Orange Creamsicles and Strawberry Basil Popsicles

Hello Lovelies,

I hope you are having a great summer! One of my favorite things about summertime is making popsicles. They are so refreshing on a hot, sticky afternoon and I have been known to eat four or five of them in one day. I regret nothing.

Now one of the hottest months of the year is here and I have been on a popsicle-making spree. It is my mission to keep the freezer stocked with popsicles at all times until cooler weather arrives.

I have tried several different flavor combinations and recipes the past few weeks, and sadly, most of them were...just ok. I'm still working on flavor combinations and tweaking recipes. Watermelon Mint? Great idea, but I used way too much mint and it overwhelmed the watermelon flavor. Strawberry lemonade? It made a pretty popsicle, but they were too sour. Lemonade fruitsicles? Again, way too sour. I guess when in doubt, I should add more sweetener. At least when it comes to the lemonade-flavored treats.

But...two of my popsicles were a huge success, and I'll share those recipes with you now. They are: *drum roll please* Orange Creamsicle and Strawberry Basil!

I really love orange creamsicle flavor. I think I had one once when I was a little girl, when the ice cream truck made a rare visit to my neighborhood. I have also had healthy, whole food variations which I have enjoyed very much. This summer I was determined to make my own.

 I knew from the moment I conceived the thought, that I would be using coconut milk. Being dairy-free, my go-to creamy dairy replacement in all recipes is coconut milk. I love the consistency, but I also love the flavor for its own sake. I even put a dollop of coconut milk on top of my chili in place of sour cream. But even if I were not dairy-free, I think I would still use coconut milk in this recipe. It is just so delicious mixed with the orange juice flavor, I cannot imagine not pairing the two. 

When buying coconut milk in a can, please beware the added ingredients! Many contain preservatives and sugar, which are totally unnecessary. The coconut milk I buy has only coconut, water, and guar gum. The fewer ingredients, the better. Same goes for the orange juice concentrate. It should be 100% juice.

 
Orange Creamsicles

1 13 ounce can coconut milk
3/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons raw cane sugar


Combine the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth and thoroughly mixed. Taste a bit to make sure the overall sweetness and the intensity of orange flavor are both to your liking. (Add more sweetener or orange juice concentrate if necessary.) Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and and freeze for at least 5 or 6 hours.

There is a basil plant at my house that was in need of some pruning. So I used that as an incentive to make these strawberry basil popsicles. 

Strawberry Basil Popsicles
3 cups strawberries (I used frozen, but fresh is fine too)
A handful of fresh basil leaves (I used about 4 sprigs of basil with stems and leaves. It was about 15 leaves.)
2 Tablespoons raw cane sugar or honey
1/4 cup water for processing


Combine the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Fill your popsicle molds and freeze for at least 5 or 6 hours.

I will post more popsicle recipes as I continue to succeed in my popsicle-making experiments. Stay cool!