Strawberry Banana Popsicles

What’s the best way to beat the heat? A no-bake strawberry dessert! Turning fruit into frozen treats is a great way to use strawberries before they go bad or repurpose overly ripe fruit. These strawberry banana popsicles are naturally sweetened and dairy-free, and they require just four ingredients and 10 minutes to prepare.

Canned coconut milk makes fruit popsicles ultra-rich and creamy—almost like ice cream on a stick! Plus, it adds a subtle sweetness and a hint of tropical flavor. Just blend strawberries and bananas with coconut milk and a touch of maple syrup, then pour the mixture into freezer pop molds. We also spoon a few chopped strawberries into the molds so each refreshing ice pop is studded with pieces of real fruit.

Ingredients for Strawberry Banana Popsicles

• Coconut milk: Canned coconut milk has a thick, creamy texture that makes these pops more indulgent than icy fruit pops. If you open the can and find a solid layer floating on the milk, don’t toss it! That’s coconut cream, and using both the cream and the milk in this recipe yields smooth, rich pops with tropical flavor.
• Strawberries: This recipe calls for a pint of fresh strawberries, but thawed and unsweetened frozen berries are a good substitution when it’s not peak berry season. If you’re using fresh, thoroughly clean the strawberries and hull them before blending them with the other ingredients.
• Banana: A banana adds flavor, natural sweetness and extra creaminess to these coconut milk and strawberry popsicles. For the most flavor and sweetness, use a ripe banana with a yellow peel or one that’s started to develop brown spots.
• Maple syrup: These banana strawberry popsicles don’t need much sweetener since the fruit is naturally sweet. Two tablespoons of pure maple syrup (not to be confused with pancake syrup) add a hint of sweetness without cloying.
• Freezer pop molds or paper cups and wooden pop sticks: This recipe yields a dozen banana strawberry popsicles, so you’ll need twelve molds or paper cups for freezing. If using cups, we recommend cups with a 3-ounce capacity, wooden sticks labeled food-safe and heavy-duty aluminum foil to help keep the sticks straight and centered.

Directions

Step 1: Blend the ingredients

Place the coconut milk, 1-1/2 cups strawberries, banana and maple syrup in a blender. Cover and puree until smooth.

Editor’s Tip: If you prefer to remove the strawberry seeds, pour the pureed mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

Step 2: Fill the molds, then freeze

Divide the remaining chopped strawberries among the freezer molds or 3-ounce paper cups. Pour in the fruit mixture, filling each mold three-quarters full.

Top the molds with holders. If using cups, cover each with a piece of foil and insert a wooden pop stick through a slit in the center of the foil. Freeze until firm, at least four hours.

Editor’s Tip: Run freezer pop molds under warm water before serving to make the popsicles easier to remove. Let paper cup pops sit at room temperature for five minutes before serving to loosen them.

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Recipe Variations

• Use a different milk: Not a fan of coconut? Replace the coconut milk with 1-2/3 cup whole milk or use another nondairy alternative, such as oat or soy milk.
• Make all-fruit pops: For 100% fruit pops, use fruit juice, such as orange or pineapple juice, instead of coconut milk and omit the maple syrup. Note that popsicles made with juice instead of milk will have an icy vs. creamy texture.
• Dip ’em in chocolate: Once frozen, unmold the pops, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and coat them with homemade magic shell. Pop the baking sheet in the freezer until the chocolate coating hardens, then serve or wrap the popsicles for storage.
• Change the berries: Instead of strawberries, make blueberry-banana or raspberry-banana popsicles.
• Try a flavor booster: Blend 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond or coconut extract with the fruit and milk for a more complex flavor.

How to Store Strawberry Banana Popsicles

If you expect to eat all the banana strawberry popsicles within a few days, you can store them in the freezer in their molds or cups. If you plan on storing the pops longer than that, we recommend unmolding the popsicles, wrapping them tightly in storage wrap, and keeping them in a freezer-safe bag or container to prevent freezer burn.

How long do strawberry banana popsicles last?

Coconut milk fruit popsicles will last in the freezer for up to three months, but the longer they’re stored, the icier they’ll become. For the best flavor and texture, we recommend enjoying these pops sooner rather than later!

Strawberry Banana Popsicle Tips

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Can I make these pops with frozen strawberries?

Yes, you can make these frozen pops with frozen berries. Frozen fruit is a great option when fresh strawberries aren’t in season or you have leftover frozen fruit to use. To achieve a smooth puree, partially thaw frozen strawberries before blending them with the other ingredients.

How do you make popsicles without a mold?

There are lots of ways to make popsicles without a mold. We recommend small, 3-ounce plastic or paper cups as an alternative to popsicle molds in this recipe, but you can also use a muffin tin lined with foil cupcake wrappers, an ice cube tray or a silicone baby food mold. You can even wash and repurpose individual-sized yogurt containers to make popsicles.

How do you keep the popsicle sticks straight without a mold?

If you’re freezing popsicles in individual cups, heavy-duty aluminum foil will make it much easier to get the sticks to stand up straight. After filling, tightly wrap each cup with a square of foil and poke a popsicle stick straight into the center. The foil will help prevent the sticks from moving. You can do the same thing with muffin or ice cube trays—just cover the entire tray with a large piece of foil and poke the sticks into each pop.