On a sweltering summer day, there’s nothing better than reaching into your freezer for an ice cold popsicle, and this version can’t be beat. Made from fresh, seasonal fruit instead of food-dyed sugar water, these rainbow ice pops are a wholesome treat that anyone can feel good about.

Choose fragrant, ripe summer fruit that’s in season, then puree it until smooth. You’ll need a little liquid, like orange juice, to make sure it doesn’t clump up in the blender and I like to add a little agave to each different layer. You can choose a different juice if you’d like – pineapple, passion fruit, or even peach would all be good choices. Blend and taste the puree, then adjust the sweetness by adding more agave if you like.

You can use any popsicle mold you like, some are larger than others. Mine held 3 fluid ounces and I put about 1 tablespoon of each mixture into each mold, yielding approximately 10 popsicles.

Layer each color in the order listed in the recipe, and you’ll end up with a beautiful stripey rainbow. You can carefully layer them all at once, if your mixture is thick enough, or to ensure that the colors don’t bleed together, you can freeze each one for about 30 to 60 minutes then add the next.

These fun, family-friendly treats are perfect for any celebration, from Pride to a summer barbecue.

Unmolding Fruity Rainbow Popsicles for Pride (Wendy Goodfriend)

Recipe: Fresh Fruity Rainbow Popsicles

Makes about 10 popsicles

Ingredients:

Red layer: 1/2 cup raspberries + 2 strawberries, hulled + 1 tsp agave + 2 tbsp orange juice
Orange: 1/2 cup mango chunks + 1 large strawberry, hulled + 1 tsp agave + 2 tbsp orange juice
Yellow: 3/4 cup fresh pineapple chunks + 1 tsp agave + 2 tbsp orange juice
Green: 2 kiwis, peeled, seeded, and chopped + 1/2 frozen banana, chopped + 1/4 cup baby spinach + 1 tsp agave + 2 tbsp orange juice
Blue-Purple: 3/4 cup blueberries + 1/2 frozen banana, chopped + 1 tsp agave + 2 tbsp orange juice

Fresh Fruity ingredients (Wendy Goodfriend)

Instructions

For each layer, in a blender, puree the fruit until smooth, then pour into a small bowl. Taste and adjust the sweetness with a little agave if desired.

Pour each layer of fresh fruity puree into a small bowl. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Spoon some of the mixture into each popsicle mold (the amount of pops you end up with will depend on the size of your mold, so divide accordingly to fit 5 even layers). For a standard-sized popsicle (see notes above), you will likely need 1 tbsp per layer. Freeze each layer until semi-hard before adding the next layer.

Spoon some of the mixture into each popsicle mold. Freeze each layer until semi-hard before adding the next layer. (Wendy Goodfriend)

After the last layer, let freeze until very firm, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

After the last layer, let freeze until very firm, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. (Wendy Goodfriend)

To remove from the molds, quickly dip each one into a bowl of hot water to loosen, then pull it out of the mold.

To remove from the molds, quickly dip each one into a bowl of hot water to loosen, then pull it out of the mold. (Wendy Goodfriend)

Serve the Fresh Fruity Rainbow Popsicles for Pride or your next summer barbecue. (Wendy Goodfriend)

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