As the days start to warm up, frozen desserts start to sound extra-tempting. This collection of ice cream and popsicle recipes really got my mouth watering, and might inspire you to pick up a new set of popsicle molds (and a copy of my How to Make Frozen Yogurt cookbook!) for the season.
- Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved the orange and vanilla flavor combination of the creamsicle. It has just the right balance of citrus and cream, and I tend to enjoy any treat that captures its flavor, like my Creamsicle Cupcakes. Use Real Butter has another idea for creamsicle fans: Orange Creamsicle Frozen Yogurt. This recipe is presented in two ways, with the ice cream and orange elements blended together and with the two separated and swirled. The flavors are delicious both ways, but one way gives you a more dramatic scoop when you go to serve it and the other saves a little time on prep when you’re in a hurry. If you have the time, why not make two batches and try them both?
- No-churn ice cream is a fantastic option for frozen desserts if you don’t have an ice cream maker. And even if you do have one, easy no-churn recipes are still a fun way to make dessert. Keep It Sweet Desserts made some No-Churn Cookie Butter Ice Cream that is a very indulgent – yet very easy – dish to treat yourself with on a hot day. The ice cream is flavored with cookie butter, also known as Biscoff spread, so it has a rich brown sugar and spice flavor to it. To give the ice cream a little texture, crushed speculoos/Biscoff cookies are folded in. You can also sprinkle some on top when you’re serving for some extra crunch!
- Pina coladas are the kind of drinks that transport you to the side of a pool in some exotic location when you take that first sip. You can get away any time if you stock your fridge with a batch of Pina Colada Popsicles from Curry and Comfort. The popsicles are made with fresh pineapple, coconut cream, pineapple juice and shredded coconut – no artificial ingredients or mixes. A splash of lime brings out the sweetness of the pineapple, while the coconut cream gives the popsicles a satisfying richness. If you’re making these for grown ups, you can add in a splash or two of rum, or serve them up with just the fruit for a treat everyone can enjoy.
- Power smoothies that feature a wide array of fruits and vegetables are very popular right now, and while smoothies are great summer treats, they’re still not as refreshing as a popsicle. Fortunately, you can take a cue from The View from Great Island and turn your smoothies into multi-layered Power Striped Popsicles. For these popsicles, the elements that would normally go into a smoothie are whipped up separately to preserve their color - kale, banana, coconut, pineapple, berries, etc. – and they are layered into popsicle molds. They are time consuming to make because each layer must be frozen before the next is added, but the resulting pops are impressive! Be sure to make a big batch so you won’t have to repeat the process too soon after you start eating them.
- Pistachio ice cream was never my favorite growing up, but that was largely because of the pistachio flavoring used in many commercial ice creams. Once I tried ice cream made with real pistachios, it was a whole new ballgame. Floating Kitchen‘s Pistachio Dark Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is a real treat for pistachio ice cream lovers and for those who didn’t know they were pistachio ice cream lovers. The ice cream is made with homemade pistachio paste, which infuses a lot of pistachio goodness into the silken ice cream base. Finely chopped dark chocolate, rather than chocolate chips, is churned in to give the ice cream a delightfully speckled look and add yet another layer of flavor to each scoop.