By Pamela Lee

There’s nothing better than a cold treat on a hot day. But store-bought popsicles aren’t always safe for those of us with allergies or celiac disease. Here are some easy home-made popsicle recipes that are nutritious, delicious and free of all top allergens and gluten.

You can put them in a frozen-treat maker, like the Zoku Quick Pop Maker, or in a simple dollar-store plastic popsicle maker.

Note: I used a “wand” blender to whip up these concoctions, but a food processor or blender would work equally well.

Ice Pop Base Mixture

1 cup milk substitute* (Suggestions: rice, hemp or oat milk; coconut milk or cream; or a non-milk alternative such as Vance’s DariFree, a potato-based product free of all top allergens, gluten, casein, cholesterol, rice and fat)
1 tbsp sweetener (suggestions: sugar, honey or agave)

Variations:

Vanilla: add 1 tsp vanilla extract or small amount of vanilla bean

Chocolate: add 1½ tsp “safe” cocoa

Cappuccino: add 1 tsp decaffeinated instant coffee dissolved in small amount of boiling water

Canadian, Eh: substitute 1 tbsp maple syrup as sweetener

Tutti Frutti: substitute 2 tbsp of jam as sweetener.