Simple Jell-O Popsicles

Melting ice lollies.
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Popsicles are fun frozen treats that kids love, but the cost of purchasing store-bought ones can add up. You can save money by learning how to make your own popsicles at home. This Jell-O popsicle recipe is a great place to begin and then use creative ideas to customize your own pops. Jell-O popsicles are delicious, can be personalized to fit your family's favorite flavors, and cost just pennies to make.

Ingredients

Start with a box of your favorite gelatin in any flavor you choose. There's no need to buy the Jell-O brand name, either. Generic store brands work just as well and can often be found for a fraction of the price. Beyond the gelatin, the recipe requires nothing more than boiling water and cold water, along with a small amount of sugar. Note that Jell-O is not a vegetarian product. Look for plant-based jello dessert mixes if this is important to you.

For supplies, you will need a saucepan and measuring cup. Although you can use a popsicle mold if you want to get fancy, paper cups work just as well. All you have to do is peel off the paper when it's time to eat. Of course, you'll also need a few popsicle sticks so the kids can enjoy their treat without getting their hands sticky.

Preparation

Once you have everything ready to go, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Next, stir in one box of gelatin and 1 tablespoon of sugar, making sure all of the sugar is dissolved. Finish up by stirring in 1 cup of cold water.

Pour this mixture into popsicle molds or paper cups, add the sticks, and place in the freezer. This recipe will yield between four and six finished popsicles, depending on the size of your mold, which is approximately the same size as popsicles found in the supermarket.

Getting Creative With Your Popsicles 

This recipe is so easy that it begs to be played with and the possibilities are almost endless. One of the simplest changes you can make is switching out the gelatin flavor for something more to your liking. Strawberry, blueberry, or any other berry-flavored gelatin are sure hits with kids. Banana, lemon, and lime are some other kid-friendly favorites as well.

Creating a Layered Look 

If you want to get really crafty, try creating layered popsicles. It's also a great way to double or triple the number of popsicles you get.

Choose two or three different gelatin flavors and mix them up one at a time. Fill your molds only part of the way up with the first batch, place them in the freezer, and allow the popsicles to set a little so the next layer doesn’t mix too much with the first. Then, mix up the next batch of gelatin and pour it on top. Continue this process until the molds are full. Next, let the popsicles freeze completely.  

Don’t worry if your gelatin runs together somewhat because it is quite difficult to get perfect layers. When the gelatin layers blend somewhat, it actually creates interesting-looking swirls and you’ll end up with colorful popsicles that taste as good as they look.

Add Healthy Fruit

To increase the nutritional value, you can add chopped fruit to your popsicles. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, and even fresh pineapple are just some of the fruits you can add to enhance your popsicles. Cut up the fruit as fine as possible so it's easy to ingest. Wait to add the fruit until the gelatin is partially set. If you add the fruit right away, it will likely sink to the bottom of the mold or paper cup.