How to Make Your Own Fruity Ice Lollies
If your children enjoy fruity iced lollies (but you don’t want hyperactive children with bright blue tongues), then consider making your own ice lollies, to keep in the freezer for hot sunny days.
These fruit ice lollies (Gourmet Mom) only need hulled/stoned fruits, water and a little natural sugar (optional, depending on how sweet your fruits are). You can even make this recipe uses cans of tinned fruit.
Iced lollies are very simple to make, you can buy reusable iced lolly makers from Lakeland and other kitchen stores, to also save money on ice lolly sticks (which are choking hazards anyway).
You can just freeze fruit juice if you want, but here are a few other options. Avoid unpasteurised juice for children, pregnancy/nursing and weak immunity. Read more on food safety for people and pets.
What’s in Store-bought Ice Lollies?
You would imagine just fruit? Sometimes, but often there are artificial colours and flavours, and some contain animal products. And even then, the fruit may be covered in pesticides.
But a fruit ice lolly should just be fruit and water. Using fresh fruit in homemade ones is far better than cheap concentrate, which does not taste nice. And refined white sugar or glucose syrup.
- Stabilizers and thickeners: Ingredients like pectin or guar gum help keep the texture smooth and prevent ice crystals from forming. They also stop the lollies
Refined sugar is a big no-no for children, not just for health but also for teeth. And vegans don’t want to be eating lollies with hidden milk solids.
Simple Ingredients and Creative Flavours
Creating ice lollies is just a simple case of blending ingredients and pouring them into an ice lolly mould (no sticks required) then freezing. Just pop them out of the moulds (which comes with reusable handles).
Here are some simple ideas to try:
- Mango and Coconut: Blend fresh mango chunks with coconut milk for a creamy, tropical treat. It’s naturally vegan and can be sweetened lightly with a splash of agave.
- Berry and Yogurt: Mash together strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries with plain yogurt. This makes a slightly tangy lolly, packed with probiotics. Use coconut or almond yogurt for a dairy-free alternative.
- Watermelon and Mint: Puree watermelon with a handful of fresh mint leaves, then freeze for an ultra-refreshing, hydrating snack.
- Peach and Ginger: Blend ripe peaches with a little grated ginger for a zingy, spicy edge that feels unique and homemade.
Packaging, Waste, and Reusable Moulds
Store-bought ice lollies are often sold in plastic wrap, with wooden sticks. Instead you can buy good lolly moulds from all home stores, then just fill then, pop them out with the reusable sticks to eat, wash and use again.
These silicone lolly moulds are made from an easy-to-recycle food-safe alternative to plastic, these are freezer-and-dishwasher-safe. Just pour in juice, smoothies or dairy-free yoghurt, for homemade ice lollies in hours.
Where to Buy Natural Ice Lollies
If you prefer to buy (or run a shop near the sea to sell better brands), there are a couple of good ones in England:
If buying lollies, recycle most food packaging in supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.
Pip Organic makes organic ice lollies for children (and big children!), with a base of organic apple juice, blended with other fruits and a little organic guar (a natural thickener). Choose from apple, berry or tropical.
There is also a ‘hidden veg’ option for children (and big children!) who won’t eat their vegetables. These taste like fruit, but hide a blend of organic spinach, carrot, purple carrot and butternut squash inside.
Also check out Lickalix, another brand of organic fruit ice lollies, sold in plastic-free packaging. Sold in many flavours including:
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Oh So Berry
- Citrus Burst
- Mango Raspberry Swirl
- Simply Chocolate
- Natural Cola
You can even now buy real fruit Rocket Lollies from Little Judes, which are free from colourings to make your child hyperactive!
Homemade Ice Pops (in silicone packaging)
If you buy ice pops in shops, they are sold in single-use plastic. Use reusable silicone ice pop bags to make your own ice pops (Crowded Kitchen).
Make Your Own Vegan Magnums
Magnums are now the world’s most popular ice-lolly brand (a world away from lemonade ices on sticks!) But they are very expensive, and the brand is owned by Unilever, a company many choose to boycott as they make products often with factory-farmed animal products, and use animal-testing.
Try this simple recipe for a vegan caramel magnum (Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen). It’s super-simple, and once mastered, you’ll never go back! Obviously omit nuts, if necessary.
These refreshing ice lollies are made by combining a can of sparkling fruit water with 100g of oat yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of Sweet Freedom Vegan Honee. Stir in 25g of organic freeze-dried fruit, insert lolly sticks and freeze overnight.
Sweet Freedom FIZZ is a brand of soft drink (made by the company that sells those vegan sweetener syrups in stores) made with sparkling water and sweetened with cocoa juice (leftover from pulping cocoa for the chocolate industry). Gives extra income to farmers!
Check medication before consuming and avoid for pregnancy/nursing due to caffeine). You could also make these lollies with DASH sparkling water (that uses up wonky fruits).
