Multicolored popsicles are fun and festive, but store-bought versions are loaded with sugar, corn syrup and artificial colorings – and their lackluster flavor leaves something to be desired.
To make an ultra-flavorful, naturally sweetened version that would please kids and adults alike, we started with two kinds of berries. We settled on honey as our sweetener since it tasted great paired with the berries and wouldn’t mar the bright colors we were after.
We made a vibrant red raspberry puree for one layer; a blueberry puree made for a beautifully contrasting purple layer. For the middle layer, we aimed for a clean-looking white to make the red and purple stand out.
We tested several bases, including buttermilk, cream, and lemon. Tasters felt the buttermilk’s tang distracted from the clean fruit flavors of the other layers, while lemon alone was too tart even when tempered by the honey.
In the end, using a little bit of cream along with the lemon juice created the perfect balance of flavor and texture. A small amount of water in each layer ensured that the popsicles froze solid. For clean, well-defined stripes, be sure to let each layer freeze completely before adding the next layer, and be careful not to spill the mixture onto the sides of the popsicle molds when pouring. This recipe was developed using 3-ounce popsicle molds.