Easy Lemon Popsicles

Make homemade lemon popsicles bursting with a fresh lemon flavor! You only need a few minutes of hands-on work plus six hours of freezing time. This recipe makes popsicles that are smooth in texture (aka, not icy!). The flavor is perfectly balanced between tart and sweet.

If you love lemon, this easy 3-ingredient lemon popsicle recipe is for you! This recipe is so easy that you only need store-bought or homemade lemonade. You can keep the color natural with simple ingredients or add food coloring for a yellow boost! (PSST, you can do the same thing with lime juice to make limeade popsicles!)

Next, you need a mold and sticks. Don’t have them? Don’t fret! You can still make stickless popsicles with Dixie cups! If you want a smaller version, use ice cube trays and toothpicks!  There are so many options, but no matter which one you choose, you are going to love this easy recipe!

Ingredients and Equipment Notes

Lemon Juice

You can use store-bought lemonade like Minute Maid or make it at home. If you are making it from scratch, use fresh lemons! Do not use bottled lemon juice. It might seem convenient, but the flavor is always off.

Sweetener

For homemade lemonade, I recommend using simple white granulated sugar. When you mix it with the lemon, the acidity causes the sugar to melt into it. In other words, you do not need to make a simple syrup. Just stir!

• Sugar Alternative: You can use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar. To keep the texture right, use 1/3 cup (80g) of honey or maple syrup instead of 1/2 cup of sugar. Reduce the water from 1 and 1/2 cups to 1 and 1/3 cups. Since both are heavy liquids, whisk a bit longer to mix them well. 

Molds

I use a silicone popsicle mold and have always wanted to buy a stainless steel mold. Another option is good old-fashioned Dixie cups! With a Dixie cup, you can use a popsicle stick or peal around the cup as you eat the popsicle.

Popsicle Sticks 

I like to use craft sticks from Amazon.

Watch how to Make Homemade Popsicles

Personalize this Recipe

While I love straight-up lemon popsicles, I also like to add variety. Usually, I add another flavor to use up extra fruit. That is one of my favorite things about homemade popsicles; it’s a great way to reduce food waste!

Adding Fruit

If you are using fruit, the process will be slightly different. You will need to puree the fruit and strain it. Then, make a simple syrup. Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Here are the steps:

• Step One: Choose your favorite fruit, like strawberries, raspberries, peaches, or mangoes. Put the fruit in a blender and blend it until smooth. 
• Step Two: Place the liquid in a small saucepan and add one cup of water and one cup of sugar. Cook on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then, let it cool.
• Step three: Combine the added fruit and the squeezed lemon. Pour the mixture into your mold, top, and insert the popsicle stick. Freeze for 6 hours.

Creamy Popsicles

Replace a portion of the water with either milk, cream, or coconut milk from the dairy case. I recommend only replacing up to half of the water.  But this can vary depending on how creamy you want your lemon popsicle. 

Pink Lemonade

For a fun twist, try using pink lemonade, or for a Middle Eastern twist, use rose water lemonade. They are great for any event! They’re especially fun for girls’ birthday parties, bridal showers, and baby showers!