Woah! I was completely blown away by this natural combination of extreme deliciousness! I swear, I didn’t expect these healthy vegan gluten-free watermelon papaya yogurt popsicles to be so insanely magical. I originally thought of the idea after I made my blackberry watermelon popsicles. Those were tart and sweet and reminded me of Spring, and with those I was in heaven. Then I thought of these, and I have no idea how the creation came about except for the fact that I had a small papaya in my fridge originally for juicing, but realized it was on its way out if I didn’t use it that day. So it was either waste the money I spent buying it and throw it out, or use it. I happily accepted the challenge. And that’s the day this popsicle idea was born. I envisioned a subtly sweet popsicle and since I have only juiced papaya before for the sole purpose of healing acid reflux, and really didn’t love the fruit on it’s own, it was a total hit or miss.
So I sliced almost the whole papaya into thin slushy slices that half ended up looking like puree because it’s such a slippery fruit, and sliced the watermelon, some thin and some thicker chunks like 1/4 inch thick. I set that aside and made the base with my all time favorite coconut yogurt by Anita’s, water and pure stevia. This is really the ONLY coconut yogurt you can use. This is the ONLY coconut yogurt that I have ever had that is tart. There are literally no additives, no sugar, no thickeners. It has three ingredients only and it’s filled with gut-loving probiotics and it’s dairy-free. (To be clear this is a coconut based yogurt, and NOT coconut flavored yogurt. The difference between the two is that one is made only with coconuts while the other is made with dairy and flavored with coconuts). The consistency is smoother and thinner then regular yogurt because it is additive free. But it’s the purest form of coconut yogurt! It’s amazing. So if you choose to use a different yogurt, the taste will completely change. This coconut yogurt + the watermelon + the papaya “go together, like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong, remembered forever as shoobop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom chang chang changitty chang shoobop, that’s the way it should be “. Grease Movie 1978
So what I’m saying is this recipe shouldn’t be messed with.
With Anita’s yogurt you can get 20 popsicles made, with yogurt even left over so that’s pretty dope. Don’t worry, its expense does not go to waste.
I set them in popsicle mold over night and when I woke up the next day it was like Christmas! I couldn’t wait to run them under hot water, and get those babies out of the mold and taste them. And when I did I was blown away. I cannot describe it other then tasting like the faint memory of a watermelon Jolly Rancher in a really healthy way.
So I had 10 and they went by fast! I couldn’t get enough of them, and neither could anyone else that tasted them. I went to Enzo Blood Lab to get my blood work done for my vitamin deficiency check and gave my favorite nurse there (the whole reason I go to Enzo) one of these popsicles, since I was going to eat one anyways. I couldn’t not offer her one, I didn’t want to be rude. But I did actually pack one for her too…and we sat there together while no one else was there enjoying and talking about health over these delicious popsicles. If you could ever call a dairy-free yogurt popsicle bliss – this would be the popsicle. It tasted like Summer, and it made me long for hot and sweaty July days in Manhattan.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 cup of Anita’s Creamline Coconut Yogurt (here is where you can buy it)
1 cup filtered water
3-4 drops of uncut pure alcohol free liquid Stevia (I love Nu Naturals)
1 small papaya, flesh only
1 1/2 cups watermelon (remove black seeds)
my favorite popsicle mold (the only one I will use, that comes with the sticks)
DIRECTIONS:
In a high speed blender combine the yogurt, water and stevia and blend well.
Cut watermelon pieces into 1/8 inch thick and 1/4 inch thick small chunky slices and set aside.
Spoon papaya out of its rind and slice the papaya into thin chunky slices as the watermelon. Don’t worry if the papaya looks like puree, or it becomes mushy, you will still use it.
Pour a very small amount of the coconut mixture into the popsicle molds, about 1/8 full, then add the fruit, both watermelon and papaya. Take your fingers and smoosh the fruit down so that it gets covered in the yogurt. Then add a little more yogurt mixture. Then add a little more fruit mixture. Then push the fruit down with your fingers. Then add a little more yogurt mixture. Then add a little more fruit and push down with your fingers. Keep doing this till you have filled the popsicle mold. And do this for each popsicle. It gets messy, so have napkins and an apron available.
The popsicle mold that I like to use comes with a top where there are already slitted openings for the sticks. It makes popsicle making SO much easier and faster. Secure the popsicle mold with the top, add the sticks and put in the freezer for 5 hours or even overnight.
When you remove the popsicles from the freezer, you will need to run the top under hot water, as well as the bottom so you can remove the top and slide the popsicles out of the mold.
Store in the freezer in a plastic bag. Serves 10
TIPS:
If you choose to use a different coconut based yogurt, or a different plant-based or dairy Greek yogurt know that it will change the taste of the base of this recipe.
If you cannot find a small papaya, use 1/2 of a large papaya and wing it with the amount you need for the popsicles.
- 1 cup of Anita's Creamline Coconut Yogurt (here is where you can buy it)
- 1 cup filtered water
- 3-4 drops of uncut pure alcohol free liquid Stevia (I love Nu Naturals)
- 1 small papaya, flesh only
- 1½ cup watermelon chunks (black seeds removed)
- my favorite popsicle mold (the only one I will use, that comes with the sticks) (link found in the post)
- In a high speed blender combine the yogurt, water and stevia and blend well.
- Cut watermelon pieces into ⅛ inch thick and ¼ inch thick small chunky slices and set aside.
- Spoon papaya out of its rind and slice the papaya into thin chunky slices as the watermelon. Don't worry if the papaya looks like puree, or it becomes mushy, you will still use it.
- Pour a very small amount of the coconut mixture into the popsicle molds, about ⅛ full, then add the fruit, both watermelon and papaya. Take your fingers and smoosh the fruit down so that it gets covered in the yogurt. Then add a little more yogurt mixture. Then add a little more fruit mixture. Then push the fruit down with your fingers. Then add a little more yogurt mixture. Then add a little more fruit and push down with your fingers. Keep doing this till you have filled the popsicle mold. And do this for each popsicle. It gets messy, so have napkins and an apron available.
- The popsicle mold that I like to use comes with a top where there are already slitted openings for the sticks. It makes popsicle making SO much easier and faster. Secure the popsicle mold with the top, add the sticks and put in the freezer for 5 hours or even overnight.
- When you remove the popsicles from the freezer, you will need to run the top under hot water, as well as the bottom so you can remove the top and slide the popsicles out of the mold.
- Store in the freezer in a plastic bag.
Love & Summer Days Forever!
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