This is a list of easy and refreshing popsicles recipes with no added processed sugar. It’s so easy to make your own sugar-free popsicles and stay healthy during hot, summer days.
Ahh Summer Time. Warm temperatures always call for ice cold popsicles - and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering how to go about enjoying your summer without compromising your healthy eating habits.
Whether you’re on the keto, low-carb, paleo or whole 30 diet, or just trying the avoid processed sugars in general - we’ve got something for you on this ultimate list of sugar-free popsicles recipes.
What Are The Best Sugar-Free Popsicles?
In our opinion, the best sugar-free popsicles are the ones you make yourself. That way you control exactly what goes into them and know for sure whether they are friendly to your personal dietary requirements.
You can sweeten only with fruit, you can sweeten with honey or any other sweetener of choice. You can even forego all added sweeteners and even overly sweet fruit. Cucumber, lemon or grapefruit popsicles can be just as delicious and refreshing!
The options are endless, you can create so many flavors and this list of sugar-free popsicle recipes have a bit of everything to get you inspired!
Are Sugar-Free Popsicles Okay For Diabetics?
Yes and no, it all depends on the type of sugar-free popsicle. That’s why homemade is best. You can choose ingredients that are suitable for diabetics and take out all the guesswork.
When it comes to diabetic popsicles, it’s always good to remember that sugar is not the only “enemy” - sugar-free popsicles that are low in sugar might have a high carb count from other sources which can still cause a rise in blood-sugar.
Choose sugar-free popsicles made with berries, peaches, apricots, apples, oranges or kiwi, whatever fits your requirements!
Can I Eat Popsicles On Keto?
Yes - specifically if you make them yourself. Luckily, popsicles are some of the very easiest things you can DIY - and the list of nutritional benefits is LONG!
You can make popsicles with Keto-approved fruit like berries, cantaloupe, watermelon, plums, etc.
Of course, only you will know what fits your personal dietary requirements - so choose accordingly. On this list of sugar-free popsicles recipes, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to help you make compliant popsicles at home.
There truly is nothing like eating an ice-cold popsicle in the hot, sweltering sun to cool you down. So, beat the heat and take a bite out of these 10 Refreshing Sugar-Free Popsicles...
1. Banana Coconut Cream Popsicles
This delicious Sugar-Free Banana Coconut Cream Popsicles recipe is sweetened with banana and a touch of honey. With just 5 simple ingredients and 5 minutes of hands-on time - you’ll be enjoying these in no time!
Although banana is high in fruit sugar, these fruit pops are loaded with fibre and is a powerhouse of nutrients (like potassium). Bananas are also known to help fight anaemia.
- Calories: 214
- Carbs: 20g
Find the recipe HERE.
2. Lavender Lemonade Popsicles
These lavender lemonade popsicles put a fun twist on plain ol’ lemonade popsicles. With 4 simple ingredients and a few minutes of cooking, you can’t go wrong with this easy, refreshing recipe. It’s my favorite flavor!
Lavender is believed to have antiseptic as well as anti-inflammatory properties - which research suggest could be beneficial for treating things like anxiety, insomnia and even depression.
This popsicle recipe is sweetened with honey and flavored with fresh lavender and lemon juice.
(Nutrition Information Not Provided)
Find the recipe HERE.
3. Cucumber Lime Mint Paletas
These amazingly colorful Cucumber Lime Mint Sugar-Free Popsicles are the ultimate heat fighter. Cool off with this simple recipe that needs just 6 healthy and nutrient packed ingredients.
Mostly fruit sweetened with a touch of honey, agave or maple syrup.
- Calories: 85
- Carbs: 20g
Find the recipe HERE.
4. 3-Ingredient Vanilla Peach Popsicles
These 3 Ingredients Vanilla Peach sugar-free popsicles are not only beautiful, but so easy to make and PACKED with nutrients and antioxidants. Peaches may aid digestion and even reduce allergy symptoms, as well a long list of other potential health benefits!
These 100% fruit popsicles will definitely hit the spot!
- Calories: 62
- Carbs: 14g
Find the recipe HERE.
5. Banana Chai Popsicles
Who says chai is only for cold weather? If you love a warm cup of chai tea in the winter, then you’ll love these sugar-free banana chai popsicles in the summer. With just TWO ingredients - this is a winner!
Chai, which a spicy and fragrant tea, is considered great for your heart health as well as lowering blood-sugar levels and weight loss! Also, because of spices like cinnamon and clove (common in Chai), you can also expect circulation improvement - which your skin will thank you for!
- Calories: 29
- Carbs: 9g
Find the recipe HERE.
6. Honey Chamomile Popsicles
Honey Camomile Sugar-Free Popsicles - sounds like something you enjoy relaxing poolside on a cloudless hot day. Ahh, I can picture it so vividly.
Chamomile is considered a mild tranquilizer (attributed to the anti-oxidant apigenin) - So, on top of having a delicious icy cold treat - you can expect possible decreased anxiety and even better sleep thanks to these delicious popsicles! Double score.
All you need are 3 simple ingredients, 10 minutes of hands-on time and you’re good to go!
- Calories: 34
- Carbs: 9g
Find the recipe HERE.
7. Three Ingredient Strawberry Popsicles
Strawberry Sugar-Free Popsicles. Not only are strawberries beautifully bright red, juicy and sweet, they’re also packed with Vitamin C and a host of other amazing nutritional benefits! They’re thought to be good for your heart AND blood-sugar control.
So, when you make these easy 3 ingredients popsicles - you’re getting a yummy popsicle and well as a punch of health boosting nutrients. YES!
These classic frozen ice pops are a surefire crowd-pleaser!
(Nutrition Information Not Provided)
Find the recipe HERE.
8. Rainbow Popsicles
Who can resist these beautiful rainbow colored popsicles? They take a bit of work and a long list of fresh fruits, but they’re well worth the effort when you consider the wow factor AND nutrient boost you’ll get.
The good thing about this recipe is, although it’s going to be quite the task to make them - it yields over 30 popsicles! (Depending on your mold size). So, it’s one day of slaving away in the kitchen, taking them in and out of the freezer, and then you’ve pretty much got enough popsicles to see you through summer!
(Nutrition Information Not Provided)
Find the recipe HERE.
9. Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles
Can you even call it summer without watermelon? With just 3 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on prep time - these are a definite winner.
Sweetened only with watermelon and strawberries - it’s a health punch in a deliciously sweet icy cold treat that is not only very hydrating, but chock-full of nutrients.
These are also great for pregnant ladies - it is shown to ease heart burn and reduce swelling. Watermelon can also alleviate morning sickness and well as ease muscle cramps. Can’t deny the magic of this sweet treat!
- Calories: 19
- Carbs: 4.9g
Find the recipe HERE.
10. 2-Ingredient Mango Coconut Popsicles
With just 2 ingredients, there are no excuses to be made! Coconut Milk is a source of saturated fat and a host of nutritional benefits (electrolyte balance, healthy hair and skin, antioxidants) when consumed in moderation.
Sometimes called the king of fruit, mangoes have a long list of nutritional benefits, like boosting gut health and immunity, promoting digestion, eye health and lowering cholestrol.
With a glycemic value of 51, they are below the 55 cut-off for low glycemic foods, which means they are safe (in moderation) for diabetics as well!
The mango coconut mixture is a winning flavor combo!
- Calories: 79
- Carbs: 9.4g
Find the recipe HERE.
11. Apple Raspberry Popsicles
The Apple Raspberry Popsicles are made with 3 simple ingredients and needs just 5 minutes on hands-on time.
Made with whole Granny Smith Apples, which are extremely rich in important antioxidants and dietary fibre. They are known to lower blood pressure and cholestrol.
Raspberries are thought to protect against diabetes, arthritis as well other other conditions. They are also said to have anti-aging properties! With raspberries being so delicious, the health benefits only add to the long list of reason to toss them into your diet.
Find the recipe HERE.
In Conclusion:
So, with the conclusion of this list - it is safe to that making your own sugar-free popsicles are home is not only easy, but delicious and mostly importantly - HEALTHY. They can be make in a variety of ways that is suitable for ANY and EVERY diet out there.
All you need are a handful of simple ingredients like fresh fruit, coconut milk or water, and sometimes a natural, whole sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
Don’t be scared to substitute or swap out any ingredients to make it comply to your personal dietary requirements.
Did You Make One Of These Sugar-Free Popsicles Recipes?
If you made one of these yummy recipes that we rounded-up for you - please let us know in the comments how it turned out for you! If you have any improvements or other awesome popsicle recipes of your own - let us and other readers know as well!
You can also give us a follow on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest - we love staying connected!
This post was first published on June 8, 2016 and was updated on February 5, 2020 to include more detailed information on each of the featured recipes.
JJ says
My comment to all you argumentative nit pickers, is the majority of people when they see sugar free think no cane sugar, no corn syrup etc. any dummy knows fruit has fructose sugar. My suggestion is to move along and find the perfect “no sugar” recipes for you. Maybe actually reading the post might help clear up your confusion. Happy hunting.
Andy Lesher says
Anne & Shay clearly wants words to mean what they want to idealogically impose on readers, probably just to boost their online hit count from people who thought no-sugar meant something. It's not anything about doctors or diet choices, it's about word limitations. Differentiate with adjectives not nouns. "Sugar" does not mean "cane sugar" or "added sugar"; it means total sugar; look at the labels and quit sniffing aaat commonality.
Roché Woodworth says
Hi Andy! I see where you’re coming from and I’m genuinely curious - when you search for “sugar-free” popsicle recipes and you consider that fruit = sugar, what are you expecting to find? Beef popsicles? Pumpkin Seed Popsicles? Avocado Popsicles? Sounds like I’m joking, but I’m genuinely curious. There’s very few ingredients that are literally sugar-free (less than 0.5g if you’re following regulations), and these ingredients aren’t exactly popsicle worthy. We also don’t do artificial sweeteners on this blog, and they too cause a rise in insulin levels. This post gets tens of thousands of views a month and since it was first published in 2016, only a handful of people have complained about it. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
R Kole says
Regardless of your personal beliefs or what your *opinion* on things happens to be, when you state something is sugar free it needs to be sugar free. It is simply a case of false advertising. Why not simply amend the title? You have plenty of space in your blog to explain your take on what sugars you consider good and not. Because you do not want to amend the title, I have to logically assume you won't get the same hits as you would by stretching the truth. That's simply greed and dishonesty and opens you up to a law suit. The idea is, it takes a second to amend the title and when you do not, a judge has to ask, why?
I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in July. By changing (radically) my diet, I went from organ damaging A1C numbers to a complete reversal of diabetes, with A1C numbers below pre-diabetes levels--in 3 months! My doctor said in all her years in practice she has never seen anyone do what I did. I cut out sugar, all of it, including no fruit and no dairy, as well as reduced my carb intake drastically. I also lost 80 pounds in 6 months. After a year and a half, my body's insulin response normalized and eventually I was able to add back in a very small amount of fruit and fermented dairy. I am so thrilled that I can now have a half a medium apple several times a week as well as plain yogurt and even cottage cheese, also in limited amounts, without my insulin levels going wacko. Despite your beliefs, if I had eaten a whole apple even 6 months ago, my insulin response would have put me in serious jeapardy. Yes, every body is different. But we all have a responsibility to stick to simple language when it comes to promises when you are offering something to others. Each of us has to have the tools to say, oh this is what I can use or no, I should stay away from this. What have I lost digging thru your recipes that say sugar free and are not? Time and trust. You have lost mine. I will not take the time to see if I benefit from the rest of what you could offer because something simple was misleading and again, because a simple change could fix this (and it's been pointed out to you) and you don't want to, I am not going to trust anything else you present. The Internet is a big place and it's sad that a simple word choice on your part is going to tank your possible service to a lot of people. Big companies trying to sell a product engage in this all the time. And I'm a big believer in kar.a.
Finally, the. Biggest tragedy in my mind is the American Diabetes Association who is a BIG business and operates as such, including creating a mass marketed picture of what diabetics should do which, as all the doctors in my physicians practicehave pointed out to me, does not try to help people reverse their condition, but minimally manage it, coincidentally keeping people on expensive meds and dependent kn a whole range of products that fund big pharma. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but understand logic. I am fortunate I had a doctor who encouraged me to reverse my diagnosis because it could be done even though it required a lot of discipline and commitment. There are still many ADA members who claim Type 2 diabetes cannot be reversed at all.
Roche Woodworth says
Thank you for taking the time to write this comment.
For the majority of the world population sugar is defined as “a sweet crystalline substance obtained from plants, specifically sugar cane”.
The very first sentence of this post states that these recipes contain “no added processed sugar”. This is not just my *opinion*. These recipes are sugar-free in the way that most people would agree. I also clearly state which recipes contain honey and that you can substitute that for something that works for you.
These recipes can give you some inspiration. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, move along.
Lastly, my target audience is not diabetics.
I am very clear about the fact that I write for people looking to add more whole and natural ingredients into their diet, and healthier alternatives to popular dishes. I have a massive audience of people who get exactly that from my blog and come back for my recipes again and again.
Nowhere do I claim to be a medical or nutritional professional, just a wife and mom that enjoys cooking and sharing recipes.
If you’re looking for fruit-free popsicle recipes, I suggest searching for that instead.
I'd rather be healthy in Texas says
To low carb & lovin it - I never respond to posts - maybe twice in my life...but I couldn't let this go. There will always be something you disagree with, based on your personal experience, but you are not everyone. Your health is between you and your doctor. I am a nurse and I can tell you that 10 doctors will have 11 theoretical opinions, and that their opinions change when it comes to applying the theory to real patients in their office. No two diabetics are the same, and making blanket statements about all sugar being the same in diabetics does a dis-service to everyone and could be dangerous for some who read your comments. Sugar is not sugar is not sugar. Natural sugar in food is affected by all the enzymes and fiber and other little molecules that come in that particular food's little "bio-package". And everyone's body is different in how it processes food. My husband, when diagnosed with diabetes, was told early on to not eat fruit... for years he didn't, then he was told to go low carb but the low carb options are usually MUCH higher in fat, and he gained weight, required more insulin and the vicious cycle repeats.... Then he went to a new endocrinologist, saw a dietitian and nutritionist and started eating fruit again, and a balanced diet, higher in fiber and good carbs (lower glycemic index carbs), less protein and fat, including milk (low fat- which he had also sworn off for years based on the same initial's doctor's advice, but loved)...and his insulin has been cut in half over the last 3 months, and so far 45 pounds (after the initial water weight) lost over 3 months. I am not disagreeing with your health choices - for YOU. But blanket diet advice like that above just propagates health crises in folks who need to work with their own doctor. I would just urge anyone who reads this to ignore all the internet advice and to work with your own doctor, or get another doctor, and find what makes your own body healthier.
Shay says
Thank you so much for your perspective! Here at LivingChirpy we share what works for US, but we're always making adjustments and do our best to make it clear that what works for us might not work for everybody. We agree that health is completely personal and anything found on the internet should be taken with a grain of salt.
jm says
Um yeah - these are for sure not sugar-free recipes. But they do look amazingly yummy. I'm going to try out the lavender lemonade.
Shay says
Hello JM, it's not our intention to mislead our readers/visitors. So, we are in the process of rebranding from a "low-carb" to a mostly "whole ingredient" blog. We've come to realize that the opinion of what is and isn't low-carb seems to vary from person to person, and since we are not qualified nutrition experts, we would rather avoid the confusion.
Meadowlife says
Thank you Shay, your recipes are amazing! Love your site and encourage you to keep it coming. As far as I know, as a responsible adult, I have choices. I would never make something that knowing whatever kinds of health issues I might have would harm myself or someone else that I might be making them for. If you read sugar free and consider the natural sugars in fruit and know they might harm you or someone you are making it for, then don't make it. We should all know what we can and cannot tolerate. So rather than disagreeing with what you have stated as "sugar free" if you can't have even the natural sugars in fruit, then don't make the recipe. decide for yourself. If I looked at a recipe and it called for something I wasn't allowed, or couldn't tolerate, I would either omit it or just move onto another recipe. Again, thanks for sharing your great recipes, keep them coming.
Anastacia Beaverhousen says
Sugar free? What crap when you use honey and syrup which the body reads as sugar.
Low Carb & Lovin It says
I follow Prof Tim Noakes,Dr. Stephen Phinney, Prof Jeff Volek, Dr Eric Westman, and others who believe differently. Also, the ADA needs to revise their dietary program for better results. Carbs and not needed to survive when you get right down to it. Once you do get your diabetes under control, then you may have Some fruits occasionally. Vegetables are always welcome, especially those grown above ground. The others have too much starch that converts to sugar in the body. Anyway, to each his own.
Low Carb & Loving It says
Hi Shay, I respectfully disagree with your statement. The body cannot differentiate one sugar from another. I have Type 2 diabetes. While we can add berries from time to time, we should steer clear from bananas, watermelon, apples, pineapple, etc, as well as all dried fruits, fruit juices, etc.
Shay says
Well then, lets agree to disagree. Maybe for you personally, your doctor instructed you to not eat fruit, because of your own personal body/health condition. That is not the norm. Not only have I done extensive research on this topic, I also have a Type 1 Diabetic grandfather and a Type 2 Diabetic mother. They are both allowed to eat fruit, and in fact they have been encouraged to consume plenty of fruit and vegetables as part of their balanced diet - but to be mindful of portions, as with everything else. Even the American Diabetic Association gives a very clear "YES!" with regards to fruit (as do most other Health Associations). Dried fruit and fruit juice is not "fruit", but processed products, so it cannot be mentioned in the same category. As I said in my previous comment though, we are moving away from "low-carb", and moving towards healthy "whole foods" to avoid these disagreements.
Mac says
The other commenters are correct. Eating whole fruit is fine because the natural fibre helps you digest it more slowly and blunts the impact of the fructose, however the second you blend or juice a whole fruit, as far as your body is concerned it's like chugging down any other type of sugar. No amount of posturing or flawed citations are going to change that. Obviously you're not going to agree with this undeniable fact because it will invalidate a lot of your blogs but it's worth knowing – especially for parents who seek recipes like this out to provide their children healthy alternatives to store bought popsicles and what not. If you're a parent and you're reading this, consider supplementing your fruity popsicles with vegetables to reduce the overall sugar content and limit the inevitable insulin spikes that come from irresponsible bloggers like this.
Shay says
Hi Mac! Nowhere on this blog do we claim to be medical professionals giving nutritional advice. We are just regular people creating and sharing recipes for fun. Nothing irresponsible about that. We use whole, fresh, unrefined ingredients as far as possible, but we also add other things here and there when we feel like it, because hey it's our blog - our little corner of the internet to do with as we please! If you have a child with diabetes, you know what they can and cannot have and what makes their insulin spike. If you do not like what you see in this post and it doesn't adhere to your standard of eating, then don't use the recipes or adjust it to fit your needs.
Low Carb & Loving It says
Hi, Just found your page through Pinterest. What got me here was "sugar free". Unfortunately, bananas have Seven teaspoons of sugar in each one. So, maybe you should change it to No Added Sugar instead.
Shay says
Hi! Thank you for your feedback. In our opinion, and we always preach it here on Living Chirpy, "sugar" is the highly processed sugar (whether it's cane sugar, coconut sugar, artificial sweetners, etc) that's completely devoid of any nutrients whatsoever. We prefer not to demonize the natural, healthy sugars found in whole fruits, whole vegetables, milk or even raw honey - it's a completely different animal.
Low Carb & Loving It says
I respectfully understand what you're saying. But to people with type 2 diabetes, the body cannot tell the difference. Sugar is sugar. I don't think saying no added sugar would 'demonize' the fruit.
Anna says
I agree with Low Carb and Loving it. I don't have diabetes, but your body can't tell the difference between refined sugar and sugar from fruit. There are definitely important micronutrients in fruit, but there is still sugar present and it will react in your body just the same as white table sugar.
Shay says
I respectfully disagree. The sugar in fruit is not equal to spoons full of added processed white table sugar. There's good sugar and bad sugar. Good carbs/bad carbs. Eating an apple will not give you a sugar rush the same way eating a block of chocolate will. And as far as my research shows, diabetics can eat fruit, if they're mindful of their portions - and non of these recipes contains any crazy amounts of anything. Because of misinformation and the wide range of beliefs, we are now moving in a direction of "whole foods" and will rebrand all our content accordingly.