Homemade Cherry Yogurt Ice Pops. cherries c/o Northwest Cherry growers.
It is that time again. Cherry season! The time of year when cherries are ripe, ready, and actually affordable!
With our large family, Summer is definitely the best time of year, since it means seasonal fruit and veggies within our budget. Whether it comes from our garden, our orchard, the farmer’s market, or our local grocer, we know this time of year means better food.
Cherry season is kind of like apple season around here. A BIG DEAL. Well, OK. A big deal in my family. When I was a kid, my mother’s splurge would be a bag of fresh cherries to bring to the beach. It was a treat in so many ways, enjoying our short lived summer weather and spitting pits into a bag. Some kids have summer camp.
Anyway, the weather has been hot, hot, hot these days. Last week, we hit over 100 degrees several times, which can be pretty warm in the Minnesota humidity. I decided it was the perfect time to bust out the popsicle molds.
Do you make homemade ice pops? You should. I love that I can make them at just about any time in a couple hours without running to the store, plus I can control the ingredients.
For pops with fresh cherries, i highly suggest a manual cherry pitter. It took me a while to finally purchase one, but it does make putting easier, albeit messier.
So….cherry yogurt ice pops. Your Popsicle molds are small, usually around three ounces each, and generally come in a six pack. I will give ingredient amounts based on that average.
Homemade Cherry Yogurt Ice Pops
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 15 fresh cherries, pitted
After pitting your cherries, pop them in a blender and puree until smooth. I actually use an immersion blender in the same bowl I pitted over.
In a second small bowl, combine yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Or save your self the trouble and buy vanilla flavored yogurt, haha.
Start with a tablespoon of cherry puree in the bottom and layer spoonfuls of cherry alternating with spoonfuls of yogurt mix. Stop adding when the mixture reaches a quarter inch below the first rim in the pop mold. You need a little extra room to insert your sticks.
Slide your sticks into place and freeze for two hours.
Now you have your own “popsicles” made with fresh fruit! The kids love these. They consider them extra special since we made them, and I can control how much sugar goes into their snacks.
Also Check out:
Cherry Chive Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
*Fresh cherries c/o Northwest Cherry Growers. This article was not otherwise compensated.