When the weather is blazing hot and you’re looking for a tasty way to cool off, making your own homemade popsicles may just be your best bet. But while the process seems relatively straightforward, there are a few pitfalls that every home cook can fall victim to. Those pitfalls might leave you with popsicles that aren’t properly frozen, have an unpleasant texture, or just don’t taste as good as they could. Don’t worry, though — you don’t have to give up and just buy store-bought instead.
Rather, by reading up on these common mistakes that people make with homemade popsicles, you can learn how to avoid them. That way, your popsicles are so much more likely to turn out delicious every single time. So, when the temperatures creep ever higher, you’ll be well-equipped to make the homemade popsicles of your dreams. Hot, sticky summer days are going to be sweeter than ever from now on.
1. Not using enough sugar in your popsicle recipe
Have you ever started eating a popsicle only to realize that it tasted more like flavored water than an actual dessert? We’ve been there too. As it turns out, there’s a good reason for that. Very cold temperatures decrease the amount of sweetness we perceive when we eat something. Therefore, what seems like a “normal” amount of sugar for another type of dessert may, in fact, be barely noticeable in the form of a popsicle. That’s why it’s essential to ensure that you’re using enough sugar in your popsicles.
Your best bet is to follow a recipe for homemade popsicles to ensure that you’re getting the ideal ratio of liquid to sugar. Of course, you can also use other sweeteners, like honey, honey powder, or sugar, as well. If you’re not following a specific recipe, you may have to experiment a bit to ensure that you’re getting enough sugar in every pop.
2. Forgetting the strain the seeds out of fruit purée
When you eat a popsicle, you’re probably expecting it to have a nice, smooth, uniform texture. Therefore, when you encounter anything too crunchy or seedy, it’s probably going to be a bit of a turnoff. This might not be a big problem you’d expect to encounter if you’re just using fruit juice, but if you’re actually using fresh fruit, then things can get seedy quickly, potentially ruining the texture of your homemade popsicles. This is why it’s so essential that you remember to strain the seeds out of the fruit purée you’re working with.
Sure, this requires an extra step and a bit of extra work (plus some more equipment than you would otherwise need to use), but it’s worth it to avoid that less-than-pleasant texture. Of course, if you don’t want to take this extra step, you can always just use pre-made fruit purée or fruit juice. Otherwise, though, you shouldn’t skip straining if you want to ensure the ideal popsicle texture.
3. Overfilling your popsicle molds
Of course, the way your homemade popsicles taste is the most important factor in determining their deliciousness. However, the structure of the popsicles is also important to ensure that you’re getting the tastiest possible snack. That’s why overfilling your popsicle molds is one of the biggest mistakes when it comes to the popsicle-making process. You may assume that if you simply fill the molds to the top with the liquid you’re using, then overfilling wouldn’t be a problem. In reality, though, that’s not necessarily true.
That’s because when water expands by about 9% when frozen. So, if you fill your molds completely to the top, there’s a good chance that they’re going to be a bit overfilled by the time they’re frozen. The solution? Just make sure you don’t fill the molds all the way to the top, and once they expand, they’ll fill the mold completely. Luckily, this is one mistake that it’s quite easy to avoid.
4. Trying to pull the popsicles out of the molds before they’re completely frozen
When you make homemade popsicles, you’re probably going to feel pretty excited about getting the chance to eat them. But, unfortunately, this is the kind of recipe that takes some time to prepare. The freezing process will likely take several hours — maybe even overnight, depending on the size of your popsicle molds — so you’ll have to wait until then to taste the fruits of your labor. And if you try to pull the popsicles out of the mold before they’re completely frozen, you’re in for a really big mess.
This is why it’s so important to keep the popsicles in their molds until they’re completely frozen. If you take them out before they’ve frozen through, they’re liable to break and leak. And since you’re making popsicles and not juice, that’s far from ideal. Therefore, make sure you keep your homemade popsicles in the freezer for an extended period of time before attempting to remove them and try them for yourself.
5. Not adding an acidic element to an otherwise sweet sweet popsicle recipe
Have you ever eaten a popsicle and found that it was far too sweet for your taste? That’s not uncommon — there are a lot of too-sweet popsicles out there. But we’ve already mentioned how important it is to make sure you add enough sugar to the mix to prevent the popsicles from being too bland. So, how do you ensure that you don’t make them too sweet, without the light, refreshing qualities that make popsicles so appealing in the summer months?
It’s important to remember to add an acidic element to your popsicles if you don’t want them to taste too sweet. Luckily, you can incorporate acidity in many different ways. Lemon or lime juice, for instance, can add a nice tartness to your popsicles. You could also work with ingredients that tend to be on the tarter end of the spectrum, like mangoes or pomegranate. As long as you remember that acidic element, you won’t have to worry about your popsicles tasting too sweet.
6. Opting for flavors that are too simple
Popsicles are one of the simplest desserts you could make, but that doesn’t mean that the flavor profile of your popsicles needs to be super simple. In fact, if you want a more interesting dessert, it’s a good idea to figure out how to incorporate multiple flavors into the recipe. Therefore, you won’t want to use just one type of juice or fruit purée to make your popsicles, as they’ll likely end up being pretty one-note. That may not be bad if you’re just looking for a cold, frozen beverage-adjacent snack, but it’s not ideal if you’re trying to make an actual dessert.
Think about how you can incorporate different flavors into the mix. You could create layers of different flavors, using a variety of fruit juices or purées. You could also incorporate different solid ingredients into the mix, like pomegranate seeds or fresh herbs like mint. Even mixing some dairy or coconut milk into the recipe can create a more interesting flavor profile for a delicious dessert. We especially like incorporating creamer into our homemade popsicles. Get creative with your different ingredients and flavor combos, and you’re guaranteed a more enjoyable popsicle-eating experience.
7. Forgetting to incorporate some fat into the recipe
The last thing you want is to try biting into a block of solid ice when you’re craving a popsicle. But unfortunately, if you’re using too many water-based ingredients, that’s just what you’re going to get. Of course, if you want a solid block of flavored ice, that may not be the worst thing in the world, but if you want a soft, easily biteable popsicle, then it’s generally a good idea to incorporate some fat into the recipe. That fat will create a creamier, softer, more luscious texture that makes for a more elevated popsicle experience.
Of course, you’re probably not going to want to pour a bunch of olive oil into your popsicle mold. A better source of fat to include in your homemade popsicle recipe is coconut milk, which also gives the dessert more body and texture. Alternatively, you could also use Greek yogurt (preferably full fat) for a similar texture and consistency.
8. Filling the entire mold at one time
Some popsicle recipes call for little more than juice, and if those are the types of popsicles you’re making, then you can feel free to fill up the entire popsicle mold all at one time. However, there are many more homemade popsicle recipes — and arguably, more delicious ones — that call for ingredients with varying degrees of density. Whether you’re mixing in some coconut milk for a little bit of extra fattiness or you’re working with whole chunks of fruit, these heavier ingredients can often fall to the bottom of the mold if you fill it up all at one time.
Therefore, if you are working with these denser ingredients, you’ll want to fill your popsicle mold bit by bit. Start by freezing one layer, then add on another layer of liquid on top of it. By doing this in two or three steps, you can avoid all of those dense ingredients from sinking to the bottom of the mold.
9. Not inserting the popsicle sticks before the mixture is frozen
If you’ve made homemade popsicles before, you’ve probably already realized that you can’t just insert the popsicle stick into the mixture while it’s still totally liquid. Otherwise, the stick is going to fall to the side and will stick out of the finished popsicle at a strange angle. Rather, you want to wait until the liquid mixture freezes just enough that it will hold the stick in place while it continues to freeze. However, it’s quite easy to wait just a bit too long and realize that the popsicle liquid has completely frozen before you get the chance to put the stick in. And unless you want to start all over from scratch by letting the mixture thaw, your popsicles are kind of ruined at that point.
That’s why it’s so important to check on the freezing popsicles regularly to determine when the best time to insert the popsicle stick is. Once you use your mold a few times, you should get the hang of it. Of course, you can also avoid this mistake by buying popsicle molds that have reusable sticks specifically designed for them — these tend to hold in place better, even if you insert them while the mixture is still a liquid.
10. Using too much alcohol in boozy popsicles
Of course, we love making family-friendly popsicles with plenty of juice and healthy ingredients that help beat the heat no matter the occasion. But there are other times when we want to get a bit more fun with our homemade popsicles by adding some booze to them. These adults-only popsicles can make your next backyard BBQ tastier than ever. However, there’s one mistake that people often make with boozy popsicles, and that’s using too much alcohol. Since alcohol freezes at lower temperatures than water, if you add too much booze to the mix, you may find that your popsicles don’t freeze well (or at all, if you’re really heavy-handed with the vodka).
The best rule of thumb is five parts non-alcoholic liquid to one part liquor. By using this ratio, you’ll be able to achieve sufficiently boozy popsicles without having to worry about them not freezing through entirely. Whether you use vodka, gin, or even tequila, you’re in for the ultimate hot weather, adults-only treat.
