You’re six ingredients away from these delicious and healthy strawberry creamsicles with a hint of tart rhubarb – perfect for summer!
It’s satisfying when a recipe comes together like this – minimal and seasonal ingredients, free of additives and an absurd amount of added sugar. That was my goal – a fresh, healthier, simple strawberry creamsicles that will have every age coming back for more of that nostalgic strawberry rhubarb flavor we all love.
Jump to RecipeAfter a long muggy couple of days, we needed some popsicles to have at the house. My little guy is two years old now, which means popsicles are basically a staple all summer long. Immediately, those popsicles that come in the really big packs with a variety of flavors comes to mind – we had these all the time when I was a kid and I loved them.
DIY Vs Store-Bought Creamsicles
Aha! I found them at the store and as I go to put them in the cart, the dietitian in me glances at the nutrition fact label, because you know added sugars. I about lost my mind when I saw, 20g of added sugars for ONE popsicle! That is a lot of added sugar. Basically, it’s almost 2tbsp of sugar added to just one popsicle. I looked around at other kinds and they all had at least 15g or more of added sugars. Added sugars are those that are added in during processing and are not naturally derived from the ingredients, such as fresh fruit.
So on top of the added sugar, yes, usually there is also sugar naturally derived from the fruit that is included in the recipe too. Now, I am not anti-sugar, but I personally do not think that adding in so much extra sugar to sweeten a product is necessary. There are more natural ways to sweeten foods and then there is just embracing the natural level of sweetness of some foods, such as fruit.
There are some kinds of popsicle brands that do avoid adding sugar, however only one of these brands was available where I was shopping and was a more expensive option. So I decided this was the perfect opportunity for me to make my own strawberry creamsicles, plus they are so so easy to whip up really quick. Not to mention, it’s the perfect recipe for the kids to get in on and help with.
So quick to make!
I have officially survived two under two now that my son is just over two years old! I however, have never been so busy in my lifetime. Every morning I wake up and turn on my survival mode and get after the day – sounds scary but I love this life and wouldn’t trade the beautiful chaos for a single thing. With that said, most things or recipes I made or create are done during nap times (sometimes both kids nap at the same time and days like that make me feel like I should wear a cape). This recipe is ready in minutes, then off to the freezer the strawberry creamsicles go, and they are ready in as little as 3-4 hours or once completely frozen. But also, this is perfect to include the kids and have them help stir, blend, pour, and of course taste test!
Easily Sourced Ingredients – locally & self-grown
Is there anything better than the combination of strawberry and rhubarb? Both are easy to find ingredients. I bought the strawberries locally and grow my own rhubarb. Rhubarb this time of year can be found at most farmer markets or at some grocery stores.
I added some maple syrup for some natural sweetness. I tried it without this at first but because I used nearly equal parts strawberry and rhubarb, it was a bit on the tart side. You could use more strawberries to rhubarb for a sweeter mixture. As little as 1tbsp of local maple syrup was the perfect touch of sweetness. The maple syrup is from a local family who makes their own maple products in McDonough, NY.
Now for the dairy…
Greek yogurt adds sweetness and a creamy texture. I used more yogurt to milk ratio because it helps make it a softer texture and easier for the littles to eat. If using non flavored yogurt, feel free to add a little vanilla extract if you wish for more flavor.
Coconut milk was added for its creamy texture and sweet flavor. Most popsicle recipes will call for coconut milk for texture reasons, however you can use other milk if you wish or omit milk all together. You could omit the milk, and only use greek yogurt instead. I really like the amount of both yogurt and milk used in this recipe. It balances out the tartness of the rhubarb really well too.
If you’re a breastfeeding mama and want to make a breastmilk popsicle for your little ones (6month +) then you could swap the coconut milk for breastmilk too. If you’re doing this for those less than a year, I would strain the fruit after cooking to be sure no seeds or strings from the fruit are in the popsicle. See more about that below.
Let’s Make Some Strawberry Creamsicles {with Rhubarb}!
Cook the strawberry, rhubarb, water mixture on the stovetop until soft. Once cooled, I blended the fruit mixture. You do not have to do this, however I wanted a smooth fruit center for my strawberry creamsicles, so I did. It took no more than 10 seconds. I then added maple syrup (totally optional).
Once I mixed together the yogurt and milk, I poured about a tablespoon in each popsicle mold. I then poured some of the fruit mixture in. I filled them up leaving about a 1″ headspace. Then I filled them the right to the top with more of the creamsicle mixture. Using a spoon, I stirred them up to get them a subtle swirl look. Looking back, I do wish I stirred and combined the two mixtures together more.
I put the popsicle mold on, added the popsicle sticks, and then threw the strawberry creamsicles in the freezer! They should be fully frozen in about 3-4 hours. Enjoy!
I love having little ones to taste test for me. There is nobody more honest that kids, am I right? My toddler loved these strawberry creamsicles and my nine-month-old enjoyed the treat too. It’s satisfying when a recipe comes together like this – minimal and seasonal ingredients, free of additives and an absurd amount of added sugar. That was my goal – a fresh, healthier, simple popsicle that will have every age coming back for more of that nostalgic strawberry rhubarb flavor we all love.
Strawberry Creamsicles with Rhubarb
Equipment
- blender
- popsicle mold I used a silicone mold for 12 pops
- saucepan for cooking the strawberry rhubarb mixture
Ingredients
- 1 lb strawberries, stems removed 1lb yields 3½ – 4c strawberries
- 1 lb rhubarb, cut to 1" pieces 1lb yields 3c rhubarb
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup greek yogurt, vanilla flavored
- ½ cup coconut milk
Instructions
Strawberry Rhubarb Mixture
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook strawberries, rhubarb, and water until soft. Allow to cool.
- Using a blender, blend strawberry/rhubarb mixture to desired consistency. I prefer pureeing mine to a completely smooth consistency.
- Add maple syrup. Set aside.
Creamsicle Mixture
- In a medium size bowl, combine yogurt and coconut milk.
- Using a popsicle mold, add 1-2 tablespoons of yogurt. Milk mixture to the mold. Then fill with strawberry rhubarb mixture, leaving about 1inch headspace. Add more the the creamlike mixture until the mold is full.
- Using a spoon, gently stir the contents of the mold so that the mixtures slightly combine. This will create a swirl like look. You can skip this; however, I think they taste/look better this way. Feel free to combine completely if you wish.