When you feel beat by the heat, sit down with a cool snack. Not a trendy cool snack, but a cool snack straight out of the freezer! Most of these frozen snacks include fruit, which nourishes your body with vitamins and helps you eat enough daily servings of fruit. Plus, it’s another way to encourage your kids to choose healthy snacks. Don’t worry, these require minimal prep time…and their taste is worth the time!
These are mom-friendly (especially the ones that involve a small dose of chocolate) and kid-approved. But we won’t spill your secret if you decide to store a secret stash of Mama treats in the freezer.
Frozen snack #1: grapes
Green grapes don’t sound like a very exciting summer snack. But have you ever tasted a green grape straight out of the freezer? It’s like a piece of candy!
- Wash and dry a handful of green grapes.
- Coat in melted white chocolate if desired.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper, and freeze 4-6 hours.
- Pop one in your mouth and enjoy! Pairs well with wine, smoothies, or cheese and crackers.
For the record, frozen blueberries are also a form of frozen candy that your tastebuds will appreciate.
Frozen snack #2: banana pops
Fruit and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like a banana boat made around the campfire (banana mixed with candy, wrapped in foil, and warmed beside the fire). Except frozen!
- Melt chocolate, any kind (milk, dark, white).
- Peel bananas and chop in half.
- Dip the bananas in the melted chocolate, leaving around 1 inch plain to use as a handle.
- Roll the wet chocolate in the topping of your choice (dehydrated strawberries, sprinkles, peanut butter chips, or peanuts).
- Place on a baking sheet lined with wax/parchment paper, and freeze for 4-6 hours.
Imagine the surprise on your family’s faces as you pull these treats out of the freezer after dessert! Healthy (minus the sugary chocolate) and sweet, including a daily serving of fruit.
Frozen snack #3: frozen yogurt (literally)
Calling all ice cream lovers – this frozen yogurt is the best frozen, healthy treat for you! It’s literally your favorite kind of yogurt spread into a little disc and popped into the freezer. Do you kids constantly ask for ice cream? They will like this too!
- Spread parchment paper or wax paper onto a baking sheet.
- Dollop a spoonful of your favorite yogurt onto the baking sheet.
- Freeze 3-4 hours, until frozen.
- Remove a few discs of frozen yogurt for a frozen treat on a hot afternoon.
- Store in the freezer in a zippered bag.
The probiotics in yogurt are like little ninjas who fight off unwanted bad guys (aka germs). Invite those mini warriors into your body with a frozen yogurt treat. Experiment with different flavors of yogurt, or sprinkled finely chopped fruit on top of the yogurt before freezing. Kids will think a frozen gogurt tube is a new kind of popsicle, which is a healthy-eating win for Mama!
Frozen snack #4: watermelon popsicle
Watermelon is an icon of summer! The big green melons filled with polka dotted red insides are a symbol of heat, sunshine, and water. Which makes sense since they are predominantly composed of water.
Transform a piece of watermelon into a frozen popsicle for extra summer enjoyment!
- First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Then, quarter your watermelon and remove the rind.
- Next, cut each quarter into triangles.
- Place a popsicle stick into the curved edge.
- Lay each popsicle on the lined baking sheet, and freeze until frozen.
Frozen snack #5: juice cubes
This is a simple snack that grownups and children alike will enjoy.
- Pick your favorite flavor of juice, or mix together multiple juices for fun combinations.
- Pour the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze until frozen.
- Pop out the juice cubes and store in a zippered freezer bag.
To eat, simply place them in a bowl or cup and enjoy! Kids will love to hold these sticky cubes in their hand to savor the flavors.
Hint: make this an outside snack. Better yet, let them run through the sprinklers after (to have fun, and to wash away the sticky juice residue).
How do you cool down on a hot summer day? What’s your go-to snack on a warm afternoon? Do you have any tricks to encourage your children to eat more fruits in the summertime? Share in the comments below so we can try out your recipes!
If these yummy frozen snacks sound good to you, then you may also like to try:
