There’s nothing like a homemade popsicle to beat the summer heat! My kids absolutely love these fruit popsicles with fresh chunks of summer fruits, and this time, I’ve made another family’s favorite featuring in-season mangoes. If you love tropical fruits, you’re going to love these Mango Lassi Popsicles. They are creamy, sweet, colorful, and bursting with a significant mango flavor! And I promise, they will cheer you up and cool you down, all summer long.
What is Mango Lassi?
A South Indian’s classic beverage, mango lassi is a creamy drink made with mango, yogurt, milk, sugar, and sometimes a sprinkling of spices like cardamom, ginger, or cloves. My family loves ordering mango lassis whenever we dine at our local Indian restaurants. So I thought mango lassi makes a great flavor for popsicles too! These are basically mango lassis in popsicle form, the best of both worlds. It seriously cannot be any simpler.
How to Make Mango Lassi Popsicles
The Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh mangoes – You’ll want to use ripe, sweet mangoes for best results. Champagne mangos are a great variety. Greek yogurt – Because of its thicker consistency, it works better than regular yogurt in making popsicles. Homemade simple syrup (just sugar and water) — You can make this ahead. It’s handy to make a jar of simple syrup in the summertime, so you can make lemonade, iced tea, watermelon juice, iced matcha latte, and popsicles like this anytime!
The Cooking Steps
Best Popsicle Molds & DIY Options
If you make a lot of popsicles in the summer, it’s worth getting reusable mold or pushup pop mold that comes with covers. Here are some of the options for the best homemade popsicle molds:
Reusable Popsicle Mold. I have had these reusable Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds for almost 10 years. They are BPA-free and come with reusable sticks and make classic beautiful shapes. You can also remove the popsicles easily from the molds. For smaller-size molds, these Zoku Classic Pop Molds come highly recommended too. Stainless Steel Popsicle Mold. The ONYX Stainless Steel Popsicle mold is commercial-grade and they make classically shaped popsicles. I’d definitely buy this one next time. Silicone popsicle mold like this or this.
DIY Popsicle Molds
Small paper cups and wooden craft sticks. Recyclable small plastic yogurt cups and craft sticks.
Tips on Making the Best Homemade Popsicles
Do not overfill your popsicle mold with the mixture. Leave about a quarter-inch space at the top of the mold before you insert the stick in or cover it with plastic wrap. The mixture will expand slightly when freezes. Make sure to insert your sticks straight, so it’s easier to remove them. Place your molds in the back of the freezer where it’s coldest.
Q: Can I skip the sugar? Sugar reduces the freezing point of all frozen desserts. Without sugar, these popsicles become ice cubes. Also, you’ll need some sugar to balance the flavors of mango and yogurt. Q: Why do you use simple syrup? Because it is a liquid sweetener, it is much easier to blend into a mixture than regular sugar. Plus, it’s super easy to make and you can make a lot at once and store it in the fridge for cold drinks and more popsicles! Q: How do you get homemade popsicles out? Run the bottom of the popsicle mold under warm water. Give the stick a light tug and the popsicle should slide out easy. Don’t use any force or pull too hard. If it doesn’t come out, just run it a little longer under the water. Q: Can you use store-bought mango lassi to make this? I haven’t tried it myself, so I am not sure… If you’ve tried it, let us know in the comment below.
More Frozen Treats to Enjoy in the Summer
Summer Fruit Popsicles Mochi Ice Cream Mango Coconut Smoothie Matcha Ice Cream Frozen Chocolate Banana
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on August 4, 2013. It has been republished with updated content on July 17, 2023.
