Two recipes for underwhelming ice lollies
17.6.2026
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Pictures: Stefanie Lechthaler
Making healthy popsicles? Quick and easy to make, they said. Well, I failed miserably and give up.
I remember this amazing hack from my childhood. Simply pop six teaspoons into those chunky little fruit yoghurt pots for kids and put them in the freezer. The result was pretty much the best thing I could’ve imagined back then. Sweet and refreshing bliss. But above all, sweet.
Today, I’m kind of done with sugar. At least, that’s what I tell myself. Inspired by aesthetically pleasing ads of homemade ice lollies, I try my hand at a new, healthy approach – and fail miserably with the first two flavours I come up with.
Yoghurt gelato
I love the combination of sweet and sour, so I usually go for frozen yoghurt in a cup or on a stick. The more berries, the better. They just make the flavour nice and intense. Those ingredients turned into an ice lolly? Easy! It worked with those kiddie yoghurts, too, right?
My creation: the ice lolly will consist of two layers. One berry-flavoured and one mild one with yoghurt. To make it, I chuck a generous handful of blueberries in my herb blender and mix it up with a tablespoon of sugar until everything’s turned into an uncooked compote.
I put two spoonfuls of the compote into the tip of the lolly mould before placing it in the freezer. Next, I mix the remaining blueberries with a cup of plain yoghurt mix in the blender until smooth.
After four hours, I fill up the moulds with the berry-yoghurt mixture, put them back in the freezer and wait for twelve hours until everything is frozen.
The verdict: Anyone who has experience making their own ice cream may have already guessed. Although the lollies look delicious, they’re not. Fruity, refreshing top notes? More like sour and watery. The yoghurt part isn’t anything to write home about either. It’s laced with ice crystals, too sweet in some parts, while other bits are almost tasteless.
My first attempt? Failed.
Ginger for freshness
Yoghurt wasn’t a hit, so I’m trying my luck with frozen iced tea. It’d be hard to get that wrong, right? So that’s my second ice lolly creation sorted. I brew fresh tea using a blend of lemongrass, peppermint, ginger and lemon.
My creation: I chop lemongrass, peppermint, and ginger into small pieces and pour boiling water over them. While I’m waiting, I put a few sprigs of peppermint, some lemon juice and a tablespoon of sugar in the blender. In my mind, I’ll soon be enjoying refreshing bursts of tart peppermint, as I lick away at the popsicle.
Once the tea’s cooled down a bit, I first add the chopped peppermint leaves to the mould, followed by the tea and make sure everything’s well mixed. Then it’s into the freezer with the moulds.
The verdict: Right, not too bad at all. But not great, either. All the peppermint leaves have settled at the bottom, which is actually the top of the lolly. This made the popsicle accidentally two-layered. The top is also the highlight: tart, slightly sweet and refreshing. Exactly how I pictured it! Not like the rest of the lolly: watery, poorly mixed and tasting of stale tea.
That’s me done with the experiments. Why? Firstly, I’m losing interest. Secondly, the corners on two of the four moulds snapped off, so they no longer stand upright in the freezer.
_Do you know how to make a simple, refreshing and truly delicious summer snack? Let us know in the comments.*
Header image: Stefanie Lechthaler
Painting the walls just before handing over the flat? Making your own kimchi? Soldering a broken raclette oven? There's nothing you can't do yourself. Well, perhaps sometimes, but I'll definitely give it a try.
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