Our Cherry mango popsicles blend juicy cherries, sweet mangoes, refreshing mint, and hydrating coconut water into a vibrant, flavorful snack perfect any time of year!
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✋🏼E aí, pessoal! Hey there, friends!
Today, I’m sharing the most refreshing, flavorful cherry mango popsicle recipe! Juicy cherries, sweet mangoes, and creamy bananas come together with fresh mint, a squeeze of lime, and hydrating coconut water for a bright, fruity snack that’s perfect any time of year.
These popsicles are so easy to make and way better than store-bought ones. As a mom of three, I’m all about finding snacks that are fun, healthy, and work with our family’s dietary needs. Most store-bought popsicles are loaded with sugars and artificial ingredients we avoid, so making them at home has become a favorite.
What makes this recipe stand out is the balance of flavors—sweet, tangy, and just a little refreshing from the mint—and the simple, real ingredients. Plus, they’re a hit with the kids! If you’re on the hunt for more fun, healthy snacks, check out our healthy berry smoothie, tropical pineapple slushie, or even our peanut candy (Brazilian Pé de Moleque) for something a little different.
🎉Why You'll Love These Popsicles
Our cherry mango popsicle recipe is a real favorite at our place and here is why:
- Healthy Snack: Skip the overly processed store-bought options. These popsicles are made with real fruits like cherries, mangoes, and bananas, with no added sugar, making them a nutritious snack.
- Perfect for Busy Days: With minimal prep and simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of our cherry mango monster pops in no time. Plus, they freeze well, so you’ll always have a refreshing snack ready to grab.
- Allergy-Friendly: Free from common allergens like gluten, dairy, and nuts, ensuring they’re safe for everyone to enjoy.
- Child-Favorite: These popsicles are vibrant with colorful layers, making a fancy and fun treat.
- Year-Round Refreshment: Whether it’s a hot summer day or you just need a light, refreshing snack., these popsicles deliver freshness and flavor any time.
💪🏻Nutrient Highlight: Why Make This Recipe?
Homemade cherry mango popsicles are a healthier choice compared to store-bought popsicles for several reasons:
- No Added Sugars: These popsicles use only natural fruit sugars, avoiding the health risks associated with added sugars.
- Real Fruit Benefits: Made with whole fruits like mango, cherry, and banana, real fruit offers vitamins A and C and fiber, supporting digestion and immune health.
- Free from Additives: Unlike store-bought versions, these mago cherry popsicles are free from artificial colors and preservatives, making them a safer, natural treat.
🥭 Main Ingredients
Our cherry mango popsicles are a refreshing summer treat that's perfect on a hot day or as a healthy after-school snack. With bold flavors that make it a favourite at our house, both for the kiddos and us parents! Here is all you need:
- Frozen or Fresh Mango Chunks: I chose mango for its sweet, tropical flair, making it perfect for a refreshing summer snack.
- Frozen or Fresh Cherries, Pitted: Cherries add a beautiful rich color and slightly tart flavor that pairs wonderfully with mango.
- Ripe Bananas: Adding banans adds both a natural sweetness and a creamy texture to our cherry and mango popsicles.
- Coconut Water helps blend the ingredients into a smooth texture and gives them a tropical touch. However, in our cherry mango popsicle recipe, we only add a splash to avoid crystal formation.
- Lime Juice: A splash of lime adds a refreshing twist, enhancing the overall flavor of our popsicles.
- Mint Leaves: These provide an optional extra layer of fresh flavor, complementing the fruity notes beautifully.
- Maple Syrup: To keep this refined sugar-free, I like to add a little splash of maple syrup. This is not a necessary ingredient, but I find it helps add that extra sweetness that my kids crave.
For full quantities, see the recipe card.
⚠️Allergy-Info: Our popsicles are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free making a great choice if you follow any of those diet requirements!
🔁Ingredient Substitutions
If you find yourself out of an ingredient or need something slightly different here are some ideas you could try:
- Mango Substitute: A great fruit to easily swap for mango in this recipe would be peaches. Like mangoes, peaches have a sweet, robust flavor with a slight tartness that complements the cherries beautifully. If you choose to use peaches as a substitute, it would be best to use frozen peaches to maintain the consistency
- Cherries Substitute: Try swapping cherries for strawberries or raspberries in this recipe. Both have a similar tartness and color profile to cherries
- Coconut Water: You can substitute coconut water for apple juice, coconut milk, oat milk, or plain water.
- Lime Juice: Not a fan or don't have it on-hand? Try squeezing a bit of fresh orange or lemon juice for a similar zesty profile.
- Mint Leaves: While these add an interesting dimension, you can opt out of adding them.
👩🏽🍳Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Mango Layer
Combine the frozen mango chunks, half of the ripe banana, ¼ cup of coconut water, a tablespoon of lime juice, and a tablespoon of maple syrup in a blender. Blend until you achieve a mango puree that is smooth and pourable, adjusting with a bit more coconut water if necessary.
Step 2: Pour and Freeze
Distribute the mango mixture evenly into the popsicle molds, filling each mold about a third of the way. Place the molds in the freezer. Freezing them for 30 minutes to an hour will set this layer just enough without it becoming solid.
Step 3: Prepare the Cherry Layer
Rinse your blender, then combine the frozen cherries, the remaining coconut water, banana, lime, maple syrup, and all the mint leaves. Blend until the cherry mixture is equally smooth.
Step 4: Add to the Mold
Once the mango layer has slightly set, carefully pour the cherry puree mixture over it, filling up the molds. This creates a two-tone mango cherry popsicles.
Tip: To create more layers simply add less of the puree. Repeat the process of pouring and freezing until you fill your popsicle mold. Alternatively you can create a single color popsicles by mixing both flavors together.
Step 5: Freeze
Insert popsicle sticks and freeze the molds until the contents are completely solid, at least four hours, ideally overnight.
Step 6: Serve
To remove your homemade popsicles easily, run warm water over the outside of the molds for a few seconds. Gently pull each cherry mango popsicle out and enjoy it right away :0)
Enjoy the burst of cherry and mango goodness in every bite!
💡Recipe Tips: Smooth Texture
To ensure that you nail this cherry mango popsicle recipe every time, and to save some valuable time in the process, here are a few tips:
- Creamy Texture: To get the creamiest texture without icy bits, make sure to blend each fruit mixture until completely smooth. This matters especially if you are substituting with fruits like strawberries or raspberries which have seeds.
- Layering Technique: To clearly distinguish the cherry layer from the mango mixture, make sure the first layer is somewhat set before adding the second. This prevents the layers from mixing and keeps those beautiful distinct colors.
- Quick Freezing: If you're in a rush, placing your popsicle molds in the coldest part of the freezer can help them set faster. Just ensure they are fully frozen to maintain shape and consistency.
- Use Silicone Molds: Silicone popsicle molds make it much easier to remove the ice pops once they're frozen, compared to plastic models. This can be a real time-saver when you’re serving these treats on a hot summer day.
🎈Tips For Kids: Popsicle Shop
Transform your kitchen into a fun zone and get your kids excited about trying these cherry mango popsicles. Here are some ways to make this recipe fun and engaging for parents and kids:
- Color Mixing: Let the kids explore how colors mix by pouring the layers themselves. They can create patterns or swirls with a toothpick or small spoon, learning about color mixing and enjoying the artistic side of making mango cherry swirl popsicles.
- Recipe helper: Assign them the task of measuring the coconut water and adding the lime juice. My boys love adding in the popsicle sticks.
- Decorative Add-Ins: Have your kids add a personal touch to their popsicles by adding sprinkles or diced fruit. Add a small amount to the bottom of the molds or to the top layer of your popsicles before the final freeze.
- Playing ‘Shop’: Encourage kids to pretend they’re running a popsicle shop. They can name their popsicle flavors, decide what special features their popsicles have, and even serve them to family members, enhancing their playtime with a real product they made.
- Taste Testing: As part of the fun, let the kids taste-test the mango and cherry mixtures before they go into the molds. They can suggest whether they think it needs more lime or mint, involving them in decision-making and balancing flavors.
🍦Choosing the Best Popsicle Mold
When it comes to making popsicles at home, the type of mold you use can really make a difference in how your treats turn out. For our Cherry Mango Popsicles, I've opted to use a silicone mold, and here's why:
Silicone molds are flexible and non-stick, making it easy to remove the popsicles without breakage. They’re also dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. However, they can be less stable, so handle with care when full.
Stainless steel molds freeze popsicles faster due to better cold conduction and are very durable. However, they can be pricier, and popsicles might stick, requiring a warm water bath to release them. Choose based on your preference for convenience or speed.
🥡How To Store This Recipe
To keep your cherry mango popsicles at their best, store them in the freezer. After they have completely frozen solid in their molds, you can leave them in the molds or transfer them to a tightly sealed container. Store in the freezer for up to two months!
❔Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! While using fresh fruit is recommended for the fullest flavor, you can substitute with store-bought mango and cherry juices in a pinch. Add in all the same ingredients except for the coconut water. Just keep in mind that the texture might be slightly less creamy.
Ice crystals typically form when too much water is present in the mixture or when the popsicles freeze too slowly. To prevent this, make sure your fruit is well-puréed, add only the recommended amount of coconut water, and ensure your freezer is set to its coldest setting to speed up the freezing process.
Run the outside of the mold under warm water for a few seconds before attempting to remove the popsicles. This should loosen them enough to pull out smoothly without breaking.
🌟 Loved these fruit pops? Let’s connect! I’d be thrilled if you could leave a star rating, share this recipe, or comment below. Or come chat with me on Facebook or Instagram! Your feedback helps support and improve AtMyTable and helps others discover new favorites.
🥣Recipe Pairing
📖 Recipe
Easy Cherry Mango Popsicles
Ingredients
Mango Popsicle Layer
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1 banana sliced
- ¼ cup coconut water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Cherry Popsicle Layer
- 1 cup frozen cherries pitted
- 1 banana
- ¼ cup coconut water
- 4 mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare the Mango Layer: In a blender, combine all the ingredients for the mango layer. Blend until smooth, adding more coconut water if needed for consistency.1 cup frozen mango chunks, 1 banana, ¼ cup coconut water, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Pour and Freeze: Pour the mango mixture into popsicle molds, filling each about ⅓ full. Freeze for 1 hour to set the first layer.
- Prepare the Cherry Layer: Rinse the blender. Blend all the ingredients for the cherry layer until smooth.1 cup frozen cherries, 1 banana, ¼ cup coconut water, 4 mint leaves, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Complete the Molds: Pour the cherry mixture over the set mango layer, filling the molds to the top.
- Freeze Solid: Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid.
- Serve: Run warm water over the molds for a few seconds to release the popsicles.
Notes
- If the mixture is too thin, add more fruit to thicken it.
- If it’s too thick, add more coconut water sparingly to avoid forming ice crystals.
- For the clearest layers, ensure the first layer is nearly solid before adding the second.
- Store by wrapping individual popsicles in plastic or placing them in a sealed container to prevent freezer burn.
Josh says
Looks so refreshing and tasty, yet healthy!!! How do you keep the kids from stealing them all before you get a chance to have one???