DIY
recipe
Popsicles
3 Refreshing Popsicle Recipes with a Caffeine Boost
Want to cool off? Then we’ve got popsicles for you today. And we wouldn’t be Espresso Perfetto if we didn’t use coffee beans in our popsicles, too.
Our recipe for your refreshing popsicles is inspired by the 2019 popsicle trend. The English term “popsicles” simply refers to homemade popsicles.
What makes it special: There are no limits to your imagination, and you can mix or layer anything together to create colorful combinations. You can decide for yourself just how sweet, fruity, milky, or even tart you want the flavor to be.
The Right Container for Your Homemade Popsicles
The easiest way to freeze coffee is to use ice cube trays that come with lids and sticks. If you don’t have those at home, you can also use empty yogurt cups with wooden sticks or espresso spoons as a last resort. Espresso has brought something to the world of coffee that is now also driving the pour-over trend: the idea of preparing coffee as a mindful experience. Grinding the beans, measuring out the exact amount, and paying close attention to the result in the cup are an art in themselves. And that’s exactly what the pour-over coffee trend is bringing to the world of filter coffee.
Our Recipes for Coffee Popsicles
Here are three refreshing recipes for your summer treats, straight from the freezer. Feel free to try them out or just let them inspire you—the world of popsicles is the perfect place for ice cream lovers who love to experiment.
"Cafè tri colore" Popsicles
The “Cafè tri colore” popsicles consist of three nude-colored layers: coffee brown, nougat brown, and creamy white.
For the first layer, fill your molds one-third full with cold brew and let them freeze briefly (30–40 minutes). Meanwhile, you can mix the milk or milk alternative with vanilla and sweeten it to taste. If you prefer a neutral flavor, the milk can also be left plain and unsweetened. Now mix the remaining cold brew with a little milk. Just make sure to save enough milk for the third layer. Once the first third has frozen, fill the second third with the cold brew and milk mixture and freeze again. The final layer is made with the milk or milk alternative. After about 1.5–2 hours, your “Cafè tri colore” popsicles will be ready.
For those with a real sweet tooth: Simply melt some chocolate in a double boiler and dip the frozen popsicles in it.
| 50 ml100 ml200 ml300 ml400 ml600 ml | Cold Brew Coffee |
| 65 ml125 ml250 ml375 ml500 ml750 ml | Milk/Milk Alternatives |
| – | Sugar or syrup to taste |
| ¼ tsp½ tsp1 tsp1.5 tsp2 tsp3 tsp | Vanilla extract |
| 15 g25 g50 g75 g100 g150 g | Optional: dark chocolate or milk chocolate |
| ¼ tsp½ tsp1 tsp1.5 tsp2 tsp3 tsp | Optional: cocoa powder |
"Frozen Dirty Chai" Popsicles
Here’s how it works: A Dirty Chai Latte is extra invigorating because, in addition to a good dose of caffeine, it’s packed with exciting spices that will awaken your taste buds. Depending on how much caffeine you need, you can either brew the chai the classic way with black tea or simply leave it out. After all, it wouldn’t be called a “dirty” chai if it didn’t include at least one shot of espresso.
Here’s what you’ll definitely need for that spicy flavor: ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, and cane sugar. To ensure the spices dissolve fully in the water as it comes to a boil, we recommend grinding them with a mortar and pestle. Let the spice mixture simmer in the water until the water takes on a golden, brownish color. Once this happens, you can decide whether to add the black tea or leave it out. If you add it, let the mixture boil for another two minutes before adding the milk (or milk alternative) and sugar. Continue boiling with the milk and sugar for another 3 minutes, allowing the chai to come to a boil repeatedly. Finally, remove from the heat and add the espresso shot.
Now everything should cool down so it can be poured into the molds and frozen. After about three hours in the freezer, the “Frozen Dirty Chai” popsicles are finally ready.
| 75 ml150 ml300 ml450 ml600 ml900 ml | Water |
| ½ cm1 cm2 cm3 cm4 cm6 cm | fresh ginger |
| 23691218 | green cardamom pods |
| 1246812 | Carnations |
| ½ stick/¼ tsp½ stick/½ tsp1 stick/1 tsp1.5 sticks/1.5 tsp2 sticks/2 tsp3 sticks/3 tsp | Cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon |
| 1246812 | black peppercorns |
| ½ tsp1 teaspoon/1 packet2 tsp/2 packets3 tsp/3 packets4 tsp/4 packets6 tsp/6 packets | black tea |
| 65 ml125 ml250 ml375 ml500 ml750 ml | Milk/Milk Alternatives |
| – | Cane sugar to taste |
| ½12346 | Espresso |
"Strawberry Matcha" Popsicles
How to Make "Strawberry Matcha" Popsicles? The "Strawberry Matcha" popsicles strike the perfect balance between the fruity sweetness of strawberries and the subtle, slightly bitter notes of matcha.
For the first layer, puree the strawberries with a little sweetener until smooth, then fill the molds one-third full. If you’re using frozen strawberries, it’s important to boil them first to prevent contamination with norovirus or hepatitis A. Then freeze the first layer for about 30–40 minutes. In the meantime, mix the matcha with a little hot water until there are no more lumps, then add milk or a plant-based alternative, as well as a sweetener to taste.
Once the strawberry layer has frozen, pour in the matcha milk as the second layer and let it set again. The third layer consists of plain milk or a lightly sweetened milk alternative, giving the popsicles their eye-catching appearance and a particularly creamy flavor.
After about 2–3 hours in the freezer, the "Strawberry Matcha" popsicles are ready to serve. Enjoy your matcha popsicles!
| 50 g100 g200 g300 g400 g600 g | Strawberries (fresh or frozen) |
| ½ tsp1 teaspoon2 tsp3 tsp4 tsp6 tsp | Matcha powder |
| ½ tbsp1 tbsp2 tbsp3 tbsp4 tbsp6 tbsp | hot water |
| 75 ml150 ml300 ml450 ml600 ml900 ml | Milk/Milk Alternatives |
| – | Sweetener to taste |
Create Your Own Popsicle Variations
We're sure that after reading this blog post, you'll have even more ideas for how to create your own popsicles. We can't wait to see your popsicle creations on social media—preferably with the recipe included, so our community can try them out right away.
Tag @espressoperfetto in your Instagram and Facebook stories or posts using the hashtag #mypopsicle—we can't wait to repost your recipes!
