When the weather gets hot, it’s time to bring out the frozen treats. Iced drinks and shakes are always great, but nothing says summer quite like a strawberry popsicle. Unfortunately, most popsicles are basically frozen sugar on a stick, and that simply won’t do for me. That’s why I created these healthy and homemade sugar free popsicles with Stevia!
Sweet, tart, and full of strawberry goodness, these popsicles are a refreshing, delightful treat sweetened only with a few drops of stevia extract. With only 70 calories and 8 grams of sugar (from the strawberries) in each popsicle, it’s a treat that anyone can feel good about eating. Especially people with diabetes like me.
How to make homemade sugar free popsicles
So how do we pack all of those classic flavors into our Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles without going crazy with the added sugar? Well, the main way we do it is by using quality ingredients. Fresh strawberries (preferably organic) are key since their flavor is so bright and strong (you can also use frozen strawberries but the flavor won’t be quite as strong).
Another little trick is to buy Meyer lemons instead of regular lemons if you can get them since Meyer lemons tend to be less acidic and tart than standard lemons. If you have no idea what a Meyer lemon is, I don’t blame you. I’d never seen one until recently. A Meyer lemon looks like a cross between a regular lemon and an orange, as you can see in the image below.
If you can’t get Meyer lemons in your local store, don’t worry about it. Regular lemons will do fine as well.
Truthfully, the recipe is super simple but it has a few secret ingredients. Strawberries, lemon juice, and stevia extract are ingredients you would expect, but old-fashioned oats and low-fat cottage cheese are what makes these strawberry popsicles special.
The oats are pulsed to a powder before we add the other ingredients, which gives the popsicles some of their texture and a little nutritional boost. The oats practically disappear when the popsicles are frozen.
The cottage cheese is the key component, and gives our strawberry lemonade popsicles their awesome texture! Just like the oats, it practically disappears in the popsicles. No need for cream or milk here! It also adds much-needed protein to the recipe.
When all the ingredients come together, it’s like magic! Creamy, naturally sweet, tart, and just fun to eat — what more would you want from a popsicle?
These popsicles make for a fantastic after dinner treat or afternoon snack on a hot summer day. Make a big batch and serve them at your next summer cookout…your friends will surely love them!
Other healthy summer treats
If making popsicles feel like too much work just to get something cool and healthy to keep the heat at bay, try my Chocolate Greek Yogurt Ice Cream instead. It’s super easy to make and makes an amazing treat on a hot summer day!
For something that’s cool, refreshing, and ready in 5 minutes, try my high-protein Strawberry-Banana Protein Smoothie.
If you are looking for even more recipe inspiration, this roundup of low-carb easy diabetic desserts is also a great place to start. I always keep it updated with the latest dessert recipes from Diabetes Strong.
When you’ve tried these healthy strawberry lemonade popsicles, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked them and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles (No Sugar Added)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- 4 oz. low fat cottage cheese
- 1½ lb. strawberries
- 4 oz. lemon juice, about 4 lemons,
- 5 drops liquid Stevia
Instructions
- Pulse oats in a high-powered blender or food process until they turn into powder.
- Add strawberries, cottage cheese, lemon juice, stevia, and pulse until smooth (if necessary, stop the blender and push the ingredients down with a spatula or the plunger that comes with the blender. Do not add any liquid!)
- Pour the mixture into 6 popsicle molds and freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
Nutrition Info Per Serving
What can I sub for the stevia?
Another natural sweetener that generally doesn’t impact blood sugar is Monkfruit. There are other artificial sweeteners and low carb options so you have to choose what you prefer (You can find a full overview of sweeteners in this guide)
What if you don’t have cottage cheese? Can you do without?
If you take out the cottage cheese the popsicles will contain no protein and you’ll need to add more liquid. You could experiment with adding something else but I don’t think it will work to simply remove that one ingredient
Can I substitute the oats with anything else?
If it’s because you’d like to go even more low carb you could try almond or coconut flour. I can’t guarantee it will work, but it’s worth a try
I think there is a natural sugar from fruit that’s why it says no sugar added!!
You are actually right about that. The correct wording is “No Sugar Added”. I have changed the text to correct that. Thanks for pointing it out!
I made these today and they are amazing! Thank you for the recipe.