Snack Bar, Vol. 15: Popsicles for All

Savannah Square Pops are handmade in Savannah, Georgia and come in an enticing array of flavors, from fruity classics like Strawberry Kiwi to creamy inspirations like Salted Caramel and Milk and Honey. Of course, there are a few Southern favorites in the line-up, including a silky-smooth and satisfying Savannah Banana Puddin’. Each of these flavor-packed pops is made with a short list of ingredients. For an adult-tasting dessert, the Tybee Breeze popsicle is sophisticated, tart, and slightly bitter, thanks to ruby red grapefruit juice. The stunning swirled blueberry cheesecake is rich, tangy and summery-sweet.

The frozen meal delivery company Daily Harvest recently launched a line of popsicles available directly from the DH website and in Target stores. These pops, which are stick-free, are made from blended fresh fruit with some veggies snuck in (the Blueberry + Banana flavor includes spinach, but you’d never know). These taste like a frozen acai or smoothie bowl and are definitely on the healthier-tasting side for a dessert. They’re super refreshing and contain no added sugar, so I’d even consider these popsicles a worthy breakfast on a hot summer morning.

Kulfi is a wonderful Indian dessert similar to ice cream with a denser, richer texture that’s stretchy and almost chewy. The kulfi masters at New York-based Malai have turned their uber-creamy scoops into stunning molded popsicles in flavors that nod to their Southeast Asian roots like saffron, mango, and rose. These pops are the grown-up (and glowed-up) version of your childhood ice cream truck treat that you won’t want to share with the kids (or anyone, for that matter).

You likely know and love the crave-able gelato pints from Talenti. But don’t sleep on the adorable miniature gelato and sorbetto bars you can also find in the grocery store freezer aisle. These pops have the same luscious, silky texture and rich, not-too-sweet flavor of Talenti’s pints, made portable. The Summer Strawberry flavor captures the taste of fresh berries, and for those who prefer an icier dessert, the Alphonso Mango Sorbetto is delightfully crisp and refreshing without any dairy.

This line of frozen treats is the brainchild of two college roommates who wanted to fill a gap in the market for pops made without artificial dyes and flavorings. The products are free of most major allergens, including peanuts and gluten. And they’re certainly not lacking in the color or flavor departments. The brand makes several layered treats reminiscent of the red-white-and-blue rocket-shaped pops of childhood. These, however, are fully organic and colored with vegetable juice, not red dye #40. Most of the treats in this line are more kid-friendly, but several of the creamy versions, including Chocoalte-Dipped Strawberry, are fully adult-approved.

GoodPops is a treat company with a world-bettering mission. A certified B-Corp, GoodPops uses recyclable materials and is partnered with 4ocean to become Plastic Neutral Certified. As for the products themselves, GoodPops has a robust lineup of flavors, including no-sugar-added fruity numbers like Strawberry n’ Mango, and more indulgent ice cream-based bars coated in a chocolatey shell like Fudge n’ Caramel Crunch. The creamy pops make a satisfying and cooling dessert that’s not too heavy.

Chloe’s Fruit Pops are fully vegan, but even the creamy flavors (made with oat milk), have a thick and ice cream-like texture. The brand’s core flavors, while not necessarily the most inventive (think Mango, Strawberry, and Blueberry), taste pure and simple, just like real fresh fruit. Chloe’s tagline “Just fruit, water, and cane sugar!” pretty much sums it up, these pops are made for the purists.