy to make once a mold was in hand. How hard could it be to blend some fruit together and make a nice and refreshing frozen treat?
Turns out they were a little trickier than I imagined. This is probably due to the complicated and timely process I choose to follow. Overall the popsicles tasted pretty good and I would definitely recommend it. However, I would choose to use a different method when making them next time.
So, the first step in these popsicles was to get a mold. Amazon seemed like the easiest choice so I ordered this mold. It had good reviews and seemed pretty foolproof. When it arrived, it was basically as advertised. It was easy to use and very easy to clean up so I would definitely recommend it.
I wanted to make these popsicles a healthy treat. So, I choose to swap out any sugar for honey and opted for a maple syrup and coconut cream mix to sweeten up the fruit. It worked pretty well and would use that mix again!
Now for these popsicles, you can pretty much use any fruit that is in season. I went for a mango and raspberry swirl combo. While the raspberries were in peak form, the mango could have used a few days to ripen. In order to get the mango to peak sweetness, I cooked it down with some honey and water. Now, this is where I would change it up next time. While this method did work, it took some time….
Once the mango was cooked down, I blended it up with an emersion blender until it was a mushy texture. I followed the same process with the raspberries. Since they were pretty ripe, this did not take long. After, I strained the seeds from the raspberries. This left them in more of a juice texture than a puree like the mango.
Now it was time for the sweetener. In a small bowl, I added a few tablespoons of maple syrup to coconut cream. I also added in a few tablespoons of the coconut cream to thicken the raspberry mixture. This gave the popsicles a boost of sweetness. It also added in a nice, but subtle coconut flavor.
Once everything was set, it was time for the mold. I wanted to get some different patterns and swirls so I alternated adding in the fruits to the molds. Once they were set, it was freezer time. I let them freeze overnight so they would hold up well.
The final product turned out much better than expected. The popsicles were fruity, sweet, and a great healthy snack. Next time, I would definitely go right to the blender instead of cooking the fruit down. It would make the process much easier and would allow for the fruit mixtures to all be the same textures.
Check out the recipe below and let me know what method and fruit you choose!
Mango and Raspberry Popsicles
Ingredients
- 1 ripe mango
- 2-3 tbsp honey
- 1-2 pints raspberries
- 1 can coconut cream (14 oz can)
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, cook down mango with 2 tablespoons of the honey. When the fruit is soft, blend with an emersion blender. Repeat with the raspberries. (Note: You can use as much honey as you want, sweeten to your desired taste)
- If you want a smooth texture, you can strain the raspberries so the seeds do not end up in the mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream with the maple syrup. Mix until combined.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons to the raspberry mixture. Stir until combined.
- Add mixture to the molds. This is where you can get creative! Alternate the mango, raspberry, and remaining coconut cream in order to get different patterns.
- Close the popsicle mold and add sticks. Freeze overnight. Let the mold sit out for a few minutes before trying to pull out. If they are tricky to get out, run the mold under warm water for a few seconds.
