The Only Tip You Need To Create Creamy Popsicles

When you're looking for something lighter than ice cream but richer than an icy popsicle, what frozen treat should you turn to? Creamy popsicles are the perfect middle ground, and it doesn't take a complicated recipe to give your regular homemade desserts this upgrade. Essentially, the only difference between a regular popsicle and a creamy one is that the latter has a dairy ingredient included, which creates thickness, richness, and — of course — creaminess. But since you're still sticking to most of the other ingredients and steps required to make a traditional pop, the dairy and fruit balance each other out to create a yummy, refreshing treat.

If you'd like to give it a whirl, here's all you need to do: Blend the dairy of your choice with fruit and whatever add-ins you want, then freeze the whole concoction in popsicle molds (with sticks) until ready to eat. If you'd like the fruit to stand out a little more, you can stir chunks of it in your mixture before you throw everything in the freezer.

As far as which dairy ingredient will work best in a creamy popsicle, it's really up to your taste buds and preferences. You can include your favorite milk, whether it's whole or skim — or something plant-based like oat or coconut. For a thicker popsicle, go for regular (or Greek) yogurt, or cream cheese to make a fruity cheesecake-themed dessert. And for maximum fluffiness, you can even fold whipped cream into your fruit puree before pouring the mixture into the popsicle molds. If you'd like to get a little creative, feel free to mix and match different options to create your dream textural combination — for example, a splash of milk can thin out a too-thick cream cheese mixture and finely-chopped nuts can add a bit of crunch. If you'd prefer to skip the blender altogether, you can try stirring jam or preserves into your creamy ingredient. A little added honey, sugar, lemon juice, maple syrup, or vanilla extract to pull the whole thing together.

While milk and yogurt nicely balance out the fruitier elements in these desserts, you don't have to use any fruit at all to make creamy popsicles. For example, you can make a delicious chocolate cream-flavored pop with milk, yogurt, cacao powder, and melted chocolate — and to make it caffeinated, add instant coffee packets. As long as you have a dairy-based ingredient, you have all you need for a thick frozen treat.