When the weather outside gets so hot that your thermometer starts to melt, any relief from the heat is a welcome one, especially if it’s delicious and refreshing all at once! Most people don’t drink enough fluids in hot weather, so tasty, cold treats made of fruit (which is full of water), juices, and non-dairy milks aren’t just refreshing, they’re also replenishing.
Making your own vegan ice pops is fun and easy, and you can make any combo of flavours your heart desires. Commercial versions really only come in a few different flavours, and are usually packed with artificial colours, preservatives, etc. If you're stuck for ideas and don't know where to start, try this: one of the best ways to make amazing popsicles is to make your favourite smoothie, and just freeze it—blend the smoothie well if you like even flavour, or leave chunks of fruit in if you like chewy bits. You control the ingredients and the sweetness, but can you control how many you slurp up on a hot afternoon? ;)
There are some amazing recipes for vegan ice pops online if you're feeling adventurous and would like to try something new:
Peach Pie,
Chocolate, and
Roasted Strawberry & Coconut Milk are a few that sound absolutely incredible, and a quick search on Google or Pinterest will yield up many more. Just pour these into a
plastic,
silicone, or
stainless steel mold, freeze overnight, and you’re done. :) If you have a favourite frozen recipe of your own, feel free to share it with the rest of us!
This is my own orange "creemsicle" recipe:
Fill your popsicle molds with water, and then pour that water into a measuring cup: this will determine how much liquid you'll need for the molds you're using. Mine are pretty large and hold 3 cups of liquid for 8 popsicles, so that's the amount I'm aiming for with this recipe. Just adjust the ratios to suit your own molds.
- 2 cups orange juice (organic is best, if you can find it)
- 3/4 cup plain soy or coconut yogurt (I've even used silken tofu in a pinch)
- 3 tbsp agave nectar
You can add a few drops of vanilla or rum extract for added flavour, and feel free to add extra sweetener if desired.
Blend all of the ingredients until the mixture is creamy and smooth, adjust sweetness to taste, pour into molds, and freeze for about 12 hours until firm. This recipe also works gorgeously with mango juice/mango puree, crushed strawberries (like a frozen strawberry cream pie!), and pineapple.
Enjoy!
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