Beat the heat with bold, refreshing, and totally irresistible frozen treats! Whether you’re craving something fruity, creamy, boozy or even fabulously caffeinated, Awesome Ice Pops by Andrew Chase has you covered with creative recipes that are anything but ordinary. This playful cookbook transforms your freezer into a flavor lab, perfect for hot summer days and adventurous taste buds. In this blog, we’re diving into three of our favorite ice pop recipes from the book—Cherry Ice Pops, Margarita Ice Pops, and Vietnamese Coffee Ice Pops, each guaranteed to bring a smile (and a chill) to your summer routine. Ready to freeze your way to happiness?
Cherry Ice Pops
Unlike artificially flavored commercial ice pops, these ones taste of real cherries — a beautiful summer treat.
MAKES ABOUT 6 TO 9 ICE POPS
Ingredients
Fine-mesh sieve
3 cups (750 mL) whole sweet cherries (generous 1 lb/500 g), pitted
1 cup + 2 tbsp (280 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
4 tsp (20 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine cherries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until cherries are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Strain through sieve placed over a large measuring cup, pressing down and scraping solids with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to extract as much pulp and juice as possible. Discard skins. Whisk in lemon juice and set aside to cool.
- Pour into molds and freeze until slushy, then insert sticks and freeze until solid, for at least 4 hours. If you are using an ice pop kit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Margarita Ice Pops
Turn happy hour into a frozen fiesta with these zesty, boozy Margarita Ice Pops—your favorite cocktail on a stick!
MAKES ABOUT 6 TO 9 ICE POPS
Ingredients
11/3 cups (325 mL) water
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
2 strips (each 1/2 by 2 inches/1 by 5 cm) lime zest
Pinch salt
2/3 cup (150 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tbsp (45 mL) gold or white tequila
11/2 tbsp (22 mL) orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Triple Sec
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, lime zest and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a measuring cup and set aside to cool. Discard lime zest. Stir in lime juice, tequila and liqueur.
- Pour into molds and freeze until slushy, then insert sticks and freeze until solid, for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. If you are using an ice pop kit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Tip
Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice in your ice pops; bottled just doesn’t compare
Vietnamese Coffee Ice Pops
Filtered coffee is very popular in Vietnam. It is brewed using small metal filters over individual cups or glasses. For making iced coffee, the filter is placed directly over a tall, ice-filled glass holding a generous amount of sweetened condensed milk
MAKES ABOUT 8 TO 11 ICE POPS
Ingredients
2 cups (500 mL) filter/drip-brewed strong Vietnamese coffee
1/2 cup (125 mL) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup (60 mL) heavy or whipping
(35%) cream
As seen in
Instructions
- In a large heatproof measuring cup, whisk together coffee, condensed milk and cream. Set aside to cool.
- Pour into molds and freeze until slushy, then insert sticks and freeze until solid, for at least 4 hours. If you are using an ice pop kit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Tips
In Vietnam, coffee is made with a blend of dark-roasted Arabica beans, much like French coffee, and more than often flavored with chocolate or cocoa, but in the North American Vietnamese community, New Orleans–style dark roast blended with roasted chicory has become the coffee of choice. You can find imported Vietnamese coffee and New Orleans chicory coffee at Asian supermarkets. New Orleans–style chicory coffee is also available at many supermarkets. Both are available by mail order.
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