Name: Strawberry Cream Paletas (Reduced Sugar)
Total time: 6 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 pound (454 grams) strawberries , hulled (3 cups); ½ cup heavy cream; ¼ cup honey; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; ⅛ teaspoon salt

Why This Recipe Works

A cousin of popsicles, paletas are Mexican-style frozen treats that usually rely on fresh fruit juice as their base and often have chunks of fresh fruit stirred in. We thought the idea was perfectly suited for a naturally sweet dessert, and chose to create strawberry paletas. We used the berries in two ways: First, we pureed half of them to a smooth consistency with a small amount of honey for sweetness. We pulsed the rest of the berries to a coarse chop to ensure bites of fresh fruit throughout our pops. For richness, we wanted to add some dairy to our paletas, and tested milk, half-and-half, and heavy cream. Pops made with milk and half-and-half were too icy, but heavy cream provided just the right velvety texture.

Before You Begin

This recipe was developed using 3-ounce popsicle molds. We prefer the flavor of fresh strawberries in this recipe; however, you can substitute 1 pound frozen strawberries, thawed and drained on paper towels to dry.

Instructions

Process 1½ cups strawberries, cream, honey, lemon juice, and salt in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining 1½ cups strawberries and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to large liquid measuring cup.

Divide strawberry mixture evenly among six 3-ounce molds. Insert popsicle stick in center of each mold, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 5 days. To serve, hold mold under warm running water for 30 seconds to thaw.