Personalized frozen pops

Make your own frozen pops at home, specially prepared for each child!

I try to avoid “one trick ponies” in the kitchen in favor of gadgets or utensils that serve as real work horses. Using multi-functional tools saves time and money and makes my kitchen more efficient. For example, rather than buying an ice pop mold, limited in function and taking up kitchen real estate year-round, I use small Ziploc containers.

We tend to make small batches of frozen treats using leftover fruit, tailoring each one to the person’s flavor preferences. The single-serving dreamsicle pop and lime-kissed watermelon pop recipes below are two of our favorites.

Personalize the pops further by writing a message or name on the stick. It’s a fun way to share encouragement or laughter — or to simply designate who the frozen treat belongs to.

Dreamsicle pop

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup orange segments (about 1 large orange)
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into an XS Ziploc plastic container and move to the freezer.
2. Once the top of the pop begins to freeze — one to two hours — insert a wooden craft stick 3/4 of the way into the container. Eat when fully frozen, after about five hours.

Lime-kissed watermelon pop

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped, fresh watermelon
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Directions:

1. Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into an XS Ziploc plastic container and move to the freezer.
2. Once the top of the pop begins to freeze — one to two hours — insert a wooden craft stick 3/4 of the way into the container. Eat when fully frozen, after about five hours.

More cold summer treats

Frozen banana bites
Frozen and creamy watermelon pops
Summer treats — Fun fruit shakes