Orange Juice Is The Key To Making Affordable And Low-Effort Popsicles

On a hot summer day, some nice cold popsicles are the perfect treat to cool down and refresh yourself. But popsicles are expensive, and they can be full of added sugars to boot. Thankfully, there's an easy way to make affordable and low-effort popsicles at home with orange juice. OJ is another refreshing and delicious classic that can't be beat on a hot day, so turning it into homemade popsicles is a no-brainer.

To make your own OJ popsicles, all you need is a container to freeze the juice in and a stick to hold the popsicle once it's done. If you're serious about simplicity, small paper cups work well, or you can get dedicated popsicle molds to reuse whenever you're in the mood for a cold treat. There are even online hacks to make popsicles without a mold that you may wish to consider. As for the handle, popsicle sticks or even toothpicks (in the case of smaller pops) work wonders. Fill your molds, pop them in the freezer for four hours (or until solid), and enjoy. 

If your popsicles don't want to release, don't worry. You can use a quick water trick to remove ice pops from their mold. In addition to being easy and affordable to make, homemade OJ popsicles are better for you than store-bought. Even though OJ tends to have a lot of sugar, it's still oftentimes less than the average popsicle, especially when fresh-squeezed. It will also lack the dyes and food additives you might find in some ready-made popsicles.

There are plenty of ways you can upgrade your homemade orange juice popsicles. You might consider adding a small amount of sugar to the mix if you find juice-only popsicles are too hard when frozen. You could also add a touch of heavy cream to the OJ and layer it with more cream to create homemade creamsicles. Whip the dairy into whipped cream and add a little condensed milk for best results.

You can also blend your orange juice with your other favorite juices, like cherry, pineapple, or cranberry, making a frozen fruit cocktail just as easily as you would an OJ popsicle. Add lemon juice and a little extra sugar for an orange-lemonade ice pop. Alternatively, add chunks of fruit for a little extra flavor and freshness, as well as additional texture. This could be a great way to use canned fruit or fruit cups. If you're squeezing your orange juice fresh, simply set aside a slice and chop it up (sans peel, of course).

Finally, add chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, or even blend in a bit of chocolate sauce to the mix. Chocolate and orange is a classic combination, so there are few better additives for your homemade orange popsicles than a little chocolate. You can even switch it up and make homemade fudgesicles with some added OJ.