So summer is well and truly upon us. When the sun is out (or even when it isn’t) all I want is ice cream and ice lollies, but if you are like me and you have been busting a gut in the early hours at the gym then this post about healthier home-made ice lollies may be just the meal ticket. Let’s face it, ice lollies are mainly water anyway so there’s not much point in forking out from your valuable Ben and Jerry’s saving fund if you can help it.
Lolly moulds
I went to Wilko‘s this week and had a look at their lolly moulds. They have some adorable little zoo animal ones for only £1.75, so I thought I would give them a go.
Click here to buy
Although, I went for the Wilko‘s ones, you can pick up some great moulds from Primark for only £1.50 (click here to buy) or even Tesco (click here to buy). The Tesco moulds are a little pricier, but it doesn’t make too much difference as they are all made of plastic so you may as well pick the designs you like the most!
Recipes
For this post, I made some simple juice lollies. I picked mango juice because I prefer tropical flavours and I literally just poured the juice straight into the mould, popped it in the freezer and waited for it to set! It really is that simple. You can experiment with different juices, or even mix some up to make a mocktail lolly of your own.
If you’re a fan of the old fruit pastille or rocket lolly classics, I recommend trying the two-tone lollies. You can make them by pouring the first juice halfway up the mould, freezing it until nearly solid and then pouring the second juice to the top before returning to the freezer. Remember that you can make as many layers as you like, however, I recommend trying the longer moulds for these ones so you don’t run out of room and get tiny layers.
Years ago, I did a spot of nannying where I religiously read Annabel Karmel‘s nutritious recipes designed for young children. She had this amazing tropical ice lolly recipe which I loved myself! The idea was to give your kids a healthy treat and to ward off any teething issues with a nice refreshing lolly:
Ingredients:
- 1 large mango, peeled stone removed and diced
- 180ml tropical fruit juice
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Lolly moulds
- Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
- Pour into ice lolly moulds.
- Freeze
If you’ve booked the babysitter or you don’t have kids, I suggest making some real cocktail lollies, by adding a bit of your favourite spirit to the mix. Remember that alcohol can take quite a long time to freeze, so I recommend considering how much to add and making them a few days before a party or BBQ.
The verdict
The lollies are all delicious. They take less than 5 minutes to make and the juice ones are such amazing value. I love how easy it is to experiment with different flavours with minimal effort.
In terms of the Wilko‘s moulds, I still think they’re the cutest, but perhaps not the most practical moulds on the market. Due to the ostentatious lions on the top of the mould, the lollies wouldn’t actually fit that well in the freezer drawer – even the deep one! I had to wedge it by the very edge at the front and then they finally fit without spilling. This is something that I didn’t even think to consider when buying them. Also, it was very difficult to get the lollies out without breaking the sticks out, so it meant eating them with a spoon in the bowl like a slush puppy. Not bad when you just want cooling down, but not so great if you have a party. After scouring the internet for tips on this, I have found a solution to this! Pop the moulds into a bowl of hot water and they should slip out.
Taste 9/10
Ease of making 10/10
Ease of taking out of the mould 1/10
Feel free to comment and let me know how you get on!
Marriarty 