Homemade Popsicles

Tart Coconut, Creamy Nectarine, Mixed Fruit Popsicle

These homemade Popsicles are inspired by childhood memories.  One summer my brother, cousin and I spent a few weeks at our Grandma's house.  Being health conscious and always one for a hands on project, we all made frozen fruit popsicles.  We took all kinds of fresh fruit - grapes, strawberries, peaches, bananas - cut them into small pieces,and mixed them in a bowl with diet orange soda.  Then we spooned the mixture into paper Dixie cups, inserted a plastic spoon, and put them in the freezer.  That's when I decided that frozen bananas and grapes were awesome, and far superior to those at room temperature.

Mango, Lime, Coconut

The other inspiration comes from the super tasty paletas I had the supreme pleasure of eating while living in El Paso.  These are the Mexican version of frozen fruit popsicles.  I really love the coconut flavor.  My mouth waters just thinking about them.

So, I looked up a few recipes on the internet, thank you Pinterest, and went to the kitchen with Quincie o experiment.  I started with pure coconut milk.  I am lucky to live in Hawaii where such a thing is easy to purchase at any grocery store in neat little frozen packets.

After a few test runs, here are the recipes we like best so far:

Coconut Layer:

4 oz of Coconut Milk

3 teaspoons of  Sugar

1 teaspoon of Vanilla

Tart Coconut Layer:

 4 oz of Coconut Milk

2 small Limes (peeled)
1/2 of a banana

5 teaspoons of Sugar

Lime Layer:

Margareta Mix (non-alcoholic)

Mango Layer:

1 Ripe Mango

1 Ripe Banana

Creamy Nectarine Layer:

1 Ripe Nectarine

1 Ripe Banana

4 oz. of Coconut Milk

Mixed Fruit Layer:

Assorted Frozen Fruit 

(giant bag from Costco that has mango, pineapple, strawberries, etc.)

1/2 cup of Simply Lemonade or Newman's Own Lemonade

The procedure is the same for each flavor, through it all in the blender until it is smooth.  Pour a layer in Dixie cups and freeze.  When it is thick enough, but not solid, insert the stick or plastic spoon. Keep adding layers and freezing until the cups are full.  When fully frozen, tear off the paper cup and enjoy! HINT: If the coconut layer is first, the paper cup releases easier.  There is a lot of fat , the good kind, in coconut milk.

Coconut Lime Popsicle