Red, White + Blueberry Whole Fruit Popsicles
Red, White + Blueberry Whole Fruit Popsicles are everything you expect from a popsicle! Bright fruit flavor, the right amount of sweetness and icy goodness to beat the summer heat.
Red, White + Blue Popsicles Made with Whole Fruit
Summer is prime time for popsicles. Not just because it’s hot, but because fresh fruit is amazing in summer! And, when it’s super ripe and juicy, zipping it into a puree for homemade popsicles is a no-brainer.
Of course, these are a nod to all the patriotic holidays that summer brings as well…strawberries, white peaches and blueberries make ideal stand-ins for artificial food dyes. Win!
Break out the blender and make some popsicles!
Ingredients for Whole Fruit Popsicles
- Sugar syrup — 1:1 syrup using water and granulated sugar. When we freeze foods, they tend to taste less sweet when eaten in their frozen state, so we’re adding some sugar to balance this effect.
- The fruit — strawberries, white peaches and blueberries. White nectarines would also work.
- Lemon juice — a little of this fruity acid gives the ice pops a bit of tartness and brings out the fruit flavors.
That’s it!
Special Equipment
The popsicle molds I use have 10 cavities, each holding about 3-1/4 oz. Depending on the type or size of molds you use, you might need to tweak things a little, but I have faith you’l figure that out!
In addition, you’ll need a large pot to boil water, a bowl to make an ice bath and a mini food processor or blender.
You’ll be blending each of the fruits separately, and they don’t require much space. My high-speed blender also fits a small smoothie cup and that was the perfect size. Something like a Magic Bullet is similar. If you only have a standard size blender or processor, don’t fret…it’ll still work!
How Make Red White + Blueberry Popsicles
- Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute, stir, cook another minute, stir again until the sugar is dissolved. Set it aside to cool.
- Boil a pot of water. Blanch the peaches for 30 seconds, then shock them in a bowl of ice water. This process makes it easier to peel the skin away. Remove the pits and chop the peaches.
- Blend each fruit with some lemon juice and simple syrup, pouring them one at a time into the popsicle molds. Start with the strawberries, add a slice or two of fresh strawberry to that layer. Add the peach puree. Drop a couple fresh blueberries in, then pour in the blueberry puree.
- Cover the molds and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.
Substitutions…Because Options are Nice!
- Instead of white peaches — You could use yellow peaches or nectarines instead (but Red, Orangeyish + Blueberry Popsicles just doesn’t have the same ring). My son was seriously lobbying for dragonfruit, but I think that’s a popsicle for another day. 😉 Pears might be really nice, too…although, you’ll probably need canned or frozen pears this time of year.
- Red fruit — Raspberries, cherries, pomegranate…even beets (cooked first)!
- Blue-ish fruit — blackberries, currants, elderberries.
- Sugar — you’ll need about 3/4 cup of simple syrup, but you could substitute honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, or other alternatives for the sugar…just as long as your final volume is 3/4 cup.
Check Out These Other Fruit-Forward Recipes!
- Mango Lime Popsicles with Kiwi
- Mini Fresh Peach Pavlovas with Fuzzy Navel Syrup
- Spiced Honey + Wine Poached Pear Pie
- Strawberry Lemon Pound Cake Ring
- Summer Berry + Moscato Jam
- Giant Strawberry Shortcake Dessert with Puff Pastry
- No Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert
Red, White + Blueberry Whole Fruit Popsicles
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup white peaches, or white nectarines, about 2 or 3 whole fruits
- 1 cup strawberries, chopped
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 whole strawberries, sliced
- 1¼ cup blueberries, divided
Instructions
- Make a simple syrup by combining 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar in a microwave safe container. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and cook an additional minute. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Bring a pot of water to a full boil, then reduce to a simmer. (Prepare an ice bath while the water heats up.) Carefully lower the peaches into the water and blanch for about 30 seconds. Remove them to the ice bath to cool. Peel the skin away by hand. Cut a small slit with a pairing knife if needed. Cut the peach in half and twist it away from the pit, then chop and measure out 1 cup.
- Using a mini food processor or small blender, puree the chopped strawberries with 2 tsp of lemon juice and 4 tbsp of simple syrup. Pour the strawberry puree into the popsicle molds. Place a couple of sliced strawberries into each mold, pressing it against the sides and not submerging them completely into the strawberry puree (this is so we can see strawberry slices peeking out once the popsicles are unmolded). Pop this into the freezer and move on to the next fruit.
- Rinse the bowl of the food processor or blender and repeat with the peaches, blending them with 2 tsp of lemon juice and 3 tbsp of simple syrup. Pour this into the popsicle molds. Drop a few whole blueberries into each mold. Pop back in the freezer.
- Rinse and repeat with the blueberries. Again, blending them with 2 tsp of lemon juice and 3 tbsp of simple syrup. Pour this into the molds.
- Cover and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.