We’ve reached summer’s halfway mark, but just because it’s nearing the time to hang up your bathing suit doesn’t mean you should abandon your fitness goals. If you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, don’t let it derail your goals. We’ve got a few tips like replacing dessert with healthy fruit — the natural sweetness is better for you. And when you need to beat the heat, we’ve got you covered with these five healthier frozen summer treats — including a skinny peach pie popsicle recipe bonus!
5 HEALTHIER FROZEN SUMMER TREATS
1. FRUITY POPSICLES
Whether you use blended fruit or fresh fruit juice, fruit popsicles are both naturally sweet and incredibly low in calories. Whipping up a batch takes less time than a trip to the grocery store and will be much lower in sugar. Bonus: If you use the whole fruit instead of just the juice you’ll also retain the fiber (which gets lost while juicing), making your dessert a little healthier. (Popsicle Playbook: 5 Fun Ideas has some out-of-the box fruity pop recipes you’ll love!)
2. GRANITAS
Never had granita? Think of it as shaved ice for grown-ups. Blend your favorite fruit with some water (and a little liqueur if you’d like!) and pour it into a glass dish. Place in the freezer until frozen solid; then scrape the entire mixture. The result is a delicious and sophisticated dessert—and it’s much healthier than buying ready-made frozen ices or pouring sugary syrup over shaved ice.
3. BANANA WHIP
Looking for an ice cream substitute? Meet your new best friend, the banana. Banana whip could not be easier to make. Freeze bananas. Blend bananas. Eat bananas! The consistency is just like ice cream, but with all the health benefits of bananas and minus all the fat and calories of ice cream. Add some toasted coconut or a couple of chocolate chips for an indulgent sundae.
4. FROZEN YOGURT
When you choose frozen yogurt over ice cream at the supermarket, you are making a healthier decision—there’s usually less fat and sugar, and fewer calories in frozen yogurt. But it’s so simple to make frozen yogurt at home—and it wont’ contain any unnecessary preservatives the way the store bought kind can! Customize whatever flavor you want by mixing plain yogurt with fruit, then freeze, and blend! I’m personally fond of raspberry with a tablespoon of chocolate chips mixed in.
5. SKINNY PEACH PIE POPSICLES
The two fruits I’ve been reaching for (OK, devouring) this summer are cherries and peaches. I’ve been whipping together tons of recipes with them, and one of my favorites are these skinny peach pie pops. They’re super sweet thanks to ripe peaches, and still come in under 100 calories each. And the graham cracker crust makes them feel indulgent. Enjoy!
Skinny Peach Pie Popsicles
Ingredients
- 4 peaches
- ½ cup (120ml) soy milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons soy milk
- 6 graham crackers
Directions
In a blender or food processor, mix peaches (with pits removed), ½ cup (120ml) soy milk, and salt. Pour into popsicle molds. Let freeze for several hours.
One peach puree is frozen, blend graham crackers until finely ground, and then add 4 teaspoons soy milk and blend until soft.
Pack graham cracker mix into popsicle mold until it’s filled.
Makes: 6 servings | Serving Size: 1 popsicle
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 86; Total Fat: 1g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 111mg; Potassium: 315mg; Carbohydrate: 17g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 3g
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A: 9%; Vitamin C: 13%; Calcium: 10%; Iron: 4%
What are your favorite healthy desserts this summer? Let me know in the comments!
Originally published August 2014, updated July 2022
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