It’s important to stay cool and hydrated as the weather warms up. Our preferred summer afternoon snack is homemade popsicles. These get a fun makeover into spa pops. They are healthy, hydrating and 100% natural. You’ll be surprised how quickly they disappear from the freezer!
Cucumber Basil Pops
Cucumber and melon are two of my summer favorites. Both have a high water content naturally, making them a great base for popsicles. I added basil and lemon to these cucumber pops so they taste just like infused water – not sweet, but utterly refreshing. Feel free to add a bit of natural sweetener if you like yours on the fruitier side. Agave, coconut sugar syrup or even a bit more fruit (more melon is an obvious choice but something like kiwi or pineapple would be uh-mazing in these) should do the trick.
Simply puree the ingredients in a blender or food processor, then pour it into your popsicle molds. If you don’t have plastic popsicle molds, you could always use small paper cups instead. Simply pour the liquid into the cups and wrap the top with tin foil. Then make a small hole in the foil through which you can insert a wooden popsicle stick. While it does create a little extra trash, I find the cups are easier to use if you have small children since they create smaller portions. As a bonus, just hold the cup under the popsicle and let it acts as a drip-catcher.
Cucumber Basil Spa Pops
Ingredients
- 2 large cucumbers peeled and diced
- juice of 1-2 lemons to taste
- smal handful basil leaves
- 1/2 to 1 cup water if needed for blending
Instructions
- Puree cucumber, lemon juice, and basil in blender. Add water if needed. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
Notes
Watermelon Strawberry Pops
To the watermelon pops, I added strawberries – a perfect summery combo!
You could definitely use other varieties of melon, berries, or other fruits. Other fresh herbs like mint, or even edible flowers would make pretty spa pops too. I use these molds which hold about 4 ounces of liquid in each one. The exact amount may vary a little bit due to natural variations in water content in the fruits and cucumber.
Watermelon Strawberry Spa Pops
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon cubed
- 2 cups strawberries
Instructions
- Puree watermelon and strawberries until very smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until firm.
Some different combinations to try:
- Lemon with edible flowers like pansies or lavender
- Cucumber and mint
- Melon with slices of strawberry or other fresh fruit chunks
- Add extra water or coconut water for added hydration benefits. Just be forewarned, more liquid means longer to freeze. And if you have kids champing at the bit, this may or may not be worth it!
Cucumber basil has become one of my refreshing favorite flavors for the summer. It was a spa[-inspired combo that seems to really get popular last summer.
Such a great idea seeing as I already down the cucumber-infused water like it’s my job every time I go to the spa!
Love this! Great chill out will make this weekend Sunday !
Just a quick note: At the top of the page you said “it’s important to stay cool and dehydrated” but i think you meant “hydrated”
Thanks for catching that!
Hello! Where did you get those pretty popsicle molds from? :)
Thanks! I just ordered mine and wan’t wait to try these recipes.
can’t wait
Where is the melon in the cucumber melon pops? They both look yummy!
Ack! Thank you for catching that typo! It was supposed to be “basil.” The melon is for the other popsicle. Sorry about that! You could use 1-2 cups of melon in place of one of the cucumbers thought for a cucumber melon pop. I have done that before and it’s really yummy!
So gorgeous! I am making the watermelon strawberry pops asap!