{How To} Dixie Cup Popsicles

Nothing says "Summer" like a nice, cold popsicle.  Growing up, I loved the long days with lingering twilights.  Those nights when the sun seemed to slowly set, my sisters and I would dig into the thin cardboard box of orange, red and purple ice pops.  It was heaven.


Now I realize that it's easy to make popsicles at home. This saves money, allows you control over the ingredients, and gives you a chance to try really creative flavor combinations.


Last summer, I was excited to make homemade popsicles. I went out to Walmart and got a popsicle mold kit. The white plastic had 6 popsicle shapes complete with 6 plastic sticks.  On our way to check out, we got some sugar-free pudding mix and skim milk to create our homemade pudding pops. Little Chica and were ready to have some Popsicle Making Fun!


When we got home, we whipped up the pudding, poured it in the mold and popped it in the freezer. The next day we excitedly retrieved the frozen pops, but when we attempted to release the popsicles from the mold, the plastic sticks snapped off!  No sticks render popsicles all but inedible.


No popsicles. Total disappointment.



This Spring, I kept coming across so many great homemade popsicle recipes on Pinterest. I knew I needed to try again, but didn't want to invest in a popsicle mold kit if it would only lead to more disappointment.  I remembered making popsicles in Dixie Cups as a kid, and knew this would be the perfect way to re-attempt popsicle making.  


And it worked famously.


We take for granted the most simplest of methods, don't we? Dixie Cup popsicles are easy, frugal, and super kid friendly.  At first I was thrown for how to keep the popsicle sticks centered while they were freezing. But I figured it out and look forward to making more Dixie Cup Popsicles in the future.


Want to make your own Dixie Cup Popsicles, but not sure where to start? Here's my step-by-step!

Gather your supplies
Dixie Cups, Popsicle Sticks,  Aluminum Foil.

Place the Dixie Cups on a tray
Cut the foil into squares large enough to cover the top of the Dixie Cups.

Mix the ingredients 

Make sure all the ingredients (Nutella and Milk in this case) are well-combined.

Pour the mixed ingredients into the Dixie Cups

Top the filled Dixie Cups with foil squares
Smooth the aluminum foil so it seals around the top

Make a slit
Using a knife, cut a small slit in the center of each aluminum foil square

Place a popsicle stick into each slit.

Pop the tray of Dixie Cups into the freezer
Allow to freeze for 6-24 hours.




Remove the Dixie Cup from the Popsicle
Once frozen, take the Dixie Cups from the freezer. Take off the aluminum foil and snip a small slit into the lip of the cup.  Peel the Dixie Cup off the popsicle.

Enjoy

As you can see, the Nutella Pops were a huge hit with Little Chica.




Ok, maybe with me too.

The recipe I used was from Pinterest, but the pin ended up being Spam and is unlinked. I had to tweak the ingredients a bit, but the end result was fantastic.

Nutella Pops

Yield: 8 Dixie Cup Popsicles

3 cups of skim milk
1 cup of Nutella


Pour ingredients in a blender or mix with a hand blender. Pour into molds. Freeze. Enjoy.

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Try your favorite juice, smoothies, fruit purees, sorbets or milkshakes as popsicles. The combinations and possibilities will BLOW YOUR MIND!

I can't wait to hear how your Homemade Dixie Cup Popsicles turn out. Make sure to share your creative recipes in the comments below!  


To find some inspiration, check out my Popsicles Pinterest Board.


Happy Eating!