Red, white and blue popsicles are a refreshing, festive treat for hot days and patriotic celebrations like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day. This version is vegan and naturally gluten-free by using non-dairy yogurt for the white layer.
The Fourth of July is one of my favorite summer days. We spend the day by the pool with family and friends, take our time grilling, and finish the evening with a small fireworks show for the kids. Their excitement always makes the day special.
Along with the barbecue I like to prepare themed snacks and desserts in red, white and blue. The kids and I often make red, white and blue strawberries together for a quick break from the sun, and this year they wanted a make-ahead frozen treat too. After considering a few options, they chose popsicles.
We made the popsicles vegan because my daughter avoids dairy and the recipe needed to be gluten-free as well. We debated flavors for each layer and settled on strawberry for red, key lime yogurt for white, and blueberry lemonade for blue.
Because the strawberry layer requires cooking, we started the red layer first and prepared the blue layer while the strawberries cooked to save time. For the blue layer we used homemade lemonade, but store-bought lemonade will work too. To get the key lime flavor in the white layer we used a non-dairy key lime yogurt; if you can’t find that, a vanilla non-dairy yogurt is a good substitute.
These popsicles were a hit—the kids enjoyed making them and loved that each pop contained multiple flavors. The recipe requires short freeze times between layers, so plan nearby activities to keep kids entertained while you wait.
Red White and Blue Popsicles (Vegan)
Vegan Red, White & Blue Popsicles
Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Makes 6 standard popsicles.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Freezing Time: 7 hours (total including staged freezes)
Total Time: ~8 hours
Servings: 6
Calories: 44 kcal per popsicle
Ingredients
Blue Layer
- 2 tbsp blueberry juice
- 3/4 cup lemonade
- 3 drops blue natural food coloring (optional)
White Layer
- 1/2 cup key lime non-dairy yogurt (or vanilla non-dairy yogurt)
- 1/4 cup water
Red Layer
- 1/2 pound fresh ripe strawberries, chopped
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Blue Layer
- Pour the lemonade into a bowl or large measuring cup.
- Stir in the blueberry juice.
- Add natural blue food coloring a drop at a time until you reach the desired shade.
- Fill the bottom third of each popsicle mold with the blue mixture.
- Freeze 30–45 minutes — the top should be firm enough to support the next layer but does not need to be fully solid.
White Layer
- Mix the non-dairy yogurt and 1/4 cup water until smooth.
- Remove the molds from the freezer and fill the next third with the yogurt mixture.
- Return molds to the freezer for 30–45 minutes.
- Once the white layer is firm on top, insert popsicle sticks about one-third of the way through the white layer. If the white layer is too soft, freeze another 15–20 minutes before inserting the sticks.
Red Layer
- Combine strawberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the strawberries are very soft.
- Blend the cooked strawberries until smooth.
- Pour the puree through a strainer into a heatproof container to remove most seeds.
- Let the mixture cool 10–15 minutes.
- Fill the final third of each mold with the cooled strawberry puree.
- Freeze for 4–6 hours, or until no liquid moves inside the molds.
- To unmold, run the molds briefly under room-temperature water if needed, then enjoy.
Notes
Time-saving tip: The red layer takes the longest, so start it first and work on the blue layer while the strawberries cook.
Substitution: If you can’t find key lime non-dairy yogurt, vanilla non-dairy yogurt works well.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories: 44
Fat: 0g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 57mg | Carbohydrates: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Protein: 0g
Vitamin C: ~29% DV
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