cheap eats [popsicles]

There are few things easier than whipping up a popsicle. You can take almost anything you like to eat, blend it up, pour it into a mold (or Dixie cup, or ice cube tray), give it a few hours, and enjoy. What better way to kick off July than with a frozen treat?

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My newest creation? Almond milk and cookie dough. I made these chocolate chip cookies for a care package for D, and had some dough left over (DARNIT, don't you hate when that happens?). I had homemade almond milk in the fridge (more on that over here), which is only good for a few days anyway, so it was the perfect base. I added some sugar to the plain almond milk and popped it in the freezer. After about 2 hours, I added chopped up bits of cookie dough- you can add it right from the start, but it will settle on the bottom- waiting a bit allows it to distribute more evenly.

I appreciate how customizable ice pops are, both for the flavor of ingredients and the health factor. I've seen coconut milk used as a lactose-free, vegan option, like here and here. To cut down on the fat, you can substitute coconut water for some (or even all!) of the coconut milk. Another healthy way to achieve a creamy texture is to use bananas- I'm sure many of you have heard of "nice" cream, an ice-cream-like treat made by blending frozen bananas. This recipe for PB&J popsicles uses frozen bananas as the base, which I think sounds delicious.

This recipe calls for whipped cream, bourbon, and yogurt, and this one goes for the gold, using ice cream as the base. I can't wait to try these vanilla mint lemonade pops, which use lemon juice and water as the base. Heck, I remember having plain 'ol frozen orange juice popsicles when I was younger- blend up a banana or mango with some OJ for a more interesting flavor.

And finally, breakfast pops. That's a thing, apparently.