Homemade Watermelon Popsicles with Yogurt and Lime

Homemade watermelon popsicles are a refreshing treat that take10 minutes to make! With yogurt, lime, and honey, this is a light frozen dessert recipe for any hot day.

These watermelon popsicles have me swooning! They’re perfect for teething babies and kid approved, yet healthy enough for us mamas to dole them out without batting an eye. My daughter begged for them all summer long.

The yogurt makes them more filling and adds a hint of creaminess while the lime adds complexity and brings out the watermelon flavor. The lime also helps with emulsification so the water doesn’t separate from the juice at the bottom of the popsicle mold.

The agave syrup adds more sweetness to make it taste like the treat that it is. Sure, you can skip it, but I think it really helps enhance the watermelon’s natural sweetness. Read on for more details on the recipe or click the button above to jump right to the recipe!

Why Make THIS Watermelon Popsicle Recipe

They’re just really really good. That not a good enough reason? This recipe is tried and true. I tried different variations with various ingredients and quantities and this was ultimately and overwhelmingly the best combo. 

I know you can just blend up watermelon, freeze it and call it a day but those aren’t going to be the popsicles your kids go crazy over. Making them more flavorful and filling just takes a few simple additions but makes a world of difference. 

Some watermelon popsicle recipes call for more sugar and/or heating the juice up. I assume you’re just as busy as I am, so putting in a lot of effort isn’t on the agenda. Sure, adding sugar and creating a syrup makes popsicles that taste more like store-bought, but that takes time and they won’t taste as fresh. Aren’t we making popsicles to avoid all the crap that goes into store-bought ones?

This recipe accomplishes all goals: easy, low in sugar, and absolutely delicious!  

In addition to all of that, it’s a fun recipe to let kids help with too. Letting kids participate in the kitchen is so helpful for getting them to eat the food you try to feed them. My daughter helped dump ingredients into the blender and squeeze the lime. It makes it that much more exciting when you pull them out of the freezer a few hours later.

Ingredients and Equipment Needed

While popsicles are pretty easy to make, they’re not possible without the right tools. Here is what you need to make watermelon popsicles:

• a popsicle mold (wood popsicle sticks if your mold requires them)
• a blender or food processor
• watermelon
• lime
• agave syrup or honey or even maple syrup
• plain yogurt (regular or Greek yogurt is fine, flavored is fine too in a pinch but will increase the sugar content)

A popsicle mold is obviously essential. I used this mold that allows you to use your own wooden sticks. There are plenty of others that have re-usable sticks though.

I have this ring pop mold that I use too sometimes for any extra popsicle juice left in the blender. I love the ring mold, especially for babies, but you’ve got to keep an eye on those popsicle sticks cause they don’t sell them separately and they’re easy to lose.

This watermelon popsicle recipe is intended for a larger mold with standard sized popsicles so you’ll have a lot of juice left over if you use a mini-mold like this. its a pretty healthy juice alternative though so you can give leftovers to kiddos in a cup too!

How to Make Watermelon Popsicles

I can think of few simpler recipes than this one. As long as you’ve got the right stuff, all you need is 10 minutes of prep work and some patience while waiting for the popsicles to freeze.

1. Measure your ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend everything into a thick, liquid puree.

3. Pour the watermelon puree into popsicle molds.

4. Freeze for an hour, then add a popsicle stick into the center of each watermelon popsicle.

Let them freeze for at least 4 hours and then you eat!

In my opinion, the hardest part is cutting the blasted watermelon (juice everywhere every damn time) and then washing the blender. When you end up with beauties like these, it’s well worth that wee bit of effort though.

Tips for Making the Best Watermelon Popsicles

Although they are really easy to make, I’ve got some tips for making the best watermelon popsicles. 

These tips will make you a homemade popsicle master:

• Depending on the popsicle mold type you’re using, you may need to insert popsicle sticks after 1-2 hours in the freezer to keep them from sinking in too far. In my regular sized mold with wooden sticks this is essential. In rings with re-usable plastic or silicone sticks, this isn’t needed.  
• For pulp free popsicles, pass blended mixture through a cheesecloth before pouring it into the mold. We don’t prefer it this way and it isn’t worth the effort in my opinion, but it is an option.
• It’s best to remove all popsicles from their mold within the first couple days of freezing. After removing, wrap each one in wax or parchment paper and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Removing soon after freezing makes them easier to remove and keeps them tasting fresher. 
• Use the best, perfectly ripe watermelon. Look for a watermelon that sounds hollow when you hold it up to your ear and knock on the side. Also look for a yellow spot to show it’s been sitting in the sun for awhile. 
• I use regular yogurt, but you can use plain Greek yogurt instead. This will add more protein of course, but will add more tanginess too. So, you might want to add a little more agave to help even that out. You can certainly use any flavored yogurt you have on hand instead, just know that it will affect the end flavor and it won’t taste as strongly of watermelon. 

Other Treat and Watermelon Recipes

And if popsicles aren’t your thing but you still want a lighter treat, try this piña colada vegan ice cream, this coconut mango chia pudding, or these avocado chocolate truffles. Or, if you’re itching for watermelon, try these watermelon feta mint skewers or this watermelon fruit salad – both are favorites around here!