Leaving Maine was much more difficult than Kyle and I could’ve ever imagined. We left on Saturday morning at 5:30AM, and we both just stood there (sleep deprivation and all) and stared at our empty space for like fifteen minutes. It’s hard to fathom finding a spot quite as special as our farmhouse loft in Lincolnville, but who knows? God is good, and something just as special is out there somewhere. Anyway, in honor of the Pine Tree State, I decided to share this terribly belated Maine-inspired recipe for blueberry basil popsicles. I made these last summer when we were staying in Damariscotta, and they were a big refreshing hit. 

Blueberry Basil Popsicles

You’ll find all the ingredients and detailed blueberry basil popsicle directions below. In addition to bookmarking and/or saving on Pinterest, you can also download a printable copy, too! Also note that while I used local Maine blueberries, which are little and incredibly sweet, any ripe blueberries will do.

Blueberry Basil Popsicles

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Time: 8 hours 45 minutes

Total Time: 9 hours

These deliciously refreshing and Maine-inspired blueberry basil popsicles are the perfect summer treat! Make them boozy by substituting white rum for water.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 pints fresh local blueberries
• 5-8 stalks fresh basil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 lemon

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, simmer the blueberries, 3-4 stalks of basil, and water over low heat until the blueberries have softened and the mixture is a rich purple color, about 10 minutes. Remove and toss the basil stalks, then add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
2. Let the mixture cool, about 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, put in a blender with 1/2 lemon juice and leaves from the rest of the basil. Blend until smooth and pour the mixture into popsicles molds.
3. Place popsicles in the fridge until chilled (20-30 minutes), then transfer to the freezer. After about an hour or so, insert a popsicle stick into each mold and return to the freezer. Freeze for a minimum of 7 hours but preferably overnight.
4. Once the mixture is frozen solid, let the popsicle molds sit in warm water for about 30 seconds and extract popsicles.

Notes

• If you don't have popsicles molds, you can use small paper cups. Once the mixture is frozen after sitting in the fridge, you can just tear the paper cups off the pops and enjoy!

Substitutions

• White rum- You can easily make these blueberry popsicles alcoholic by subbing in white rum for water! I also recommend swapping out the basil and using fresh mint instead. These popsicles basically turn into an icy blueberry mojitos, and they’re delicious! 

Nutrition Information

Yield 8Serving Size 1 popsicle
Amount Per ServingCalories 97Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 3mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 3gSugar 19gProtein 1g

Nutritional information isn't always accurate and can vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to discrepancies among brands, precision of measurements, and freshness of ingredients.

Luckily, the directions, which I adapted from Serious Eats, are pretty straight forward. My only caveat applies to the popsicle molds. I had a little bit of trouble getting the popsicles out of their molds at first. I let them sit in warm water for too long, making them sludgy. If this happens to you, there’s an easy fix– just pop them back in the freezer!

One of the things I love best about this homemade popsicle recipe is that this combo could work with any berry really. Since we’re spending a few weeks back in the Sunshine State, strawberry basil popsicles with fresh Florida strawberries are next on my list. Yum! Do you have a favorite popsicle recipe? Please share in the comments if you do!

Giveaway Time!

Yep, I’m running a new giveaway! Enter below for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! The contest will run from Friday, August 10th through Friday, August 31st. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway