Creamy Strawberry Banana Popsicles

When I was a child, I remember the delight of hearing the ice cream truck coming down our street, ringing its bell while playing carnival-like music. We occasionally were able to purchase a treat, but oh how fun when we did! Is summer really summer for a child without popsicles? Okay, it is, but there’s something special about a delicious frozen treat on a hot summer day! The ice cream truck isn’t needed for the treats I’m sharing today!

Homemade popsicles are so easy and are full of good ingredients. Last week my grandson came over for a visit. Wanting to make our time together special, I thought it would be fun for him to make these popsicles. I pulled up the recipe for these treats on Taste of Home’s site, and found that the five ingredients needed were all in my pantry and freezer. He often has to miss out on purchased treats because he is highly sensitive to food dyes, and many of the frozen varieties contain artificial colors. These are all natural ingredients and he was so excited both to make them and to eat them!

I’m teaching him kitchen safety and procedures and he enjoyed doing much of the process himself with only a little guidance. They were ready for the molds in minutes!

The result was a creamy, delicious frozen treat! You could substitute with different berries for a variety of flavor combinations. Here’s the simple recipe –

Ingredients

• 1 can (13.66 ounces) coconut milk 
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, chopped, divided 
• 1 medium banana, sliced 
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 12 freezer pop molds or 12 paper cups (3 oz. each) and wooden pop sticks
• Directions
  In a blender, place coconut milk, 1-1/2 cups strawberries, banana and syrup; cover and process until smooth. Divide remaining strawberries among 12 molds or paper cups. Pour pureed mixture into molds or cups, filling three-fourths full. Top molds with holders. If using cups, top with foil and insert pop sticks through foil. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

We made half of the recipe to end up with six popsicles.

I hope you’ll complete your summer with these yummy treats!