Rhubarb and Greek Yogurt Popsicles

I’m kicking off the unofficial start of summer with a whole week of new popsicle recipes, tips, useful links, and DAILY GIVEAWAYS.  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 yogurt based pops, 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.  Don’t forget to leave a comment at the end of the post to be automatically entered to win a different giveaway every day! (details below)

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.  With tart, rhubarb jam marbled through rich (full fat!) Greek yogurt, it tastes 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.  The whole pop was rich and creamy, it makes you want to go sit under a shady tree and daydream.   They’re perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Part of why these 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.

The other reason these popsicles are so great is that I used Greek yogurt, it gives them a luxe quality,  like a tart ice cream.  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 bars 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.

  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.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY!

LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW and I’ll automatically enter you to win a popsicle mold, just like the one I use.  I like it because it has the classic popsicle shape, and it’s sturdy.  I’ll also send you 100 popsicle sticks so you can get started right away!

(I’ll announce all the daily giveaway winners at the end of the week)

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

For tons more popsicle inspiration, follow my POPSICLE FEVER PINTEREST BOARD 

And here are a few of my favorite yogurt popsicles from other blogs (if I missed your favorite, link it up 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

*I’m sharing this recipe with Lavender and Lovage and Farmersgirl Kitchen for their Great British Rhubarb Recipe Round-Up