Strawberries and Cream Ice Pops (Paletas de Fresas y Crema)

5 from 3 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Today’s recipe for strawberries and cream ice pops, also known as paletas de fresas y crema, is a delicious combination of succulent, ripe strawberries, velvety heavy cream, tangy lemon zest, and sweet sugar. This all-star cast of ingredients is pureed into a satiny mixture and frozen to create a fantastically fruity, creamy, and decadent dessert.

closeup of strawberries and cream ice pops on a white plate with fresh strawberries


Summertime approaches and along with it comes a whole host of irresistible frozen desserts. If you are a fan of my No Churn Mango Ice Cream, you are definitely going to love today’s recipe for strawberries and cream ice pops.

This simple sumptuous dessert — paletas de fresas y crema — comes to us from the vibrant world of Mexican Cuisine. It is yet another example of how we can create magic out of simple, quality ingredients. 

If you are looking for other strawberry-themed recipes to enjoy this season, check out my recipes for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, Baked Strawberry Rhubarb Empanadas, or this exciting Strawberry Salsa. Speaking of paletas, I hope you give my Mango Chile Ice Pops (Paletas de Mango con Chile) or these Pineapple Ice Pops (Paletas de Piña) a try too.

closeup of strawberries and cream ice pops on a white plate with fresh strawberries

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS 

  • Silicone Ice Pop Mold – Silicone popsicle molds are my top pick because they are flexible, non-stick, and easy to clean. You can absolutely use molds made out of plastic or other materials, just know that it might be a bit more challenging to get your ice pops out.
  • Strawberries – These luscious little berries bring a beautiful bright red color and sweet flavor, especially when in season. Once pureed, they offer a smooth, slightly grainy texture that makes them perfect for ice pops. If strawberries are out of season, frozen strawberries might be the more flavorful option.   
  • Sugar – In ice pops, sugar has 2 important roles. It adds sweetness and gives the popsicles a much softer texture. 
  • Heavy Cream – Puts the “cream” in strawberries in cream! Heavy cream adds a smoothness and richness of flavor while promoting a decadent, silky texture. 
  • Lemon – We use both the juice and the zest in this recipe to add a brightening blast of tart acidity.

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM ICE POPS

1. Prepare the Strawberries. Give the berries a nice wash and trim the greens from the top. Transfer the fruit to the blender. 

2. Add Other Ingredients. Add the sugar and heavy cream to the blender along with the juice and zest of half a lemon. Puree everything together until smooth.

3. Pour Into Molds. Carefully divide the puree into eight 3-ounce molds. Cover and insert either wooden sticks — or the reusable ice pop sticks if they were included with your mold kit. Place the molds in the freezer and allow them to set for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably more. 

4. Use an Alternate Method. If your ice pop mold kit doesn’t include a lid that will hold the sticks in place while freezing, there is a simple fix. Simply place your molds in the freezer for about one hour, or until slightly slushy. Remove from the freezer, insert a popsicle stick into the center of each, then return to the freezer for at least 3 hours or until frozen solid. 

5. Serve & Enjoy! The easiest way of releasing your ice pops is to run the bottom of the molds under warm water for a few seconds. After that, push up from the bottom and get ready for a refreshing treat.

overhead of strawberries and cream ice pops on a white plate with fresh strawberries

How Do You Make Popsicles Creamy Not Icy?

Nothing is worse than a rock-hard popsicle! The solution? Fat! High fat content is a key factor for creamy treats. In this recipe for strawberries and cream ice pops, heavy cream is the solution. Other recipes may incorporate full-fat Greek yogurt, coconut cream, or other high-fat ingredients. 

Another trick used in some creamy popsicle recipes is to add a few teaspoons of cornstarch to the mix. We didn’t use any in these paletas de fresas y crema, but feel free to try it out if you’d like softer results.

How Many Hours Does It Take for Popsicles to Harden?

Water-based or lower-sugar popsicles will freeze faster than higher-sugar, higher-fat recipes like strawberries and cream ice pops. Both sugar and fat cause ice pops to harden at a lower temperature, meaning they will require more time to freeze. 

A good rule of thumb is to allow any ice pops you make to freeze for about 4 hours. Adjust your times as needed, but that usually does the trick.

How Do You Store Strawberries and Cream Ice Pops?

You have a few options for storing your strawberries and cream ice pops. 

  • If you are going to eat all your ice pops in a day or two, then it’s perfectly okay to leave them in the molds in the freezer until ready to consume.
  • If it will take 4-5 days to eat them all, you can remove them from the molds, flash freeze them on a baking sheet, and then transfer them to an airtight container. 
  • For longer storage, remove from molds, flash freeze, and then wrap each ice pop individually. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for about 1-2 months.
close up of strawberry and cream ice pops with fresh strawberries
Still Hungry?

Subscribe to my Newsletter, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube for all my latest recipes and videos.

Strawberries and Cream Ice Pops (Paletas de Fresas y Crema)

5 from 3 votes
Whip up a batch of these easy-to-make strawberries and cream ice pops for a delightfully cold, creamy, and refreshing treat!
Servings: 8
Prep: 10 minutes
Freeze Time: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Wash and trim tops off strawberries. Purée strawberries in a blender with the sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice and zest from half a lemon.
  • Pour strawberry mixture into eight 3–ounce ice-pop molds. Top with cover and insert wooden sticks or handles that come with your ice pop mold kit. Transfer molds to the freezer for 3 hours or more.
  • If you don’t have a mold kit with a top lid that positions the wooden popsicle sticks, transfer molds to the freezer and freeze until slightly slushy, about 1 hour. Insert a popsicle stick into each mold and freeze until ice pops are solid, about 3 hours or more.
  • To release ice pops from molds, run the bottom of the molds briefly under warm water and push up from bottom.

Nutrition

Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Mexican
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled image (and shown): Strawberries and Cream Ice Pops (Paletas de Fresas y Crema)

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

Free Bonus
5 Secrets to True Tex Mex
Essential recipes & tips for delicious Tex Mex cooking!

email image

Explore More

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Wow Kevin. We grow a few Strawberries at home, and always looking for a fresh way to eat them. This was a great taste, pretty easy to make, and we just had the first few of many, so more to enjoy. Great recipe. Beats all the other “pops” we have tried making.

  2. 5 stars
    Kevin!! You have done it again!! I love this!! I have had to use frozen strawberries and stevia. With the frozen berries just be sure they are whole berries . Pour the mixture quickly into the molds. It will be semi frozen already. Love love them!! I am going to use blueberries also. Keep the good times coming!!!

  3. I grew up eating paletas in New Mexico – these look delicious! Could I add alcohol to this recipe for an “adult paleta”? If so, what type and how much could I add without impacting the freezing?

    1. I’d go tequila or vodka and 3 ounces for this recipe sounds about right. I have not made them with alcohol, but researching other recipes online that seems to be the amount.