Frozen Pops Beyond the Basics

It’s popsicle time. Sure, make frozen pops for the kids, but don’t forget the dogs and the parents. We could all use a cool treat.

Popsicles For Kids

My kids will eat almost anything if I freeze it. My son freezes green tea. My daughter likes frozen fruit because it isn’t as overwhelmingly icy as most pops. Anything that we will put in a smoothie, we will put in a popsicle mold. Start with the basics like yogurt, fruit, and pudding then move on to advanced popsicles as you find fun new ways to freeze your treats.

• Juice with chunks of fruit
• Lemonade with edible flowers
• Almond milk with pumpkin pie spices (my son’s favorite)
• Pudding with layers of crumbled cookies
• Watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe frozen in layers for stripes
• Double dip by unmolding, adding another ingredient to the mold, then pressing the frozen pop in so the new layer covers the whole pop
• Freeze in an ice cream cone

Adults-only Popsicles

In my house, adults are more likely to like savory popsicles. Any of the cold soups I wrote about last week could be frozen. I’m a bit more willing to be adventurous with spices and unusual flavors. Don’t buy extra ingredients. Just use what you have on hand. With cocktail popsicles, the secret to getting them to freeze is: don’t add as much alcohol as you would for a mixed drink.

• Mango puree with chili sauce (beautiful flavor, add either Indian or Mexican spices)
• Red Bull
• Cocktails (Cosmopolitan or a basic mimosa)
• Freeze pureed fruit in stick-shaped ice cubes to add as stirrers to regular cocktails
• Kahlua yogurt
• Straight up frozen coffee
• Apple, orange, and spices like wassail (my husband’s suggestion)

Frozen Treats for Dogs

My hairy dogs have not yet had their summer haircuts, and they have welcomed ice cubes every day. If you are going to feed your dog ice cubes or dog pops, stay with them and take the pops away once they get small enough to choke on. My dogs don’t chew the ice cubes or pick them up in their mouths. They just lick and chase the ice cubes around until they leave them to melt in a puddle on my carpet, which is (sort of) fine if they are just water. Some of these dog pops are definitely outdoor treats. Just start with what your dog loves, avoid what your dog shouldn’t love, and add enough water that the mixture will freeze.

• Peanut butter (the dog pop basic ingredient)
• Water from a roasting pan (after I save what I can for humans, I add water and give the pan to the dogs)
• Any kind of meatsicle (we save organ meats, blend them up, and make frozen doggy treats from those)
• Bananas and apples
• Raw carrots
• Yogurt in small amounts

When I realized I could freeze almost anything for anyone and call it a treat, this opened up a whole new world of summer snacks for my family. Try it! And, stay cool.