Thai Iced Coffee
Antioxidant-packed java may help ward off diabetes and some forms of cancer--and keep your mind sharp. Adding cardamom to the grinds while brewing gives this cool dessert a spicy kick.
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup strongly brewed coffee, cooled (prepared with 1/2 tsp ground cardamom added to coffee grinds)
2 Tbsp half-and-half
Boil sugar and water in saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Combine syrup with remaining ingredients. Distribute into ice-pop molds, add sticks, and freeze for 8 hours.
Per serving: 70 cal, 1 g fat (<1 g sat), 14 g carbs, 10 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein
Melon Stripe
Low-cal
melon gets some extra sweetness from honey. And while achieving the desired stripe effect takes a little patience, your friends and family will be awed by the outcome.
1 cup cantaloupe, diced
2 Tbsp lime juice, divided
2 tsp honey, divided
1 cup honeydew, diced
In blender, combine cantaloupe with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon honey.
Fill a fourth of each ice-pop mold with a layer of cantaloupe and put in the freezer for 1 hour. Set remaining mixture aside. In blender, combine honeydew with remaining lime juice and honey. After cantaloupe layer has set, add a layer of honeydew. Freeze for 1 hour. Add one additional layer of cantaloupe and then honeydew, allowing pops to set in the freezer for 1 hour between each layer. After pouring the final layer, insert sticks and freeze for another 4 hours.
Per serving: 40 cal, 0 g fat, 11 g carbs, 15 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein
Pomegranate Swirl
These pleasingly tart frozen treats manage to pack three whole grams of protein into a 50-calorie serving. Plus, yogurt is full of bone-building calcium.
8 oz pomegranate juice
1/2 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
Fill two-thirds of each ice-pop mold with pomegranate juice. Add enough yogurt to fill the molds to the top, about 2 tablespoons per mold. Slide a knife or chopstick into each mold and swirl until a pattern forms. Insert sticks and freeze for about 8 hours.
Per serving: 50 cal, 1 g fat (0 g sat), 10 g carbs, 15 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 3 g protein
Blood Orange & Cream
This artisanal spin on the ice-cream-truck classic delivers both fiber and protein, thanks to the fruit-and-dairy combo.
1 small blood orange, peeled and segmented
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup 1% milk
Cut orange slices lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Boil sugar and water in saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to simmer, add orange pieces, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Combine blood orange–sugar syrup (including orange slices), orange juice, and milk in a bowl. Pour mixture into ice-pop molds, insert sticks, and freeze for about 8 hours.
Per serving: 100 cal, 0 g fat, 23 g carbs, 10 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein
Blueberry-Lavender Lemonade
Blueberries, especially the wild kind, have among the highest antioxidant count of any berry. And pairing them with an aromatic floral herb like lavender gives these pops a decidedly summery flavor.
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp culinary lavender
1 1/4 cups water, divided
3 Tbsp lemon juice (or juice of 1 to 1 1/2 lemons)
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Bring sugar, lavender, and 1/4 cup water to boil in saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep for at least 30 minutes. Combine remaining water with lemon juice. Strain lavender from sugar syrup, add syrup to lemon water, and mix well. Evenly distribute into ice-pop molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Drop several blueberries into each mold, until the liquid reaches the top. Insert sticks and freeze for about 8 hours.
Per serving: 60 cal, 0 g fat, 16 g carbs, 0 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein
Strawberry-Balsamic-Basil
Vinegar punches up the flavor without adding fat, while the hefty helping of strawberries loads these icy treats with all the vitamin C you need in a day.
3 cups fresh hulled or thawed frozen strawberries, divided
2 Tbsp chopped basil, divided
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Place 2 cups of whole strawberries in a glass or plastic bowl with 1 tablespoon basil. Top with sugar and balsamic vinegar. Toss and let marinate for 1 hour. Slice remaining strawberries and set aside. In blender, puree strawberry-vinegar mixture until smooth. Add strawberry slices and remaining basil. Mix well and pour into ice-pop molds. Insert sticks and freeze for about 8 hours.
Per serving: 70 cal, 0 g fat, 16 g carbs, 0 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein
All of the recipes use 3.5-ounce molds and make four treats.
