Last week while waiting for a traffic light to change I started thinking about my next recipe. I had a few ideas, but nothing was coming together into a complete thought. Now that we are fully into summer, it’s hard to get motivated to cook. Feeling stumped, I called to my son in the backseat, “What should I write about for my next article?”
The best thing about young kids is their ability to think creatively. The line between fantasy and reality has barely formed and life is a cornucopia of possibilities. If you ever need to get a truly fresh take on a problem, ask someone between the ages of 3 and 7.
My son is especially good at offering culinary advice. About a year ago I asked him what we should have for dinner. Two days later we tucked into an unusual, but really fantastic, meal of chicken salad sandwiches on savory green onion pancakes.
Last week he came up with another winner. “You should make something frozen!” He went on to list an incredible mix of techniques and ingredients before summing things up with a shrug, “Whatever you make should be frozen with sugar in it.”
So, when you pull one of these creamy citrus popsicles out of the freezer you can thank him for the inspiration.
The first time I made lemon-lime creamsicles they became one of my favorite summer treats before the popsicles were even frozen. After filling our popsicle molds I had a bit of extra creamsicle base that I popped into the freezer. Over a couple of hours I stirred the base a few times to keep it from freezing solid then scooped it up just like soft serve frozen yogurt. I may, or may not, have licked the container.
These are a perfect refreshment for a hot summer day. I prefer light and tart flavors to syrupy sweet frozen treats. For me these have just enough sweetness to balance the lip-smacking lemon-lime tang.
I would not hesitate to have one of these pops in place of any pie on the Fourth of July. A yogurt base makes these creamy-dreamy, not drippy-sticky like juice popsicles. Swirling in graham cracker crumbs really puts these squarely into frozen dessert territory.
Last but certainly not least, not only do these babies satisfy my sweet tooth but, thanks to the protein in their Greek yogurt base, these lemon-lime creamsicles are more filling than most sweet snacks.
Lemon-lime creamsicles with graham cracker crumble
1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice (approximately 21/2 limes and 1/2 a large lemon)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
11/2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
These refreshingly tart and tangy popsicles are the perfect treat for hot summer days.
For the simple syrup, simmer the juice, sugar and water over medium heat in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk frequently while the syrup is cooking. Takes about 5 minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature before adding to the popsicle mixture.
In a medium bowl mix together the popsicle ingredients.
Pour the liquid base into your prepared popsicle molds and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.
Note: Save time later by making a double or quadruple batch of lemon-lime syrup. The extra syrup can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Nutrition per serving: 111 calories, .7g fat, 27mg sodium, 20g carbohydrates, .5g fiber, 18g sugar, 6g protein, Weight Watchers Points Plus 3 sugar-free lemon-lime creamsicles.
Note: After my success with the first version of this recipe I started to wonder if these popsicles could be made with a sugar substitute. As an experiment I prepared a batch using organic Stevia. I didn’t test any other alternative sweeteners, so I can’t attest to how well this recipe works with other powdered sweeteners.
This sugar-free batch turned out tangy, sweet, and creamy. They were nearly identical to the original creamsicles. I also discovered a couple of functional perks to using Stevia.
Powdered Stevia dissolves easily in liquid, therefore, you can stir all the ingredients together and skip the step of heating over the stove. No cooking means less dishes dirtied and the popsicles are even nicer to make on a hot day. Secondly, as with many sugar alternatives, Stevia tastes sweeter than sugar so you need half as much Stevia to balance the tart lemon-lime juice.
Sugar-free lemon-lime creamsicles
11/2 12-ounce container of non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice (approximately 2 parts lime juice to 1 part lemon)
1/3 cup cold water
3 tablespoons Stevia
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
Combine ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir gently as mixture will be very runny. Mix in graham cracker crumbs last stirring just enough to swirl them throughout the yogurt mixture.
Pour the liquid base into your popsicle molds and freeze a minimum of 4 hours before serving.
Nutrition information per serving: 70 calories, .7 g fat, 27mg sodium, 8g carbohydrates, .5g fiber, 7g sugar, 6g protein, Weight Watchers Points Plus 2.
— Recipes lightly adapted from Key Lime Pie Popsicles by Shaina Olmason.
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