The Other Side of the Tortilla

Popsicles

Moras con Crema Popsicles

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Mixed berries and cream popsicles are a spin on the traditional fresas con crema, loved all over Mexico. This version incorporates blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, in addition to strawberries.

My fresas con crema popsicles are some of the most popular paletas on the blog, and with good reason: they’re the perfect way to enjoy summer berries! I created this version with mixed berries a few years ago and loved the way it came out. It’s similar, but different enough that you get a different flavor palate with all the berries.

Berries and cream popsicles are a mixed-berry spin on the traditional Mexican fresas con crema dessert. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

The best way to get these berries to bloom with flavor is to macerate them. Similar to the way I macerate sliced strawberries with sugar for my fresas con crema popsicles, we’ll macerate the berries in this recipe, too, with one key difference.

It’s essential to break some of the blackberries, blueberries and raspberries while macerating them, otherwise you won’t get much berry juice. I gently break the berries with a potato masher, but you can also use a fork or other kitchen tool. Remember: you want broken berries that will hold their shape, but ooze some juice. You don’t want berry pulp.

A couple of acknowledgements here: Blueberries are not all that common to find in some parts of Mexico, despite the fact that Mexico grows a lot of the blueberries eaten in the U.S. If you’re not a blueberry-lover, you can sub in more blackberries (called zarzamoras in Spanish).

These popsicles are heavy on the dairy, and they don’t translate well with coconut cream (vegans and non-dairy folks who like to make substitutions, be warned, you won’t get the same results). If you don’t eat dairy, I’d suggest making strawberry hibiscus popsicles instead to avoid tummy troubles. And if you REALLY like blackberries and can tolerate sweetened condensed milk, you might want to try my Oaxacan horchata popsicles, which have blackberries and cantaloupe in them—just like you’d float on top of the drink.

During the warmest months of the year, I suggest freezing these berries and cream popsicles completely overnight before serving so they aren’t quick to melt in the heat.

You’ll need a few things to make this recipe:

Popsicle molds
Wooden popsicle sticks
Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus (or another food processor or blender that can make whipped cream)

Berries and cream popsicles are a mixed-berry spin on the traditional Mexican fresas con crema dessert. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com
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Moras con crema popsicles

Prep

Inactive

Total

Yield 10 3-ounce

Similiar to the popular fresas con crema dessert, this version uses a mix of summer berries for a spectacular berries and cream popsicle you'll make again and again. 

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup blackberries
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 1/2 cup pure cane sugar (not white sugar) or raw sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Wash all berries, pat dry, and remove strawberry stems.
  2. Chop 2/3 cup strawberries (about 4-6 large strawberries) and add to a glass bowl.
  3. Place blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in the glass bowl and break some of the berries slightly with a potato masher to release their juices.
  4. Mix the berries gently with a spoon and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to make sure all the berries are coated, then allow the berries to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes to macerate and draw out the juices.
  5. After the berries have been macerating for about 15 minutes, add 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream to a food processor and process for about 2 minutes or until a thick whipped cream is formed. (If you over-process, you'll end up with butter.)
  6. Use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the macerated berries, being careful not to over-mix and cause the whipped cream to go flat.
  7. Spoon into a popsicle mold, add sticks and freeze for 8 hours or overnight.

Notes

To remove popsicles from mold, gently run lukewarm water over the bottom edges of the popsicle mold for a few minutes to loosen them.

If you want to cut some of the fat and calories, you can substitute regular whipping cream for the heavy whipping cream without losing much of the creamy taste.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

You might also like: Mangonada popsicles

Strawberry hibiscus popsicles

2 · · 2 Comments

Strawberry hibiscus popsicles are a healthy treat with a uniquely Mexican-flavored twist.

How to make strawberry hibiscus popsicles via theothersideofthetortilla.com

This post is in partnership with California Strawberries. The recipe and opinions are my own.

If you love strawberries, but you’re also trying to cut back on added sugar, you’re going to love this recipe for strawberry hibiscus popsicles.
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Mangonada popsicles

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If you love a traditional Mexican mangonada, then you’ll love this spin on the classic recipe: mangonada popsicles!

The mangonada is a quintessential Mexican treat made with mango, orange juice, chamoy and Tajín and it’s a popular snack or dessert with street vendors and neverías (ice cream shops) in Mexico. The sweetness of the mango and orange juice is contrasted by the sourness of the chamoy, and together they make a perfect marriage of what’s known as an “agridulce” (sweet and sour) flavor. Agridulce candies and treats, such as tamarindo con chile, are common and beloved all over the country.

Turn the classic Mexican street treat known as a mangonada into popsicles with mango, orange juice, lime, chamoy and Tajín! Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

RELATED RECIPE: Mango cantaloupe popsicles with chile powder

I’ve used store-bought liquid chamoy in this recipe because it has a very fluid, runny consistency that perfectly drips down into the mold to give the popsicles the marbled look.

Liquid chamoy is available in most Mexican and Latin American markets in the U.S., usually found near the bottled salsas such as Valentina, Cholula and Tapatío. You can pour the chamoy around the rim of each mold to get it to drip down as directed in the recipe below, or you can put the chamoy in a small plastic chef’s squeeze bottle if you want more control.

The real variable in this recipe, though, is how much Tajín you sprinkle on top! The more Tajín you use, the more sour and salty flavor you’ll get. If you haven’t had a mangonada before, I’d recommend that you start with just a pinch of Tajín sprinkled on top in case the salty-sour experience isn’t really your thing.

RELATED RECIPE: Frozen orange slices with Tajín

If you prefer not to use store-bought chamoy, here’s my recipe for homemade chamoy, which is thicker than the store-bought variety and needs to be slightly more liquidy for it to drip down the popsicle molds properly. You can achieve a similar effect by using a spoon to smear the inside of the popsicle mold if you want to make your own chamoy from scratch with my recipe.

I’ve used a Norpro Ice Pop Maker popsicle mold to make these paletas, which makes 10 three-ounce popsicles and holds the sticks perfectly in place while in the freezer. (That’s an affiliate link to my Amazon store, El Mercadito.)

RELATED RECIPE: Street food-style mango cups

Turn the classic Mexican street treat known as a mangonada into popsicles with mango, orange juice, lime, chamoy and Tajín! Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com
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Mangonada popsicles

Prep

Inactive

Total

Yield 10 3-ounce pops

Make this fun spin on a traditional Mexican mangonada by adapting the recipe for your favorite popsicle mold!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh-squeezed orange juice (about 4 large Valencia oranges)
  • juice of 1/2 a medium lime
  • 2 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks
  • 1/3 cup store-bought liquid chamoy
  • Tajín, to taste

Instructions

  1. Juice the oranges and lime.
  2. In a blender, add orange juice, lime juice and frozen mango chunks. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
  3. Measure out 1/3 cup chamoy. Pour a little chamoy (a few teaspoons) around the edges of each popsicle mold, allowing chamoy to drip down the sides and pool a little bit in the bottom of the mold.
  4. Pour the mango mixture down the center of each mold, being careful not to let it disturb the chamoy dripping down the inside of the mold.
  5. Put the top on the mold, add popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 8 hours.
  6. To remove from mold, gently run lukewarm water over the bottom of the mold (opposite the sticks) to loosen the popsicles.
  7. Sprinkle with Tajín to taste, or pour Tajín on a small plate and dip the tips of each popsicle in a little Tajín and serve.

Notes

Inactive time listed is for time needed to freeze the popsicles.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

 

RELATED RECIPE: Mango and chamoy popsicles for a Zoku Quick Pop Maker

Vegan banana chia popsicles

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These banana chia popsicles are an easy homemade summer treat packed with nutrition and very little added sugar.

How to make banana chia popsicles with banana, chia seeds, coconut milk and a little sugar. This recipe is dairy-free and vegan-friendly! Via theothersideofthetortilla.com

During the summer, I always want paletas for dessert whenever possible because, well, it’s typically REALLY HOT in the part of Los Angeles where we live. I very rarely buy popsicles in the grocery store because they have a lot of added sugar, and if I’m going to be eating them daily, I need to make healthier choices. Plus, I have a reputation to uphold as the queen of paletas!

Whenever I buy too many bananas (which is basically always) and they start to get spots and are too ripe, I have to get creative with how to use them quickly. So I came up with this frozen treat version of a refrigerated banana chia pudding that I like to make when I’m trying to eat healthier. They’re not overly sweet or too banana-y, they’re very low-fat and not many calories per serving either (for the record, one serving is one popsicle). As you probably know, bananas are packed with potassium and Vitamin C as well as fiber and some other nutrients. Most of the sweetness in this recipe comes from the natural sugar in the bananas. Of course, if you like your popsicles on the sweeter side, you can always add a little extra sugar to the recipe if you want.

RELATED RECIPE: Coconut chia pudding

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Mango cantaloupe paletas with chile powder

1 · · 5 Comments

Mango and cantaloupe are a great combination not only because they’re both at peak availability during the summer, but also because both fruits are sweet enough when ripe that they don’t need to be sweetened with sugar to make juices or other treats like popsicles.

These mango cantaloupe popsicles are keeping me in denial about the end of summer drawing near.

Mango, cantaloupe and chile powder paletas recipe from The Other Side of The Tortilla

I really love these popsicles because they’re not syrupy sweet like store-bought popsicles, and the chile powder in the fruit mixture adds just the right amount of heat so that they’re still kid-friendly. Optionally, if you like, you can also sprinkle or dip the popsicles in some more chile powder before eating to add extra spicy flavor. …

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Vegan avocado fudge pops

9 · · 10 Comments

Have you ever had a fudgsicle? It’s a chocolate-flavored popsicle, with a pudding-like consistency, and I used to beg my parents to buy them at the grocery store when I was a kid. I developed the recipe for these vegan avocado and cacao paletas with those fudgy popsicles from my childhood in mind. As an adult, I like to give things a healthier spin when I can and since I have a vegan in the family, I wanted to make them in a way that she could enjoy them with me, which meant they couldn’t have any dairy. These are similar to my avocado popsicles, with a few tweaks to make them vegan-friendly. The avocado gives the popsicle a creamy, silky base, and coconut milk mixed in helps the popsicles freeze consistently and stay together when you remove them from the mold.

#Vegan fudge #popsicles made with avocado, raw cacao powder, coconut sugar and coconut milk. Get more #recipes from theothersideofthetortilla.com #paletas #receta #recipe…

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Pineapple cucumber lime paletas

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Paletas made with pineapple, cucumber and lime juice are a refreshing, healthy treat you can enjoy without any guilt! This all-natural, no sugar added popsicle recipe is one of my favorite ways to cool off from the summer heat, without consuming lots of empty calories or sugar. The lime zest gives these paletas a bright zip of color and a citrusy aroma that lime juice alone just can’t provide. I also love how the lime zest sinks to the bottom of the popsicle mold as it freezes, embedded in the pineapple juice and some of the cucumber juice naturally floats to the top of the mold. It makes for a pretty layered look with zero effort for it to turn out that way!

Pineapple, cucumber and lime #popsicle #recipe on theothersideofthetortilla.com #paletas

After going 10 days without eating sugar last month, I began thinking a lot about how much added sugar we actually consume in our household. Although we won’t completely cut all added sugar out of our diet, there are definitely some places we can easily cut back to make healthier choices. And although it’s true that pineapple has a moderately high amount of natural sugar, the juice, when cut by cucumber  and lime juice and divided into 10 popsicles, still has way less sugar per serving than almost any store-bought popsicle, and absolutely no preservatives, chemicals, sugar substitutes or artificial color dyes.

RELATED RECIPE: Mango cantaloupe paletas with chile powder

If your family consumes a lot of popsicles in the summer like mine does, then you probably already know that making your own ice pops can be both cost effective and healthier. Especially if you’ve got little kids  you don’t want eating lots of sugar, this recipe is a great, tasty option. Be sure to cut the skin off the cucumber so that the flavor is mild and blends in well to mellow the sweetness of the pineapple. Leaving the skin on the cucumber often results in a bitter flavor that throws off the balance.

This pineapple, cucumber and lime popsicle recipe is vegan-friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free….

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Paletas de horchata

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These horchata popsicles are a spin on Oaxaca-style horchata, which usually includes diced cantaloupe and red prickly pears that give it it’s signature pink hue. In Oaxaca, this kind of horchata is commonly referred to as horchata con tuna. Some people even like to throw in chopped pecans and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon as a garnish. Horchata has always been one of the most popular recipes on The Other Side of The Tortilla, so I thought I’d share a popsicle version that my family loves to eat.

This recipe for horchata popsicles is gluten-free.

Horchata popsicles with cantaloupe and blackberries | Get more Mexican recipes on theothersideofthetortilla.com…

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Paletas de fresas con crema

144 · · 9 Comments

Fresas con crema are a traditional, popular dessert all over Mexico.

Irapuato, a town in the state of Guanajuato, is particularly known not only for its bountiful strawberry fields, but also its roadside stands where you can get freshly picked berries or an impromptu treat of fresas con crema. Most of the roadside stands keep a cooler with crema on ice for highway travelers hankering for this sweet and simple treat. With only three ingredients—strawberries, cream and sugar—it’s easy to fall under this dessert’s spell.

You’ll love these popsicles so much, you’ll want to eat them all spring and summer long until you can’t get any more strawberries.

Mexican strawberries and cream popsicles

Variations on the traditional fresas con crema mostly come in the choice of the “crema” part of the recipe. Some people like to use crema Mexicana, while others may use a canned version known as media crema table cream. These Mexican strawberries and cream popsicles are made a little less dense—but equally creamy—with a quick homemade whipped cream made from scratch.

Paletas de fresas con crema are one of my absolute favorite desserts for spring and summer, and my friends, family and co-workers all love when I make a big batch of these popsicles to share. During the hottest days of the summer, I suggest freezing them overnight before serving so they aren’t quick to melt in the heat.

Supplies I used to make this recipe:
Progressive International Ice Pop Mold
Wooden popsicle sticks
Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus food processor

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Mexican strawberries and cream #popsicle #recipe from theothersideofthetortilla.com

Paletas de fresas con crema

  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 9 hours, 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 3-oz popsicles 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Description

Fresas con crema, a traditional Mexican dessert of strawberries, cream and sugar, gets a warm-weather makeover as popsicles.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ripe strawberries, stems removed
  • 1/2 cup Zulka Morena sugar (a Mexican non-GMO sugar)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3–4 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry 1 pound of strawberries, then remove stems.
  2. Slice strawberries and put them in a deep bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the strawberries and stir gently to coat. Allow strawberries and sugar to macerate for 1 hour to draw out the juices.
  3. While the strawberries are macerating, measure 1 cup heavy whipping cream and put it in the freezer for 1 hour, gently stirring once after 30 minutes so no ice chunks form.
  4. After 1 hour, add the macerated strawberries to a food processor (I use a Cuisinart mini prep) or a blender and pulse a few times until the strawberries are chopped but not liquified. Add them back to the bowl.
  5. Clean out your food processor cup or blender and dry thoroughly. Remove the heavy whipping cream from the freezer and add to the food processor cup or the blender. Add 3 tablespoons sugar (or 4 tablespoons if you like your fresas con crema to be very sweet). Run the food processor or blender on high until you have a thick, sweet whipped cream. (Be careful not to overwhip,or you’ll end up on your way to making butter.)
  6. Spoon the whipped cream into the bowl of macerated strawberries with a flexible spatula and gently fold the whipped cream into the berries.
  7. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for a minimum of 6-8 hours or overnight.

Notes

Active prep time is 1 hour and 15 minutes; inactive time is for freezing the popsicles until solid.

To loosen the popsicles from the molds, run the bottom of the molds under cool or lukewarm water for a few minutes. They should slide right out.

*If you use processed white sugar for this recipe, you will want to reduce the amount of sugar by 1/3 to 1/2 and taste along the way to make sure that it’s not too sweet for your liking. I prefer not to cook with white sugar and do not keep it in my pantry.

Keywords: fresas con crema, strawberry, strawberries, popsicles, paletas, ice pops

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Visiting a strawberry farm with the California Strawberry Commission

Watermelon and red prickly pear paletas

1 · · 2 Comments

Watermelon and red prickly pears are one of my favorite fruit flavor pairings. This summer I’ve been making a combination agua fresca with both flavors, and I started modifying my agua fresca recipe to turn them into paletas (er… Zokuletas). While mixing them together and pouring straight into my Zoku Quick Pop Maker for a quick and tasty treat, I found that I enjoy them much more when they look pretty too. I love making these layered pops for a refreshing snack on a hot day.

watermelon prickly pear paletas

If you don’t have the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, you can also use a popsicle mold with 2-ounce pops (affiliate links to El Mercadito, The Other Side of The Tortilla’s Amazon aStore); you’ll just have to wait longer for the layers to freeze before you can add another layer….

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Mangonada paletas with a Zoku Quick Pop Maker

4 · · 3 Comments

Paletas are a serious weakness of mine. All summer, I’ve been testing dozens of flavors and the hardest part is always waiting for them to freeze. That’s why when several friends were telling me about the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, I knew I had to get one. Make single-serve popsicles with three different flavors at once? A dream. Do it in 7-10 minutes? Even better! I’ve been playing with it all summer and I’m finally ready to start sharing some of my tasty creations using this fun kitchen tool.

This post includes affiliate links to all the products used to make this recipe, which are available in El Mercadito, my Amazon aStore.

mangonada (mango and chamoy) paletas

I’ve been experimenting with so many flavors, that I wanted to try something very classic and simple, similar to my mango con chile paletas recipe that I shared here a few summers ago. I can’t seem to eat enough mango this year, and I brought back a bottle of chamoy from Mexico when we visited earlier this summer. This recipe is similar to a mangonada or chamoyada, just blended together and frozen in paleta-form—but you’ll definitely recognize this classic Mexican flavor combination. I’ve started calling my Mexi popsicles made in my Zoku machine “Zokuletas” (insert cheesy grin here). Let’s see if we can make it catch on!…

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Mango and peach paletas

3 · · 10 Comments

I’ve been absolutely obsessed with testing paleta flavors all summer, partially because of my access to such a wide variety of fresh fruits in Southern California for months on end, and partially just because I have an inner-kid who still remembers the excitement I felt from hearing the jingle of the bell on the paletero’s cart. This mango-peach paleta recipe has been a mega-hit both in my household and with my office mates who got to taste them when I brought them to work for an afternoon snack to share last week.

mango peach paletas…

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Avocado paletas

1 · · 1 Comment

This post is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Avocados from Mexico but my love for avocados from Mexico is 100 percent authentic and the opinions and recipe in this post are my own. This post includes affiliate links to my Amazon aStore, El Mercadito, recommending products that I used to make this recipe.

paletas de aguacate | avocado popsicles

Summer means paleta time in my house. And though we like the traditional flavors, I also like to branch out and make flavors that are considered “normal” in Mexico, but that are not as common to see in the U.S., such as avocado. A few friends have looked at me sideways when I said I was working on a popsicle recipe with avocados, but I assure you that you’ll be won over by the creamy texture and pleasantly earthy, sweet taste.

I prefer to buy avocados from Mexico because of that distinctive, earthy taste due to the fertile volcanic soil in which they’re grown. They’re packed with nutrients and are a versatile ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes—but most people don’t think of using avocados in a sweet dish. The thing I especially love about this recipe is that the light coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk (also known as lechera) don’t overpower the natural flavor so you can still taste the earthiness of the avocado….

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Natural fruit paletas with watermelon and Tajín

8 · · 7 Comments

Natural paletas made with watermelon and TajínEvery kid I know loves paletas—and every mom I know wants to reduce the amount of sugar in their kids’ diet. With summer upon us, I’m already seeing watermelon everywhere in the farmers markets and grocery stores. I love watermelon and would eat it for three meals a day if I could, so I’ve been getting more creative with how to use it. These are especially great on a really hot day! A bonus: Because these natural paletas aren’t like traditional popsicles, they’re much less likely to drip and stain clothing if that’s an issue with your kids.

And you don’t need to have kids to enjoy these simple paletas! You can honor your inner child or summer cravings for a popsicle with a healthier twist. For those with diet restrictions, these paletas are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly. This “recipe” isn’t really a recipe; I like to think of it more as a healthy tip I’m passing on to you. Don’t discard leftover pieces that don’t make the cut: Sprinkle Tajín and squeeze a little lime juice on it for a snack, or cut them into bite-sized pieces and freeze to use as watermelon ice cubes to flavor your water….

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