These Healthy, Homemade Citrus Popsicles Will Get You Through the Dog Days of Summer

Looking for a cool dessert to get you through the dog days of summer? Here’s how to make healthy homemade popsicles with just a few ingredients.

It is currently so hot here in California that it literally caused a firenado—and the forecast says the heat isn’t about to let up anytime soon in the entire western U.S. Just what we all need in the middle of a deadly pandemic! Though this year has taught me that pretty much anything is possible, it still seems highly unlikely that I will develop the power to control the weather. The next best thing to cool down: these healthy lemon popsicles from chef Jenny Dorsey.

In the latest episode of Well+Good’s YouTube show Alt-Baking Bootcamp, Dorsey shows us how to make refreshing popsicles that are free of refined sugar and dairy. Instead, coconut milk makes up the base of the recipe, which gives the popsicles a creamy consistency. The popsicles get a citrus kick from the zest and juice of lemons and oranges. “You can definitely use a variety of citrus in this recipe, feel free to mix it up,” Dorsey says. She mentions grapefruit, pomelos, and blood oranges as potential substitutions. A dash of honey (or maple syrup) for sweetness, a touch of ginger to add a bit of spice, and some fresh mint round out the flavors.

The best part about these popsicles is that they’re waste-free. No, you’re not adding whole lemons into your pops; Dorsey demonstrates how to use the leftover lemon scraps to make pectin, which is the setting agent in jams and jellies. “This is a nice way to use up your leftover citrus because not only does it spare you from buying commercial pectin, which is like this flavorless white powder, you can also just add a little bit of citrus flavor to whatever jams and jellies that you might be using at home,” she says. So these popsicles are both healthy and waste-free. (There are also a ton of other uses for leftover citrus peels, like a household cleaner or a cocktail ingredient.)

Watch the video to see how to make these healthy lemon popsicles. Your sweaty, hot self will thank you.