Frozen kefir desserts
Kefir ice pops: five fruit combinations
Blend ripe fruit with kefir, pour it into moulds and let the freezer finish the job. Start with strawberry and honey, or choose mango-passion fruit, black sesame-banana, papaya-lime or pineapple-coconut below.
Make it
Method
- Wash, hull and weigh the strawberries. Blend with the 240 ml kefir and 1 tablespoon honey until smooth. For another flavour, replace the strawberry-and-honey combination with one complete option below.
- Taste the mixture cold. It should be slightly sweeter and stronger than you want the frozen pop to taste.
- Pour into the moulds, leaving the headspace recommended by the manufacturer. Insert sticks; put any extra mixture into another freezer-safe mould rather than filling to the rim.
- Freeze until solid, at least 5 hours. Briefly run the outside of the mold under cool water to release each pop.
Choose one fruit combination
Each option uses 240 ml plain milk kefir. Replace the strawberry and honey together; do not add the new fruit on top of them.
Strawberry or mango and passion fruit
Strawberry: 180 g hulled strawberries + 1 tablespoon honey. Blend all three ingredients.
Mango and passion fruit: 160 g mango flesh + pulp from 2 passion fruits. Blend mango with kefir, then stir in the pulp. Strain the pulp first for a seed-free pop. This version has no added honey.
Black sesame and banana
Use 1 ripe banana + 1 tablespoon unsweetened black sesame powder. Peel the banana, slice and blend everything thoroughly. Banana size changes the yield and sweetness. Sesame adds an allergen; this version has no added honey.
Papaya and lime, or pineapple and coconut
Papaya and lime: 180 g peeled, seeded ripe papaya + 2 teaspoons lime juice. Blend, taste, then freeze promptly.
Pineapple and coconut: 180 g prepared pineapple + 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes. Remove the tough core and blend the fibres finely. Coconut leaves some texture.
Neither version adds honey.
Store it
Keep the pops covered in the freezer and use them within 1 week for the freshest flavor.
What freezing can and cannot do
These are firm fruit-and-dairy ice pops. Freezing does not guarantee live-culture counts or make unsafe ingredients safe. Use fresh, sound fruit and kefir within its storage limit. The base contains milk; the sesame version contains sesame. Do not give honey to children under 12 months, including in frozen food.
The ice pop will not come out
Run cool water briefly over the outside of the mould, keeping water out of the food. Try gently again rather than pulling hard on the stick. Stop once it releases; the whole pop does not need to thaw.