Featured Recipe
Triple Layer Popsicles
By Kate
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Colorful frozen treats with three fruity layers. Layers made from a blue gelatin mix or sports drink, a zesty lemonade or pear puree, and a vibrant raspberry or watermelon layer. Slightly tweaked ingredient amounts and times for varied texture. No dairy, nuts, gluten, or eggs. Fruit purées strained to remove seeds where needed. Frozen one layer at a time with stick placement timed for partial setting. Bright, refreshing, flexible flavors for hot days.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
Serves:
6 popsicles
popsicles
frozen dessert
summer recipes
Introduction
Three colors stacked in frozen form. Blue, white, red - or alternatives with fruit twists. Gelatin or sports drink for that first layer chill. Then something bright and tart or creamy with the pear. Last comes the berry or melon wake-up. Layers each frozen just right to hold shape but bind. Popsicles assembled in steps, frozen in stages. Simple ingredients. No dairy, no eggs, no nuts, no gluten. Fresh fruits pureed, seeds strained. Juice and sugar balanced for flavor and freeze quality. Summer snack. Fun, colorful. Adjust amounts, flavors. Mix and match.
Ingredients
Blue Layer (Gelatin base)
- 60 g blue gelatin powder (Jell-O)
- 300 ml boiling water
- 220 ml cold water
- 250 ml Blue Gatorade
- 140 ml undiluted lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 130 ml water
- 1 ripe pear peeled, cored
- 25 ml lemon juice
- 65 ml water
- 25 g sugar
- 350 ml fresh raspberries
- 40 g sugar
- 280 ml seedless watermelon cubes
- 30 g sugar
Or (Blue Sports Drink)
White Layer (Lemonade)
Or (Pear puree)
Red Layer (Raspberry)
Or (Watermelon)
About the ingredients
The amounts are slightly adjusted to yield a bit more volume for easy layering in standard popsicle molds. Blue layer can be gelatin for firmness or sports drink for a quick, no-prep option with electrolytes. Lemonade concentrate swapped with a bit more water to balance sweetness and strength. Pear layer includes just enough lemon juice and sugar to keep color bright and flavor fresh. For reds, raspberries strained to avoid gritty seeds, sugar lightly reduced. Watermelon puree seasoned with sugar for subtle sweetness. All components chilled or room temperature before freezing to improve texture and freeze consistency.
Method
Blue Layer Preparation
- 1. For gelatin: Dissolve gelatin powder in boiling water. Stir until dissolved fully. Add cold water. Mix well. Chill at room temperature.
- 2. For sports drink: No prep needed. Use as is.
- 3. Lemonade: Combine concentrate and water. Stir. Set aside.
- 4. Pear: Blend pear, lemon juice, water, and sugar until very smooth. Reserve.
- 5. Raspberry: Puree raspberries in food processor. Press through fine strainer to remove seeds. Stir in sugar. Let sit 6 minutes.
- 6. Watermelon: Pulse watermelon and sugar to smooth puree. Keep chilled.
- 7. Fill molds with first layer about one-third full. Freeze about 1 hour 20 minutes until firm but not fully hard.
- 8. Add second layer gently over first. Freeze about 55 minutes until partially set but sticky enough.
- 9. Insert sticks carefully. Freeze 1 hour.
- 10. Add third layer to fill molds. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours or overnight.
- 11. To unmold, dip molds briefly in warm water to loosen.
White Layer Preparation
Red Layer Preparation
Assembly
Technique Tips
Layer freezing times varied slightly to allow partial setting without fully freezing first layers, easing stick insertion and improving adhesion between layers. Gelatin dissolved completely in boiling water to avoid graininess. Sports drink used directly to speed prep. Pear puree blended very smooth, lemon juice added for flavor and preservation. Raspberry puree strained gently to remove seeds, rested with sugar to draw out juices. Watermelon and sugar pureed just enough for smoothness. Stick inserted when second layer partly firm for best support. Final freeze until firm, several hours or overnight recommended. Warm water dip helps release popsicles cleanly.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 For blue layer, gelatin works best for firmness. Use boiling water, cold water after. Stir until fully dissolved for smooth texture. Or skip prep, use sports drink. No hassle.
- 💡 When making lemonade layer, balance flavor right. Undiluted concentrate gives punch. Use more water if too sweet. If choosing pear, blend smooth. Adjust sugar, keep color bright.
- 💡 For the raspberry layer, remember to strain well. Remove seeds after pureeing. Let sit with sugar for juices to meld nicely. Watermelon needs smoothness too. Pulse lightly.
- 💡 Layering technique matters. Freeze each layer correctly. First layer just firm enough for second layer to stick properly. Do not skip this step. Stick insertion is crucial.
- 💡 Final freeze shouldn’t be rushed. Wait until solid. Several hours or overnight recommended. Warm water dip is key to easy release. Clean popsicle unmolding.
Kitchen Wisdom
Can I use different fruits?
Yes. Use any fruits. Adjust amounts. Blueberries, strawberries work great. Mix and match flavors as preferred.
What if layers mix?
If consistency off, layers may blend. Freeze time important. Correct firmness prevents worst mixing. Keep an eye on each stage.
Can you store leftovers?
Yes, but freeze well. Store in airtight container. Lasts weeks. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap for best results.
Tips for sweeter popsicles?
Adjust sugar levels. Add more according to taste. Fruits not sweet enough may need help. Monitor balance for purees.
