If you’ve been on Pinterest recently, you’ve probably run across the beautiful photos of ice pops that have been making the rounds recently. With fresh fruit popping out of the sides, they look healthy and delicious, so I started clicking to get some recipes. Every one mentioned getting your our Zoku. Since I’m always up on the latest cool gadgets, I Googled “What is a Zoku?” and found out it’s an “instant” ice pop maker.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m susceptible to advertising and beautiful pictures, so I immediately wanted one…. the I did the research.
Pictured - Left: Fruit Punch with bananas, grapes, and pear slices. Right: Strawberry Creamsicle with pear slices.
The single Zoku makes one ice pop in 8-10 minutes and cost about $26. Now yes, that’s instantly frozen, so that’s quick, but I had visions of my 2 other kids screaming for the 8-10 minutes while I made theirs or me attempting to make a dozen to keep in the freezer. It didn’t sound fun. There’s also a Zoku duo ($36.99) and a Zoku ($49.95) that makes 3 ice pops at a time. And then there is the tool kit ($19.99), extra sticks ($11.99), storage case ($19.99), and character kit ($14.99). When all said and done, I figured the first three ice pops I made would be some pretty expensive ice pops and we all know I’m cheap frugal. Now there is a less expensive version from Hamilton Beach for only $32, but it has horrible reviews across the internet.
I also found out that you can’t use the Zoku to make sugar-free ice pops. And, even though it makes one ice pop in 8-10 minutes, you have to freeze the entire Zoku in your freezer for 24 hours before using it, plus refrozen between batches if you take too much time making them pretty.
I got it into my head that I could make those beautiful fruit ice pops without a Zoku. The tricky part was getting the fruit to stick to the side of the ice pop mold and getting it to stay there while I poured in the juice, but I’m happy to say I succeeded!
My hodge podge of ingredients. I didn't use them all, but I wanted to see what I had to have some fun with, before I started.
What you’ll need:
- Popsicle Molds
- Cutting Board
- Lemon Juice
- Small Knifes and/or Cookie Cutters
- Ingredients (juices, liquids, yogurt, pudding, honey, fresh fruit, etc…)
How to get started:
If you plan to use fruit, which is completely optional, the first thing you’ll need to do is pour a little water into each slot of the ice pop molds and then pour it out. Next, set them on their side in the freezer while you cut the fruit. Put the side you plan to put the fruit on down.
The goal here isn’t to get them soaked, but to create a very thin layer of ice along one wall that will act as an adhesive to the fruit. Even if you can’t see the water, there are droplets that will work perfectly.
Make sure your final pieces will fit into your molds!
While your thin layer of ice freezes, start getting creative with your fruit. Cut the fruit into thin (very thin) layers. Use a cookie cutter or small knife to cut them into shapes for the ice pops. Make sure to place them on the cutting board, since you’ll have to press hard on cookie cutters to cut through thicker fruits like pears. Of course, help small children. My 5 year old *thinks* she’s old enough to use a knife herself, but gets a bit too wild creative if not guided.
While you get creative, place the cut pieces of fruit in a small bowl of lemon juice to soak, so the don’t turn brown. Plus, the lemon juice ads a light layer of liquid to the fruit to help it stick to the thin layer of ice currently freezing in the molds.
It’s time to get creative once again. Pull the mold out of the freezer and place it on it’s side the same way you had it in the freezer. Slide your fruit in the molds. Lay them flat against the side that’s down. You can create designs, like my daughter did, or simply lay them in there, like I did. Put them back in the freezer, fruit-side down, while you whip up your ice pop bases.
Mixing up Cookies & Cream Ice Pops (They were AMAZING!)
Since this entire thing is really about creativity, it’s time to get creative again. The best part about whipping up ice pop bases is that you get to taste them. In fact, I encourage it, because the way they taste now is exactly the way they’ll taste when they are frozen, just a bit colder. So, you can decide now if they need more vanilla or orange juice. Remember, less is more. You can always add more ingredients, but it’s a bit harder to fix if you add too much of one.
Here’s a few recipes we loved from our batch:
CLICK HERE to get the rest of this delicious recipe!
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