Summer has officially arrived bringing with it hot sunny, weather and the need for refreshing, frozen treats.
By Kelsey Hilts
My toddler loves Popsicles all year but with the heat of summer he is always asking for them. Stores and ice cream trucks offer a variety of fun and colorful options but they are typically loaded with sugar and who knows what else. Fortunately, Popsicles are super easy to make as long as you have some time to let them freeze. At the most basic level all you need is some fruit juice and you can use whatever combo of juices and fresh or frozen fruit that you’d like. If you don’t have fancy Popsicle molds you can freeze your juice mixture in Dixie cups. And even if you don’t have Popsicle sticks for the cups your kids can simply peel away the cup as they eat the Popsicles.
During a recent Popsicle-making adventure I decided to tackle the Creamsicle. I remember my Grandma giving my sister and me rootbeer Creamsicles as a summer treat and ever since I have loved the combination of icy Popsicle and creamy, vanilla ice cream. I had a berry puree made with raspberries, strawberries and POG (Passion-Orange-Guava juice) from some other Popsicles I made and some homemade French vanilla ice cream. It turns out that this is a divine combo. The POG gives a subtle tropical sweetness to the raspberries and strawberries which is rounded out by the rich vanilla flavor of the ice cream. 
To make the Creamsicles like the commercially-produced versions with Popsicle on the outside and ice cream in the center takes some time. You have to freeze the four sides of the Popsicle exterior separately and then add the ice cream center. They would taste just as good and the process would be much quicker if you simply swirled the Popsicle puree and the ice cream together and poured the mixture into the molds. The ice cream recipe yields one quart of ice cream so you can make lots of Creamsicles or enjoy leftover vanilla ice cream in other ways. Although I think homemade ice cream is always better than store-bought varieties, if you don’t have time to make it you can use your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream.
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Raspberry Creamsicles
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 Creamsicles 1x
Description
An icy tropical raspberry Popsicle coats a creamy vanilla ice cream center in these refreshing Creamsicles.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups (473mL) milk or half and half
- 1 cup (192g) sugar
- 2 cups (473mL) heavy cream
- 2 tsp (10mL) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (228g) frozen raspberries
- 1 cup (144g) strawberries
- 1 cup (240mL) Passion-Orange-Guava juice (POG)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, beat the eggs, milk, and sugar until well blended.
- Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until completely cold.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This will yield about 1 quart of French vanilla ice cream.
- For the raspberry puree, blend the frozen raspberries, strawberries, and POG juice until smooth.
- To make the Creamsicles, fill Popsicle molds halfway with the raspberry puree. Freeze until the sides are firm, about 1-2 hours.
- Add a scoop of the prepared French vanilla ice cream to the center of each mold and top with more raspberry puree, leaving a little space at the top for expansion.
- Insert Popsicle sticks and freeze until completely solid, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To remove the Creamsicles, run warm water over the outside of the molds for a few seconds to loosen.
Notes
- If you don’t have time to make homemade ice cream, use your favorite brand of vanilla ice cream.
- For a quicker version, swirl the raspberry puree and ice cream together before freezing.
- Store the Creamsicles in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Creamsicle
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 55
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 80
*The French vanilla ice cream recipe is from the Donvier booklet that came with my family’s old Donvier ice cream maker: Ice Cream The Donvier Way
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is POG juice and can I substitute it?
POG stands for Passion-Orange-Guava juice. The recipe uses 1 cup (240 ml) blended with 1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries and 1 cup strawberries for the outer popsicle layer. The article describes it as adding a “subtle tropical sweetness” that complements the berries. If you can’t find POG, a mix of pineapple juice and orange juice makes a close substitute.
Do I have to make homemade ice cream for the center?
No. The article says that while homemade is always better, if you don’t have time you can use your favourite brand of vanilla ice cream. The homemade French vanilla recipe (3 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla) yields about 1 quart and requires an ice cream maker.
Why freeze the outer layer before adding the ice cream center?
The article explains this is how commercially produced Creamsicles are made, giving you a distinct outer fruit shell around a creamy interior. You fill the molds halfway with raspberry puree and freeze for 1-2 hours until the sides are firm, then add the ice cream center. For a quicker version, the article says to simply swirl the raspberry puree and ice cream together before pouring into the molds.
How long can I store these in the freezer?
The notes say to store the finished Creamsicles in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
I’d like to see pictures of how you do this, as I’m sure anyone else interested in the recipe would like. I know you posted this 4 years ago but since creamsicles are a popular item, I would hope you could update this posting with your method particularly. Thanks!