Everybody loves watermelon slices during the summer, so why not serve Watermelon Yogurt Pops? Watermelon Yogurt Pops made with Greek yogurt are not only refreshing after a long hot day, they are almost guilt-free.
Last month you may remember my Watermelon Italian Ice. The funny thing about buying watermelon is you end up with a lot of watermelon. A lot. Even the smallest one I found left me with watermelon for days. And although I did snack on it, I wanted to make another recipe with it (and yes, I’m about a month late in posting this). Because watermelon is essentially 92% water, I wanted to make something refreshing and cold. My first thought was ice cream, but heavy cream and watermelon didn’t seem like a logical pair. What if I paired it with Greek yogurt? It would still have that creaminess but won’t be as heavy as ice cream. And that’s how Watermelon Yogurt Pops were born.
Everybody loves watermelon slices at a picnic, so why not serve watermelon in frozen form? Watermelon Yogurt Pops are not only refreshing when you are dehydrated from playing in the hot sun, they are almost guilt-free. Most of us love ice cream, but most of us also have to watch how much ice cream we consume (wait, just me?), so when my ice cream craving attacks, I can grab a yogurt pop instead. Imagine having a summer party at your house and pulling these yogurt pops out of the freezer to share. Or pretend you don’t have these in the freezer and don’t share. Your call.
Although you can buy packaged watermelon slices at the store, there’s no guarantee as to how fresh and juicy they’ll be. That’s why I opted for a whole watermelon. Buy what’s best for your household, but if you do buy a whole watermelon, keep these three tips in mind. First, it should be heavy to lift, even the small ones. Second, look for a yellow spot. This is called a sun spot and indicates that the watermelon has sat on the vine long enough to ripen. Third, it should be symmetrical and not oddly shaped. I learned those tips from Watermelon.org last month when I attended a conference.
If you’re like me and find yourself with lots of watermelon leftover, cut it into cubes then freeze them. It’s best to line them in one layer on a cookie tray or plate then once frozen, place into a freezer bag. That way they don’t stick and freeze together in the bag. Now you have instant watermelon ice cubes that you can either put into drinks (watermelon lemonade, anyone?) or blend into smoothies. Or thaw them out and make these yogurt pops or Italian ice (I had a tough time making the yogurt pops with frozen watermelon. Thawed cubes made it much easier and smoother).
Equipment you will need (affiliate links):
Watermelon Yogurt Pops
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed watermelon
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 popsicle sticks
Instructions
- In a blender, blend together the watermelon, yogurt, sugar, and lemon juice. Pour into popsicle molds and insert sticks. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.
More Watermelon Recipes
Watermelon Lemonade Margarita Popsicles
Michele @ alwayzbakin says
Those are great watermelon tips that I didn’t even know. The yogurt pops sound so refreshing. Love the addition of the yogurt! I also have to admit that I’m IN LOVE with the color.
Carla Cardello says
I didn’t either until this summer. Very helpful if you’re not used to buying whole watermelon (like me!)
Becca from It's Yummi! says
Anything and everything watermelon, please! These sound amazing, Carla!
Carla Cardello says
Thanks Becca!
Stacy says
Watermelon is the most refreshing summer fruit, hands down. Your lovely popsicles mean we can enjoy the sweet flavor of summer even longer with these in the freezer, Carla.
Anna (Hidden Ponies) says
We love watermelon around here – can’t wait to try these with some of the giant on my counter!
Le renard et les raisins says
I just tested this recipe a few days ago and we all loved it ! Thank you for sharing !
I posted the recipe on my (french) blog, with a link of your’s ;)
Bises gourmandes,
Andréa
Carla Cardello says
Glad to hear it was a hit!
Jennifer @ Oil Diffuser says
This waterlemon icecream is so easy to do. I love it. I love waterlemon and now I can make waterlemon pops by myself. Thank you for your sharing :)
Carmen says
Just made these for me and my boys! We all loved them so refreshing after a long day at the water park!!! This will be my go to Popsicle for them! I just had plain Popsicle tray but your photos have convinced me to get some fancy molds! Thank you!
Carla says
Aren’t the molds fun to play with :) Glad everyone enjoyed them!
Min says
Sounds delish! Do you think it would still be as good (or close enough) without the sugar? I’ve got a toddler and I like to keep the sugar to a minimum (it makes him extra hyper).
Carla says
I would highly recommend adding some kind of sweetness if you don’t want to use sugar. It helps balance the tanginess from the yogurt. You *might* be able to leave it out if your watermelon is super sweet, but usually you need some sugar. You might be able to add super sweet strawberries?? I will say each pop doesn’t have much sugar in it. 1/4 cup divided by 6 pops is 2 teaspoons of sugar per pop. I suppose you can cut that down to 2 tablespoons sugar, making it 1 teaspoon per pop.
Matt Martin says
Watermelon Yogurt Pops – My wife really love it. It is easy to do, I make it with a cup Greek yogurt and
1/2 cup granulated sugar. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!!!
Eden Passante says
These sound so refreshing!! Love watermelon too!
Jessica Greenhood says
So I just literally put my pops in the freezer. can’t wait till this evening. I used Splenda instead of sugar. by the way, this recipe makes a great smoothie. I had a little left over and thought why waste it. It was yummy. A little too sweet, though. I might try making this recipe again but without sugar.
Carla says
Sounds like you got lucky with a really sweet and ripe watermelon! Sometimes if the watermelon is really sweet, you’re right – you don’t need as much sugar.