Healthy Treat: Frozen Applesauce Popsicle ~ Texas Homesteader

by Texas Homesteader ~

I like to use healthy sugar-free homemade applesauce frozen into popsicle molds to make a cold sweet-treat. It sure is delightful on a hot Texas summer’s day!

I don’t mind offering these frozen treats to my grandchildren as often as they want them. Heck, it’s a healthy serving of fruit with no added sugar!

Fresh Apples To Process

My aunt always shares bushels of apples from her tree. Oh how I love them! I’m not sure what variety they are, but they’re flavorful, crisp and sweet.

I’ll tote all those apples home and get to processing Apple Pie Filling, dried apple slices, Fruit rollups, and much more.

How To Use Imperfect Apples

Many times I’ll take the less-than-perfect apples and immediately peel and core them for applesauce. Heck it’s so easy, chunk it all in a slow cooker and just let it do its thing.

When they’re soft I take a stick blender to make it smooth. There’s no need to add sugar, these apples are already sweet. Sometimes I’ll add a tiny amount of vanilla. But what to do with this applesauce?

Many Helpful Applesauce Uses

Oftentimes I’ll can the Homemade Applesauce and have it on the shelf as a sweet snack.

Plus I use that canned applesauce as a high-fiber, low-fat replacement for oil in baking sweets too. Cheaper, lower fat and much lower waste too!

But today I’m taking a stroll down memory lane…

Popsicles You Feel Good About Serving To The Kids

You see, when the kids were little they loved popsicles. And of course I enjoyed giving them popsicles too. But, you know… so much sugar! I knew it wasn’t good to allow them unlimited access to that kind of treat.

So I bought a popsicle mold and poured plain applesauce into them and froze it solid.

But even frozen, the applesauce popsicles don’t freeze into a hard block of ice. They’re firm yet soft enough to bite into.

So they were a sweet treat that I felt good about serving. To make them sound more exciting to the kids I called them “Apple Sticks’.

Where did I get this oh-so-thought-provoking name? Well, because basically I pulled out a frozen stick of apple. LOL

Anyway, if I was cooking supper and they were too hungry to wait, I’d offer them an apple stick. I didn’t mind them having it, and I wasn’t worried it would ruin their appetite. So the kids always knew they could ask for one.

I knew it was simply a fruit serving. But the kids really thought they were getting away with something by having treats before supper. That made it even that much more enjoyable for them.

I knew it was just a healthy addition to the meal they would enjoy later. Mom Power!

Healthy, Cold Refreshment: Frozen Applesauce

Fast forward to today. My little ones are grown now with kids of their own. But I’m still making apple sticks. And today I’ll use my homemade applesauce to make them too.

I simply pour the applesauce into the molds and pop them into the freezer until they’re frozen.

Since RancherMan & I do most of our chores outside during these hot, sticky days of summer, it’s a pleasure to sit in the porch swing and rest a bit.

To cool off a bit.

And maybe enjoy a sweet icy treat. Apple Sticks!

~TxH~

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6 thoughts on “Frozen Applesauce – An All-Natural Frozen Sweet Treat”

Laura at

Hi Tammy, I am so excited to see your recipe, I will make applesauce tomorrow or so and try to make popsicles… I am really excited!

Have you ever used Ambrosia apple? I leave the peel on, of course, cut into chunks or dice up, I add 1-1/4 to 1-1/3 cups water, cinnamon, a pinch or 2 of salt and cook it in a 3-qt or 3-1/2-quart black oval slow-cooker for 4 hours. I use a wooden spoon to mash, No sugar is added, which is most important to me, tastes like it has sugar but it does not.
I am brand new to your blog and I just adore your recipes.
Thank you, take care…

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Well howdy Laura, so glad you’re here! I’m currently in the throws of getting apples processed into applesauce too. Frozen applesauce popsicles (or ‘Apple Sticks’ as my children called them) are a family favorite for us. Such a healthy frozen treat. I almost always use apples from my aunt’s tree to make my applesauce. We have no idea what kind they are, but like your apples they’re so sweet there’s no sugar added. When I make my applesauce I do peel them with my peeler, then chunk them into the slow cooker like you do and cook them until soft. Since they have nothing added when I cook/can them I use this applesauce for any number of purposes such as a healthy snack or replacing the oil in my baked goods. A nice healthy zero-waste benefit. ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓
Laurinda Pudlo at

That’s a great idea! I love finding ways to slip more fruits & veggies into my grandkids ;-D

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  ‘Xactly Laurinda. The kids didn’t have to know it was a clever plan for me to get them snack healthy. They just knew it was delicious and could even be enjoyed before supper – a previous snack taboo for them. Mom Level: TOP! 😀 ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓
ColleenB.-Tx. at

Cool idea.
For those who don’t have the molds, I have used the small paper dixie cups for frozen treats or you can also use ice cube trays or even a muffin pan lined with a cupcake wrapper.

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Good point Colleen, there are lots of easy ways to make these frozen treats. Thanks for the tips! ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓

~Texas Homesteader~

Working To Provide For Ourselves On Our Texas Homestead

Frozen Applesauce – An All-Natural Frozen Sweet Treat