Lemon Popsicles
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Beat the heat with these lemon popsicles perfect for a hot summer day, or anytime of year! Cool and refreshing, this easy recipe makes a great treat that the whole family can enjoy. These 3 ingredient lemonade popsicles are naturally gluten-free, low in sugar, and vegan, too!
You might be surprised to learn that many fruit popsicles on the market contain unhealthy ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. The best option I have found are the outshine lemon popsicles, but those still have guar gum and “natural flavors.”
I wanted to create a healthier popsicle recipe for my family using only real fruit and fresh ingredients. These lemonade ice pops have the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. It is so fun to make popsicles at home, it’s a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen, and will become one of your favorite healthy recipes for picky eaters too!
The best part? You only need 3 ingredients to make this perfect refreshing treat! From there you can come up with some delicious creations to customize your homemade lemonade popsicles!
With warm weather right around the corner, these frozen lemonade popsicles with lemon juice are a must-try recipe for summer treats. Have these on hand for an after school snack or birthday party. It is also the perfect way to cool down after a workout! Honestly, whether it is a hot day or not, those delicious citrus flavors are just so satisfying.
If you think these 3 ingredient popsicles make a great treat, you might also love delicious recipes like my vegan lemon tart or my matcha ice cream with lemon zest!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to customize
- Perfect summer treat, or any time you crave something refreshing!
- No artificial flavors
- Kid friendly
- Low sugar, healthy popsicles
- Clean and pure ingredients
- Vegan and gluten-free
- Best lemonade popsicles recipe!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
If you have been craving something light and refreshing, these homemade lemon popsicles will do just the trick! They are made with simple ingredients that you likely already have at home. Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the full recipe with exact measurements.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is the best for these lemon ice pops. If you don’t have a citrus juicer you can squeeze by hand – it’s a great option for using up extra lemons! You can adjust the amount of juice for a stronger lemony flavor.
- Lemon Zest: Using lemon zest is optional, but it adds incredible flavor and a tasty texture. Add a thin lemon slice directly into the mold for an extra fun touch to these lemonade ice lollies.
- Sugar & Water: White sugar and filtered water will simmer together to form a simple syrup. If you prefer not using refined sugar, try it with pure maple syrup or raw honey.
🔪 Instructions
You can whip up this frozen treat in just a couple of minutes! It is super easy to make your own popsicles at home with only a few simple steps. Here is how to make lemon popsicles:
Simmer: Bring the water and sugar to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan, continue to heat until the sugar melts.
Cool & Add Lemon: Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before whisking through the lemon juice and zest, if using.
Fill Molds: Carefully fill popsicle molds with the mixture and insert the popsicle sticks into the center of each mold. Freeze the lemon pops for at least 12-24 hours before removing from the mold and serving.
💭 Expert Tips
- Cool the mixture first. Allow the lemon ice pop mixture to cool to room temperature before placing the ice pop molds into the freezer.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for these delicious frozen treats. Bottled lemon juice can be used but may leave a bitter taste to these lemonade freeze pops.
- The sugar in this recipe can be substituted. If you prefer a different sweetener like honey or maple syrup those will work in this recipe. However, it will affect the color and flavor of these lemon popsicles.
- Add extra fresh lemon flavor. Lemon zest is totally optional however it does add a lovely freshness and flavor. For the best homemade lemonade popsicles, I recommend using the zest!
- To remove the lemon popsicles from the molds run warm water over the outside of the mold and remove the popsicle when loose.
- Don’t over fill the molds. You will want to allow a little space at the top of the mold for the mixture to expand as it freezes.
- Keep molds upright in the freezer. Make sure you have space in the freezer so that the molds can stay upright while freezing.
- You can use an ice cube tray or another type of mold. If you do not have an ice pop mold, using traditional ice cube trays or paper cups (dixie cups) will work too for mini popsicles! You can also use any type of mold you want for these popsicles. Silicone molds, stainless steel molds, plastic molds, anything will work!
📖 Variations
- Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles: Blend or muddle fresh strawberries for a delicious strawberry popsicle! You can also try it with this strawberry simple syrup recipe for just the right balance of sweet berry flavor.
- Add Fresh Herbs: Fresh basil, fresh mint, rosemary, or even thyme would taste great in these lemon treats!
- Raspberry Lemonade Popsicles: If you have never tried raspberry lemonade, it is so delicious! Make some raspberry lemon pops by adding in fresh raspberries or blended raspberry juice.
- Blueberry Lemon Popsicles: Blueberry and lemon are the ultimate combination. Mix in whole fresh or frozen blueberries, or make a blueberry puree to add in.
- Lemon Curd Layered Popsicles: For an extra layer of flavor, add a tbsp or 2 of lemon curd to your popsicle maker. First pour your lemonade mixture and let it fully freeze, reserving room for the lemon curd. Once it has frozen, add the layer of lemon curd and freeze again.
- Sugar Free & Low Sugar Version: You can adjust the amount of sugar in this lemon popsicle recipe for a low sugar version. If you prefer sugar-free lemonade popsicles, try it with monk fruit or stevia. Another option is to use the sweetness from other fresh fruit like mango, apple, or oranges.
❓Recipe FAQs
How do you make popsicles creamy not icy?
For a creamy popsicle, substitute the water for coconut milk or heavy cream! The coconut adds a delicious tropical flavor to these three ingredient popsicles and pairs so well with the fresh lemons.
Another popular method is adding in 2-3 tsp of cornstarch to the liquid before pouring into molds. You will first want to mix the cornstarch separately with a little bit of warm water and let it dissolve.
Why put gelatin in popsicles?
Gelatin is often used to slow down the melting process of popsicles. If you would like to use gelatin in your lemonade popsicle recipe, using lemon jello mix is the easiest way. Add 1 cup of water to a small pan and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a rolling boil add in the packet of Jell-O and sugar. Stir to combine and then add a cup of cold water. Pour the mixture into your molds and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight. You’ll have some tasty no drip diy freeze pops in no time!
How do you make homemade popsicles softer?
Sugar will help your lemonade popsicle stay soft, so I recommend using enough sweetener to decrease the freezing point. Adding in Greek yogurt or full fat coconut milk can also help keep your homemade ice pops softer!
How to store and freeze popsicles?
Freeze the lemonade popsicles for 12-24 hours before removing from the mold. You can run some warm water over the mold to loosen. You can store leftover frozen popsicles in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. To avoid freezer burn, wrap plastic wrap or place the popsicle mold in a large plastic bag to keep air out.
Are lemon popsicles healthy?
Lemon popsicles made at home with fresh lemons, just a little bit of sugar and simple ingredients are healthy! Eating lemons is a great way to boost your immune system with a dose of Vitamin C. It can also help naturally detoxify the body and improve digestion.
But if you add a ton of sugar to lemon popsicles, or make them with store bought lemonade instead of fresh lemon juice, they will be more like a dessert than a healthy treat.
This lemon popsicles recipe is super healthy because they have only 22 calories and 5 grams of sugar per popsicle!
🍡 More Refreshing Treat Recipes!
- Lychee Ice Cream
- Mango Mochi
- Banana Popsicles
- Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Tofu Ice Cream
- Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
- Coconut Milkshake
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Lemon Popsicles
Beat the heat with these lemon popsicles perfect for a hot summer day, or anytime of year! Cool and refreshing, this easy recipe makes a great treat that the whole family can enjoy. These lemonade popsicles are naturally gluten-free and vegan, too!
Servings: 10
Calories: 22kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring the water and sugar to a gentle simmer, continue to heat until the sugar melts.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before whisking through the lemon juice and zest, if using.
- Carefully fill popsicle molds with the mixture and insert a popsicle stick into the center of each mold.
- Freeze for at least 12-24 hours before removing from the mold and serving.
- Store frozen popsicles in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before placing the molds into the freezer.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best in this recipe, bottled lemon juice mayl leave a bitter taste.
- The sugar in this recipe can be substituted with honey or maple syrup however it will affect the color and flavor of these popsicles.
- Lemon zest is totally optional however it does add a lovely freshness and flavor.
- To remove the popsicles from the molds run warm water over the outside of the mold and remove the popsicle when loose.
- Don’t over fill the molds, allow some space at the top for the mixture to expand as it freezes.
- Make sure you have space in the freezer that the molds can stay upright while freezing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1popsicle | Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 0.05g | Fat: 0.05g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 5g
These lemon popsicles are going to be a refreshing and healthy treat, perfect for the hot summer months! I love that they only require three ingredients and are gluten-free, low in sugar, and vegan. My niece and nephews are gonna love it
Thanks so much Sangeetha! I can’t wait for you all to try this recipe!
Perfect treat for the summer! These are so easy to make. Homemade Popsicles sound healthier too. My family to love this too.
Glad to hear it Veena! 🙂
I Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so easy and the flavors were fantastic.
Thanks so much Shadi! So happy to hear that! 🙂