Rhubarb and Greek Yogurt Popsicles ~ with tart, rhubarb jam marbled through rich (full fat!) Greek yogurt, these healthy popsicles like the most perfect bowl of fruit and yogurt you’ve ever eaten. I added no sugar to the yogurt, but the rhubarb has been sweetened, so they work beautifully together.
I’m kicking off the unofficial start of summer with a whole week of new popsicle recipes, tips, and useful links. Homemade popsicles are so incredibly versatile I need an entire week to explore all the reasons why you NEED these in your life this summer. I’m dedicating each day this week to a different kind of popsicle, and today it’s delicious rhubarb and Greek yogurt popsicles, which are probably some of the healthiest of all! Yogurt naturally pairs well with fruit, and depending on your recipe, yogurt pops will delight everybody from toddlers to sophisticated foodies.
I have to tell you right up front that these are some of the best popsicles I’ve ever tasted.
So if you want to skip over the chit chat and get to the recipe right now, I won’t hold it against you. These rich and creamy frozen treats make you want to go sit under a shady tree and daydream. They’re perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Part of why these rhubarb and greek yogurt popsicles are so fantastic is, of course, the rhubarb. It’s a flavor like no other. When I was planning out the roster of pops for this week’s posts, I knew I wanted to do a yogurt popsicle, but I could have chosen a million fruits to layer with it. Rhubarb has a really clear, tangy flavor that holds up well in a popsicle. Not too sweet, and so vivid. Your color and flavor will vary a little bit depending on the rhubarb you have. Some is very deep in color and intense in flavor, but it can be paler and milder, too.
Substitute any berry, or other pureed fruit, even a good jam will work in these. But if you want something really special, go with fresh rhubarb, it’s in season right now.
Greek yogurt gives these popsicles a lovely tart flavor which blends beautifully with the rhubarb.
Greek yogurt is ideal for popsicles because so much of the liquid has been drained out of it to make it thick, that it freezes with a creamy rather than icy texture. You don’t need to do anything to it, unless you want to. I like to thin it out a bit to make it easier to get into the molds. When you thin it with cream you’ll get something akin to ice cream, but you can use regular milk, too. If you are making these for kids, I’d add some sugar or honey to the yogurt, or use vanilla flavored. I left it plain for a sophisticated adult palate.
For these popsicles, I made a quick and simple rhubarb jam, and layered it into my popsicle molds with my Greek yogurt. I used a chopstick to gently swirl the two together to get the pretty marbleized effect. There’s something about that combination of the bright rhubarb against a creamy background that I just can’t get enough of!
Tips for making yogurt popsicles~
- Use Greek yogurt for popsicles, the thick texture freezes into an extra creamy pop.
- Use any fresh fruit to layer or swirl with the yogurt. Rhubarb has to be cooked, but most other fruit like berries, peaches, or kiwi can be used raw. Puree the fruit until smooth.
I love to cook with rhubarb when it’s in season–if you’re a rhubarb lover, too, check out my No Bake Rhubarb Dream Bars, or my Rhubarb Breakfast Cake, which is a reader favorite. I’ve even make a gorgeous Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jelly!
Rhubarb and Greek Yogurt Popsicles
Equipment
- a popsicle mold
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rhubarb, about 3 stalks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups Greek yogurt, I used full fat
- milk or half and half or cream to thin the yogurt
Instructions
- Rinse and trim the rhubarb, and then cut it into 1 inch pieces. Put the fruit and the sugar, along with 2 tablespoons of water, into a saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn down the heat and cook until the rhubarb is completely soft, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, and add a little more water if the jam is too thick or sticks to the pan.
- Puree the rhubarb in a food processor until sooth. Refrigerate the puree until it is chilled. You should have at least 1 cup of puree.
- Mix the yogurt with heavy cream, half and half, or milk to thin it. You want it to be thick but have a creamy consistency. There is no exact mount here, but since you are going to be spooning the yogurt into the molds, you want it a little looser.
- When the rhubarb is cooled, it will be thickened as well. Add a little water if you want to loosen it.
- Beginning with the yogurt, spoon alternate layers of yogurt and rhubarb into each mold until they are filled. Insert a skewer or chopstick down into each mold and stir just a bit to mix the layers and create a marbleized effect.
- Insert popsicle sticks in each mold, the sticks will stand up by themselves, so no need for a top or foil covering.
- Freeze until firm, about 4 - 5 hours or overnight.
- To un-mold the pops, fill your sink with hot water. Immerse the mold up to but not over the top edge, and hold for about 15-20 seconds. If the pops don't slide out easily, immerse for a few seconds longer.
- Eat right away or store in plastic baggies in the freezer.
Nutrition
Don’t forget to pin these Rhubarb and Greek Yogurt Popsicles!
And here are a few of my favorite yogurt popsicles from other blogs (if I missed your favorite, let me know in the comments!) —
Blueberry Vanilla Popsicles from The Slow Roasted Italian
Raspberry and White Chocolate Pops from Verses from My Kitchen
Yogurt Popsicles with Homemade Magic Shell from Nest of Posies
Breakfast Popsicles from Caramel Potatoes
Peaches and Cream Popsicles from Tutti Dolci
Peanut Butter Swirl Popsicles from An Edible Mosaic
Delish! I added grated fresh ginger to the rhubarb and 6-8 cranberries for color (I hate the greenish tinge of stewed rhubarb, but a few cranberries gives a gorgeous red hue), skipped the cream (just added a little yogurt to make ithe puree more pourable), and went with balkan greek yogurt (6%Milk fat)–once whisked it was already lovely and pourable. Layered in molds and frozen, these are so yummy that a supposedly non-yogurt eating teen keeps raiding the freezer…thx!
I don’t like rhubarb but our Top”s chapter is having a contest to get members to try new in season vegetables this looks good so am going to give it a try. Should or could I use artificial sweeteners? I know I don’t like the pie so through a little sugar might help me any suggestions?
You can sweeten it any way you like, with sugar, honey, or artificial sweeteners.
think i can use almond milk??
Milk freezes pretty solid and icy, Toni ~ how about almond milk yogurt?
Can your purée first then boil?
Also can uses Dixie cups to freeze as well
You could probably puree it first, I haven’t tried it that way Missy. And yes, you can use Dixie cups as molds.
Where I get buy Popsicle holder in the freezer? Thanks
Hi Rhonda – you can find them in certain large home stores, like Marshalls, or World Market, and also online at Amazon, here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=popsicle%20mold&linkCode=as2&tag=thvifrthgris-20&linkId=IAXDYJR63RTOSW3W
This looks and sounds divine, thanks so much for adding it to the Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round-Up! Karen
Another brilliant rhubarb recipe which I am definitely going to make.