Fruit popsicles (paletas) are nice. And refreshing. But sometimes in life, you just need to treat yo’ self. With a deliciously rich, addictive, Creamy Vanilla Popsicle. Use this easy recipe to make decadent, easy Creamy Vanilla Popsicles and then use it as a base for 5 Awesome Flavor combinations to take advantage of that summer fruit bounty, and to delight kids and adults alike on a hot summer day! (RECIPE + VIDEO)
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I have already declared this as the Summer of Popsicles. We are staring down the barrel of a very hot, sticky, humid summer and for the next three months, I’ve got a long list of popsicle recipes to share with you. And eat. And repeat.
And you guys are more than welcome to join me! 🙂
Last week, I shared the recipe for these gorgeous technicolor, ombre Peach Melba Popsicles (Thyme, Peach and Raspberry Popsicles) that are a lightened up, refreshing, fruity version of the classic peach melba dessert. As I’m writing this, Mr K is happily obliging my request to free up some space in the freezer by eating some of the popsicles stashed in there. I wasn’t kidding when I said that there was a lot more where those peach melba popsicles came from! 🙂
Today I’m sharing the recipe (plus a short recipe video!), for a series of popsicles that you guys are going to absolutely adore! I wanted something more creamy and indulging than the fruity peach melba popsicles and with these Easy, Creamy Vanilla Popsicles in 5 awesome flavors, you’re going to get exactly that and a whole lot more! These are honestly some of the creamiest, most rich and delicious popsicles I’ve ever had. Perfect treat for a hot summer day – for kids and adults alike.
Yes, creamy popsicles are addictive on their own. Last year, I made these Brown Butter Butterscotch Oreo Popsicles that were so addictive, they were bordering on felonious. Creamy vanilla popsicles are no different. They are creamy, rich ice cream on a stick – what’s not to love about that?? I certainly can’t get enough of ’em, and they even made an appearance in my Iced Coffee Soda Float recipe from a couple of weeks ago. 🙂
But variety is the decadence of life, and today I’m sharing recipes for 5 different and freakin’ awesome flavors of popsicle that you can make, using that creamy vanilla popsicle as a base.
Blueberry Vanilla Popsicle
Cherry Vanilla Popsicle
M&M Vanilla Popsicle
Peaches and Cream Popsicle
Cookies and Cream Popsicle
And these are just the tip of the iceberg of flavor combinations that you can play around with using that creamy vanilla base. A few options that I have already made and loved (but not included in this post) are,
Strawberry Vanilla Popsicle
TIM TAM Vanilla Popsicle (People! Seriously… CRUSHED TIM TAMS!!)
Mango and Cream Popsicle
Chocolate Chip Vanilla Popsicle
Blackberry Vanilla Popsicle.
And there’s so much more! Summer + a bounty of fresh fruits in season = popsicle heaven. That my friend, is more real than any of Einstein’s or Newton’s equations. 🙂
These easy, creamy vanilla popsicles are a basic, foolproof recipe that you can use as a base to create any number of flavor combinations using whatever fruits that you have access to. Let your imagination run wild. 🙂
Alright, so let’s talk about these super easy, creamy vanilla popsicles for a moment.
These are made with a simple vanilla custard pudding base, and mixed with lightly whipped cream. This is the creamy vanilla base for ALL of these flavored popsicles.
If you simply want plain vanilla popsicles, this recipe makes about 8. But if you’re the more adventurous kind and want to entertain some kids, the flavor combinations are a great way to go, and this recipe will then yield about 10 popsicles with those additions. You can use fresh or frozen fruits here. About 2 tbsp of fruit compote are needed per 2 popsicles (of that particular fruity flavor). I usually use extra fruits though, because I end up adding the extra fruits (and fruit compote) as toppings on our weekend French toast brunch.
So the formula that works for me for these popsicles is,
3 oz of fruit + 1 tsp of sugar + 1 tsp lemon juice (optional), and heat the fruits until soft and the liquid is syrupy. This is true for every fruit I have worked with so far – you can halve this if you choose (which should give you little over 2 heaped tbsp) – but I always make extra for my French Toast!
I am all for paletas (fruit popsicles), but sometimes in life, you just want to treat yo’ self, you know. And that’s where these deliciously creamy popsicles come into play. And with 5 awesome flavor combinations, you’re spoiled for choice! What’ll be your favorite flavor combo? 🙂
I love the creamy and fruity contrast in these fruit rippled popsicles, especially when you come across those juicy, sweet chunks of fruit in the middle. Ahhh…. those are moments to savor.
For all the chocoholics out there – you guys will love the M&M and Cookies and Cream popsicles. Those gorgeous rainbow colors you get in the M&M popsicles can’t hurt either.
My personal favorite from these combinations is Cherry and Vanilla. 🙂 I CANNOT get enough of those juicy, sweet cherry chunks in there and that glorious red and pink ripple.
Mr K’s personal favorite is the Blueberry and Vanilla, for about the same reasons that I liked Cherry and Vanilla. Except he liked the flavor of blueberries more.
Peaches and Cream are a classic flavor combo and you get delicious bits of peaches studded in the creamy vanilla popsicle. Can’t go wrong with that.
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Ingredients:
Vanilla Popsicle Base
- 1 cup of milk I prefer full cream milk or half and half
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or good quality vanilla extract
- ½ cup of sugar (100g of sugar)
- A generous pinch of salt or ¼ tsp kosher salt, if you like salty sweet treats
- 1 cup of whipping cream
Blueberry Vanilla Popsicles
- 3 oz fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Cherry Vanilla Popsicles
- 3 oz fresh or frozen cherries pitted and roughly chopped (not too small)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Peaches and Cream Popsicles
- 3 oz fresh or frozen pitted peaches roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Cookies and Cream Popsicles
- 3 Oreo cookies broken into pieces
M & M popsicles
- ¼ cup of M & Ms roughly chopped (I chopped each into 2 - 3 pieces)
Instructions:
Vanilla Popsicle Base
- Place the sugar, salt and cornflour in a saucepan. Whisk to combine. Next, whisk in the milk (make sure there are no lumps of cornflour).
- Heat the milk mix until the sugar dissolves and the milk is just under boiling point.
- While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla in a small bowl. When the milk has heated, pour about ½ a cup of the milk into the yolks (WHILE WHISKING THE YOLKS).
- When the egg yolks have been tempered, strain it back into the milk in the saucepan, using a sieve.
- Heat the milk-egg yolk mix on medium heat and bring it to a boil, while whisking regularly until you form a thick and pudding like custard.
- Cover and set aside to cool (you can make the fruit additions while the custard cools).
- When the custard has cooled, whisk the whipping cream until you get soft peaks. Add the lightly whipped cream to the cooled custard and fold it in gently until well combined - be careful not to knock out the air in the cream. Keep this in the fridge (covered) until you are ready to fill the popsicle molds.
Blueberry or Cherry or Peaches and Cream popsicles
- Add the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan. Heat under medium heat, until the sugar dissolves and the fruits start to break down. Let it all simmer until the juices thicken into a syrup. About 10 - 15 minutes (longer if you are making a double batch).
- Do the same for the cherries and peaches.
- Place the fruits in separate bowls and keep them in the fridge to cool down.
Assembly
- Blueberry Vanilla Popsicles - mix 2 heaping tbsp of cooled blueberry compote with roughly ⅔ cup of the vanilla popsicle base. Mix just enough to create ripples. Transfer the mix into 2 popsicle molds (2.7oz - 3 oz). Tap it on the table to remove any air bubbles.
- Cherry Vanilla Popsicles - mix 2 heaping tbsp of cooled cherry compote with roughly ⅔ cup of the vanilla popsicle base. Mix just enough to create ripples. Transfer the mix into 2 popsicle molds (2.7oz - 3 oz). Tap it on the table to remove any air bubbles.
- Peaches and Cream Popsicles - Mix 2 heaping tbsp of cooled peaches compote with roughly ⅔ cup of the vanilla popsicle base. Mix just enough to create ripples. Transfer the mix into 2 popsicle molds (2.7oz - 3 oz). Tap it on the table to remove any air bubbles.
- M & M and Vanilla Popsicles - Add the chopped M & Ms into a bowl and mix in ⅔ cup of the vanilla popsicle base. Mix to combine and transfer the mix into 2 popsicle molds (2.7oz - 3oz). Tap it on the table to remove any air bubbles.
- Cookies and Cream Popsicles - break 3 oreos into a bowl. Mix in ⅔ cup of the vanilla popsicle base. Mix to combine, and transfer the mix into 2 popsicle molds (2.7oz - 3oz). (for these oreo popsicles, you may need to tap the molds on a table AND use a popsicle stick to move the cookie pieces around to make sure the whole mold is filled, with no air bubbles).
- Insert the popsicle sticks, cover and freeze overnight (at least). Since they are really creamy, they need to freeze well to keep their shape.
- To unmold - hold the popsicle mold briefly under warm, running water to loosen the popsicle from the mold.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
PS – We ended up making one extra popsicle, but it never made it to the photos or this post. I simply combined ALL 5 flavors for one glorious popsicle that was a sight to behold! And a treat to eat. 🙂
So go ahead and make a batch of these easy, creamy vanilla popsicles and surprise your family and especially those little ones with their own personalized popsicle flavor. You can mix and match more than one flavor, there’s no one way to do it, but only one way to enjoy it…
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FoodieFriDIY | Friday Favorites | Fiesta Fridays | Saucy Saturdays
Liz says
This looks so good! I’ve been browsing on recipes and this gave me THAT feeling.
I was just wondering, if I make 50 popsicles, how long can I store them in the freezer?
Laine says
Hey Dini. Is the sugar required for texture? Wondering if you know whether I can make this with liquid Stevia extract instead, but obviously adjusting the quantity to taste, and if so, whether that may alter anything else about the recipe?
Dini says
Hi Laine
I haven’t used stevia to make this, so I don’t know if it will greatly affect the consistency of the popsicles. I think the custard base will be thicker without the sugar, because there’s nothing to replace the volume of sugar. But I’m not familiar with replacing sugar with stevia unfortunately.
Kay from Zambia says
So, i made these for my family and we absolutely love them! They are super creamy and have just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you very much Dini for this recipe.
Kayla says
Hi Dini!
Have you added fresh fruit to the vanilla custard base? Wondering if it is the same ratio (2 tbsp to 2/3 cup base)?
Thank you!
Kayla
Dini says
Hi Kayla!
It really depends on the fruits, because some fruits may not freeze well. Because I used a fruit compote, the flavors were more concentrated and 2 tbsp were enough. However, if you’re using fresh fruits, you may have to use more. I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t be sure how much more. You don’t want to add too much because it can interfere with the popsicles freezing properly.
Hope that helps!
Fania says
I don’t understand the item under Ingredients: “1 tbsp cornflour cornstarch”… is there an “or” missing? Corn starch doesn’t come up anymore. Would you be so kind to explain, please? Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Fania,
Thank you for noticing that. There used to be brackets around the word “cornstarch” but it’s disappeared. Since cornstarch and cornflour are the same thing, you can use whichever product that’s available to you. Hope that helps!
Cheers
Dini
Linda says
Hi Dini! I’m going to try these for a dinner party using bananas, any tips for me? Also, are you recommending to use heavy cream or half and half instead of milk for the Vanilla Popsicle Base? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Linda!
Honestly, milk/ half and half or cream is fine for the custard. The higher the fat content the thicker and creamier the custard would taste, and that’s the main difference. I’m not sure if you’re adding mashed bananas or slices either, but if you’re using mashed bananas, I would go with regular milk (since mashed bananas are rather thick too). I hope that helps!
Cheers
Dini
Rebecca Blackwell says
I wish I had one of these in my hand right now. I have such a weakness for ice cream and these are basically ice cream on a stick – what’s not to love about that? Thanks for all the flavor options!
Johnece says
Where did you find your popsicle molds?
Dini says
Hi, I got them from Amazon, here’s the link – https://www.amazon.com/Prepworks-Progressive-Freezer-Pop-Maker/dp/B0000CF7H6.
Geoffrey says
Just saw your pin. Awesome pictures. Must try these!!!
Janine Homewood says
They look awesome….I can hardly wait !!!! Thank U very much !!!! Janine
Linda says
Wonderful flavors Dini!! 🙂
Efrain says
How can i make them freeze a little more? Im having problem getting it out of the molds
Dini says
Hi Efrain
Sorry for the late reply.
Unfortunately I haven’t had that issue when I have these. I leave them in the coldest part of the freezer and they come out of the molds easily.
Jennifer says
I can’t get over your flavor combinations. I am still in shock about the butterscotch oreo! I just bought some molds so I will be making these soon! Love it!
Frugal Hausfrau says
Dini these look so so so good! It’s so hot here I don’t know if I’d want to eat them or place them strategically over my pulse points or both, lol!! Seriously – YUM!!!
Mollie
Tamara says
Yum Dini! I’ve had Popsicles on the brain since we’ve hit 100 degrees! Pinned
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
Well I’m all in for the peaches and cream and Iris wants joint custardy (sorry) of the M&Ms and the cookies and cream.