Summer Fun Fruity Ice Pops

Ice pops are quick and easy treats that everybody loves – especially kids. Puree and freeze any fruit or vegetable or even turn your favorite shake into a summertime treat! The combinations are endless! Sometimes we go nuts with flavors here because we have a lot of things growing on the farm and why not get inventive? Never turn up your nose at the basics though, because they’re delicious, too. We have children here so we use those silly ice pop molds, but you can use ice trays instead. Just pop in the blender and liquify for a delicious frozen smoothie when you’re in the mood. Keep in mind that if you use fruit that is naturally stringy or fibrous like mango, you might want to strain it first.

We have made just about every combination of pop under the sun this summer. Honorable mentions are lychee, kiwi, POG (pineapple, orange, guava), passion fruit, all melons, grapes (try to get black concords), sour cherries and coconut. After I make something with any of these fruits I throw the left-overs in together and try and squeeze out a couple of fruit punch pops for good measure. This is a great thing to do with whatever pulp is left behind by juicing, too. NEVER throw it out! That’s an ice-pop in the making!

In addition to these pops I have also made ice “milk” pops through infusing herbs, zests and flowers. I mainly use almond “milk” in my pops, because it doesn’t have a very strong taste. Occassionally I’ll use oat milk since it has a thicker base and adds a more creamy texture. Finally, on rare occasions, we’ll make pistachio “milk” pops; they’re delicious with some lightly dehydrated cherries to make their flavor stand out even more. A lavender and blueberry ice pop will make you wonder what took you so long to make this unbelievable combination. Raw cacao and mint is a house favorite, too. But, honestly, I have yet to get a bad review from our personal peanut gallery, and they are my taste testers. Let’s face it: you can’t really go wrong when it comes to ice pops!

RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Summer Fun Fruity Ice Pops

Watermelon with Mexican Tajin Ice Pops

Summer isn’t summer in Los Angeles without the fruit vendors who serve cups full of Mexican spiced goodness. The taste of watermelon is enhanced with any salted flavor, but it really pops in this delicious treat.

2 cups pulsed seedless watermelon

½ juiced small lime or one Key lime

¼ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp each of dried Mexican chili (jalapeño, hatch or Anaheim & tabasco…or you can buy the spice combo)

Pulverize the dry ingredients together and separately pulse the wet ingredients together keeping it chunky. Sprinkle a little of the spice mixture on the bottom and pour the liquid in and freeze.

*this is also delicious with pineapple and mango.

“Papaya King” NYC Ice Pops

Anyone that’s had this amazing tasting drink will attest that it’s sweet with tart undertones. The enzymes in the papaya help with digestion so it was the perfect combination to serve with the hot dogs they were very famous for. Of course, for our own purposes, we’re going to forego the hot dogs. These pops stand on their own!

1 cup pureed papaya

1 cup pulsed strawberries

Blend together, pour and freeze.