Gluten Free Strawberry Popsicles

Strawberry Popsicles are the perfect summer treat, blending the tangy goodness of buttermilk with the sweet flavor of fresh strawberries. These creamy, delicious buttermilk popsicles are super refreshing on hot days and offer a fun twist on regular fruit pops. They're easy to make and a hit with both kids and adults. If you're looking for a delicious treat, you’ve got to try these strawberry buttermilk popsicles!

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient in these strawberry buttermilk popsicles. It adds a unique tangy flavor that balances the sweetness of the strawberries. You can also use plain kefir instead of buttermilk. Kefir, a fermented milk drink, has a similar tangy flavor and creamy texture, making it a great substitute. I use a full fat buttermilk here.

Heavy Cream: The fat in heavy cream enriches the flavor, offering a more luxurious and satisfying mouthfeel. Additionally, heavy cream helps stabilize the popsicles, significantly reducing the formation of ice crystals.

Simple Syrup: Simple syrup is a basic syrup made by dissolving sugar in water. It helps create a smoother texture by reducing the formation of ice crystals. This makes the strawberry popsicles less icy and more enjoyable to eat.

Strawberries: I use fresh strawberries to make the strawberry sauce. You can also use frozen strawberries but they will release more liquid than fresh strawberries.

Lemon: A little lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice bring out the flavor and sweetness of the strawberries. You can also use orange zest and orange juice if you like.

Recommended Tools

To successfully make this strawberry popsicle recipe you need a few kitchen tools. Most of them are available on Amazon and are linked in the post, but you probably already have them in your kitchen.

Popsicle Molds: This recipe is the easiest to make with a popsicle mold. I use a popsicle mold that creates 10 individual 3-ounce ice pops with a classic popsicle shape. Alternatively, you can use a standard muffin pan. Line it with muffin liners and divide the fruit and yogurt mixture between them. Freeze them for 2 hours before sticking a popsicle stick in the center of each popsicle. (You can also skip the popsicle sticks and just eat the popsicle like little "popsicle bites")

A medium saucepan: You will need a small saucepan to make the simple syrup as well as the strawberry sauce.

A large mixing bowl & whisk: There is no need to bring out a clunky blender or food processor to blend the popsicle base - a large mixing bowl and a whisk work just great here.

You will also need a cutting board, a small pairing knife, freezer space, and little bit of patience (since the popsicles do need to be in the freezer for at least 4hrs)

Simple Syrup

I have tested this recipe with several sweeteners like maple syrup and honey, and in the end simple syrup was the winner. It helps create a smoother texture by reducing the formation of ice crystals.

To make simple syrup, combine the granulated sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely, then bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. The simple syrup must be cool (preferably cold) before adding it to the popsicle base.

Simple Syrup can be made ahead of time and be stored in the fridge for months.

Easy Strawberry Sauce

This super simple strawberry sauce comes together in no time. It does need to cool completely before using it to make these Gluten Free Strawberry Popsicles. If the Strawberry Sauce is still warm it most likely form ice crystals and turn the popsicles icy.

To make a simple strawberry sauce, start by hulling and slicing fresh strawberries, then combine them in a saucepan with granulated sugar, vanilla extract, the zest of half a lemon and a bit of lemon juice. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the strawberries release their juices and the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency, stirring occasionally. This should take around 5-10 minutes. Remember the juices will thicken as the sauce cools.

Make sure to adjust the sugar to taste based on the sweetness of the strawberries.

How to make Gluten Free Strawberry Popsicles

Make sure the strawberry sauce is completely cooled before assembling the strawberry popsicles. I like to alternate the strawberry sauce and the buttermilk popsicle base in the popsicle molds but if you like you can always fold the strawberry sauce into the buttermilk base and assemble the gluten free buttermilk popsicles that way.

1. To make the buttermilk popsicle base combine the buttermilk, heavy cream, simple syrup, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk together until ingredients are combined.
2. Transfer the popsicle base to a pitcher which will make pouring it into the popsicle mold a lot easier.

3. Use a spoon to divide about half of the strawberry sauce between the molds.
4. Top the strawberry sauce with some of the buttermilk popsicle base (around an inch) followed by the remaining strawberry sauce. Top each popsicle off with more of the buttermilk mixture leaving a bit of room at the top to allow for expansion during freezing. (If you have any leftover popsicle batter, you can pour it into muffin papers and freeze them in a muffin pan)
5. If your popsicle mold comes with a lid, place the lid on top of the mold and add the popsicle stick. Push the popsicle stick about two-thirds of the way into the popsicle mold. This ensures that the stick is well-anchored in the frozen treat, making it easier to handle and enjoy without the stick coming loose.
6. Place the popsicle mold into the fridge and allow to freeze for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

How to remove popsicles from a mold

Make sure the gluten free strawberry popsicles are fully frozen before you remove them from the mold. The best way to remove popsicles from a mold is to follow these steps:

1. Fill a container or your sink with warm (not hot) water deep enough to submerge the popsicle molds up to, but not over, the top edge.
2. Dip the mold into the warm water for about 10-15 seconds. Make sure the water level reaches up to the top edge of the molds but doesn't get inside.
3. After the mold has been in the water for a bit, take it out and gently wiggle the popsicle sticks to loosen them. If they still resist, submerge them again for another 10-15 seconds.
4. Once loosened, slowly and gently pull the popsicles out of the molds by the sticks.

Storage

To store homemade peach popsicles, start by removing them from their molds using a warm water bath. Wrap each popsicle individually in plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper to prevent sticking and freezer burn. Place the wrapped popsicles in a single layer inside an airtight container or large freezer bag, ensuring they lay flat in the freezer to maintain their shape. Properly stored, your peach popsicles can last up to one month. Since they are made without preservatives, they are more prone to developing ice crystals if stored for an extended period.

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