DIY Freezer Pops (Ice Pops) have turned me into a summer hero at home. All five of my boys adore those little frozen tubes of sweet refreshment. If left unchecked, they’d plow through an entire bulk box in a single day and parade the empty wrappers like trophies.
I’m not one to let them get their daily calories from sugar, artificial colors, and food dye alone, so I came up with a better solution: homemade DIY Freezer Pops (Ice Pops).
Making freezer pops at home feels clever for many reasons. It’s a great way to use up small amounts of juices, smoothies, dessert sauces, and other beverages that would otherwise go to waste. Plus, you control the ingredients, so they can be healthier than the store-bought alternatives.
Here are container options for making DIY Freezer Pops, listed approximately from most to least expensive:
- Zipsicle zip-top ice pop pouches. I love these. They run about $9 for 36 pouches. They’re reusable, resealable, and let you fill pops with higher-quality ingredients. A small funnel makes filling easy. Mind the maximum fill line so they seal properly. They’re roughly the size of standard store freezer pops and are made of BPA-free material.
Bonus: neoprene sleeves are available to insulate finished pops so they stay frozen longer and are comfortable to hold—handy if you ever freeze cocktails or other liquids that might leak in thinner bags. - FRIOPOP disposable ice candy bags. These are an affordable disposable option (about $9 for 100). They hold a larger portion, which kids like, and are relatively easy to fill using a funnel. Closing them is a little trickier: I hold the top of the bag cinched around the funnel, rest the bag in a tall glass, and pour until the liquid is about two inches from the top. Then ease out the funnel, twist the top, and secure with a twist tie or rubber band. For a more finished look, small battery-operated heat sealers work well and also reseal snack bags.
- Snack-size zipper-top bags. Readily available and inexpensive, these are a last-resort option for homemade freezer pops. They’re small and awkward to eat from, and sealing them filled with liquid can be fiddly.
Bonus: neoprene sleeves are available to insulate finished pops so they stay frozen longer and are comfortable to hold—handy if you ever freeze cocktails or other liquids that might leak in thinner bags.Now that you know what to freeze them in, here are some favorite fillings to try:
- Leftover iced coffee (with or without milk and sweetener)
- Leftover iced chai
- Any leftover tea—Earl Grey is especially nice
- Fruit juices—unsweetened grape, pineapple, apple, or pear are favorites
- Extra smoothie—if you make a big batch, freeze the leftovers for later
- Leftover dessert sauces—fruit coulis and purees freeze beautifully
- Leftover soda—turn a nearly-flat soda into a refreshing frozen treat
- Irish coffee pops—mix coffee with Irish cream and a touch of sweetened condensed milk
- Cocktails—Moscow Mule, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Margarita, Tequila Sunrise, and similar drinks freeze well in zip-style pouches for adult pops
Do you make your own DIY freezer pops? What do you freeze in yours? If you haven’t tried yet, which of these ideas would you start with?
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