Breaking the Mold: Low-Cal Sweet Treats

Aug. 5, 2008 — -- Now you can enjoy the sweet taste of summer without the guilt, thanks to Self magazine's pop stars. The publication has compiled recipes for popsicles that give you all the flavor sans the heavy caloric intake you get from other frozen treats.

Find out how you can make minty grape, wild-berry and strawberry popsicles at home by using the recipes below, and click here to learn more about these edibles.

*All recipes yield 16 pops (3 ounces each).

Minty Grape Pops

1/2 cup fresh or bottled lime juice

1/4 cup honey

4 cups red grapes, halved

1/4 cup packed fresh mint

Whisk lime juice and honey in a bowl until honey dissolves. Stir in 2 cups cold water. Spoon grapes and mint into molds. Add lime-honey mixture and sticks. Freeze 6 hours.

Wild-Berry Pops

1-1/2 cups fresh blackberries

1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup lowfat plain yogurt

1 cup prepared blueberry juice

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Blend 3/4 cup blackberries and 3/4 cup blueberries with yogurt, blueberry juice, honey and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Stir in remaining berries. Pour into molds and add sticks. Freeze 6 hours.

Mexican Chocolate Pops

2 tbsp cornstarch

2-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups skim milk

4 oz milk chocolate

3 oz dark chocolate

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix cornstarch, cinnamon, chili powder and salt in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk in milk, breaking up clumps. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes. Lower heat; stir in chocolates until melted. Remove from heat; add vanilla; cool 5 minutes. Whisk; fill molds and add sticks. Freeze 6 hours.

Ginger-Citrus Pops

2 cups lemonade

1 cup apple juice

1/4 cup ginger juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

4 tsp grated ginger

2 tsp honey

1 lime, thinly sliced

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Simmer lemonade, all juices, ginger and honey in a small saucepan for 10 minutes, then let cool. Put citrus slices in molds; add juice mixture and sticks. Freeze 6 hours.

Strawberry-Sunflower Pops

1/3 cup shelled unsalted sunflower seeds

3 cups hulled and halved strawberries

3/4 cup strawberry juice

3/4 cup pineapple juice

3 tbsp sugar

1 ripe banana

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Roast sunflower seeds in a shallow pan for 6 minutes; stir and roast 4 minutes more. Simmer berries, juices and sugar in a medium saucepan for 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer mixture to a blender; add banana; blend until smooth. Stir in seeds. Fill molds and add sticks. Freeze 6 hours.