The best way to make a popsicle pink or purple is with dragon fruit because it is healthy and made from whole foods! I feel good about my kids eating these at any time of day; it's the perfect hot-weather summer snack.
I'm going to share everything you need to know about what dragon fruit to buy, where to get it, why it's good for you, and show you how easy it is to make these tropical popsicles!
If my kids had summer birthdays, I would be making these popsicles for everyone at the party! Other festive-like popsicles are my mango popsicles that are bright yellow, creamy apple popsicles that taste like apple pie, and cherry popsicles that are dipped in yogurt!
I've been sharing my healthy popsicle recipes since 2020, I hope you enjoy, and maybe one day I'll sell them at the farmers market...
Ingredients needed
Like always, I try to make my recipes with ingredients you can easily access or can find in the grocery store.
- Frozen dragon fruit (pitaya): I used frozen red (or purple) dragon fruit. I bought it in a mixed pack of tropical fruit from SuperStore and picked out the dragon fruit.
- Frozen pineapple: This increases the flavour and makes these popsicles tropical tasting!
- Lemon juice OR passion fruit: In the frozen fruit mix I buy (see below), the dragon fruit comes with frozen passion fruit, if you are using that same mix - use that! If you aren't able to get passion fruit, you can use lemon juice to add a similar burst of flavour! I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of honey if you don't have passion fruit.
- Canned coconut milk: You are going to want premium coconut milk for this, as it makes these popsicles creamier! You only use the top part of the can - the thick white part (use the other part, coconut water, for a smoothie!)
This is not a sponsored post, but I am sharing the photo of the package below because I want to show which frozen fruit I use.
How to make dragon fruit popsicles
These frozen treats are super easy to prepare; the hardest part is waiting for them to freeze! Follow these easy step-by-step photos from my kitchen to make your own healthy purple popsicles! For details on quantities, look at the recipe card below.
Place all the ingredients in the blender. If you don't have a high-power blender, let the frozen fruit thaw 10-20 minutes before blending.
Blend everything together until fully smooth and purple!
Fill up the popsicle mould. I made 5 popsicles in a mould that holds ⅓ cup of liquid each. Place the mould in the freezer for 5-8 hours to solidify. It takes at least 5 hours in my freezer.
Remove from the freezer and let sit 5 minutes before enjoying. I find letting them soften for a few minutes creates the best texture for licking!
Recommended equipment
Vitamix: To blend frozen fruit into a smooth texture for popsicles, a good blender is key!
I use my Vitamix blender daily and think it is the number one purchase for making healthy food in the kitchen.
Popsicle Mould: I like to use silicone popsicle moulds because they are super easy to get the popsicle out of the form.
When using a silicone mould, I put it on a tray or cookie sheet before placing it in the freezer.
If you don't have a popsicle mould and you want to make popsicles, you could use:
- rinsed out yogurt cups
- a large ice cube tray
- Dixie cups or small cups
- muffin tin with silicone liners
To use any of these, pour the popsicle mixture into the container, cover it with tin foil, then poke a popsicle stick through the tin foil to keep it in place.
Fun facts about dragon fruit!
Did you know this fruit grows from different cacti? It does! Some call dragon fruit: pitaya or strawberry pear! It can have a pink or yellow outside that looks like a bulb with little spike-like leaves that look like flames around it.
The fruit has a white or red (aka purple!) inside with little black seeds (comparable to kiwi seeds, and I think it even can taste like kiwi!). As it is native to Central America, it can be hard to get around the world; however, it is cultivated in tropical locations.
In North America, it is easier to buy fresh white flesh dragon fruit in the produce section, the pink fruit frozen, or as a pink powder that's perfect to add to smoothies.
Danika's nutrition insight on dragon fruit
When sharing a recipe, I often like to share some nutritional details about the food. I did a two-year nutrition program and love chatting about healthy food! Here are some key health benefits of dragon fruit:
- Dragon fruit is high in fibre, supporting the digestive tract and bowel movements.
- It's high in anti-inflammatory antioxidants, which is going to support against free radical damage and aging.
- Dragon fruit supports the immune system as a good source of vitamin C.
- The fruit contains prebiotics, which are food for good bacteria (aka probiotics), in your intestines.
It's awesome for your health to have a large diversity of plants and foods in your diet to not have any gaps in your nutrition needs. That's why I choose to eat dragon fruit!
In the Northern hemisphere (where I live), dragon fruit is in season from June to November, so look for it then to enjoy it in season!
Where can I buy red or purple dragon fruit?
You can buy red or purple dragon fruit from a couple of different stores in Canada and US that I know of. Purple or red fruit can be found in the freezer section of Costco or the Real Canadian Super Store. Or in the US you can find it frozen at Trader Joe's.
It's common to find dragon fruit in the produce section; usually it's the bright pink fruit with white inside, not the purple or red inside. Alternatively, you can buy dragon fruit or pitaya as a pink powder or frozen!
If you love the purple, tropical dragon fruit like me, next try my pink dragon fruit banana smoothie - it's creamy and thick!
💜🐉 I want to know if you made these dragon fruit popsicles! Please leave a comment and a star rating below. It truly helps others find my recipes and make them too! And it makes my day to hear what you think.
Dragon Fruit Popsicles
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen purple dragon fruit
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- ¼ cup passion fruit frozen or fresh OR 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup premium canned coconut milk full fat thick white part at the top of the can
Instructions
- Place everything in the blender, blend until smooth. (If your blender is not able to blend this frozen fruit, wait until it thaws a little bit - 10-20 minutes - then blend.)
- Pour the smooth purple mix into a popsicle mold. After 1 hour add popsicle sticks to keep them in place. Freeze at least 5 hours to overnight until solid. Then take the popsicle out of the freezer 5 minutes before eating to soften. Enjoy!
Mariah Funk says
Best popsicles!! Love the tropical fruit option, and how flavorful they are! They are a must try!!
Danika Vanderpyl says
Thanks for letting me know what you think!