There’s not much better than a frosty treat on a hot day, is there? Popsicles are my favorite! Not the artificially dyed, sugary water kind, but the kind that are made from just a few real food ingredients, like these, made with fresh strawberries, probiotic-rich dairy kefir, honey, and carob chips. What could be easier than whirling it all together in the blender for a minute, pouring them in a mold, and popping them in the freezer for a few hours? The most difficult part is being patient while you’re waiting for them to freeze!
Honestly, I almost feel like I’m cheating by calling this a recipe, because it’s basically a frozen-smoothie-on-a-stick, and who needs a recipe for a smoothie? On the other hand, it’s really nice not to feel guilty for eating a popsicle for breakfast!
A word on popsicle molds – I have a BPA-free plastic mold that makes 10 pops, which I purchased on Amazon a few summers ago. Even though it’s plastic, I really like it because I think it’s a good size and I like the shape as well. If you don’t feel comfortable using plastic, there are some nice stainless steel options out there, and I’ve seen a few silicone push-pop type molds as well. Of course, all you really need to make a popsicle is a small container and a stick. Maybe you have a popover pan hiding in the back of your cabinet? Even paper cups will work! (Kimi- My Amazon partner does carry a variety of fun BPA-free popsicle molds, everything from this cute bug version, to this awesome silicone ice pop mold. They also carry these stainless steel versions, which I own.)
A few notes about the recipe: The strawberries I used were very sweet, which meant I could be light-handed with the honey. Because dairy kefir can be a bit tangy and not everyone loves the taste, it’s best to taste the mixture to make sure it’s sweet enough for you and your family. If you need a dairy-free option, I’m sure that substituting an equal amount of your favorite dairy alternative for the kefir will work just fine. And if you choose to include carob or chocolate chips, it’s best to go with mini-chips or shave pieces off a bar of chocolate. Even then, they may all settle at the bottom of the blender, so you might need to stir them through just before pouring into the molds. This recipe made enough to fill all 10 c0mpartments of my mold, which are 3 oz each.
- 2 cups dairy kefir
- 1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 3 TB honey
- ¼ cup carob or chocolate chips, optional
- In a blender, combine kefir, strawberries, honey, and carob or chocolate chips, if using.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into popsicle mold - don't forget to pop a stick in there too! - and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
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I haven’t tried freezing smoothies to make popsicles. I will have to give it a go.
Usually I use juices or pureed fruit.
These look divie! Might try it with dark chocolate or white chocolate chips 🙂
my summer fave’s been a coconut milk/strawberry combo. vid recipe coming soon 😉 cheers kimi!
We’ve made kefir popsicles for a while and love them! Does anyone know if freezing kills the beneficial bacteria and enzymes in the kefir? Just curious.
I don’t know the answer to that for “certain-sure” 🙂 but some people say it does, some say it doesn’t. I know this – I keep my cheese cultures in the freezer, and they always work fine. I’d think that if freezing killed the bacteria, they wouldn’t work..?
These look so delicious. I really love that people have found a way to get kefir into frozen products. I’d love to try some kefir ice cream too! Being able to get probiotics from these treats that would usually be considered bad for you is a great trade off in my opinion! Thanks for sharing your recipe!