Berry Smoothie Protein Popsicles
Popsicles, but make them high protein! Made with mixed berries, banana, oat milk, and vanilla protein powder, these are a summer treat you can feel good about eating. They’re vegan friendly, quick and easy to prep, and such a good healthier treat to prep for your freezer for the warmer months.
The combination of banana, protein powder, and maple syrup helps keep these popsicles creamy instead of icy once frozen. The natural sugars and solids in the fruit lower the freezing point slightly, which gives the popsicles a softer bite straight from the freezer.
The protein powder also helps emulsify the mixture a bit, creating more of a smoothie-like texture rather than a hard fruit ice pop. Combined with the blended berries and oat milk, the result is creamy, flavorful, and much more satisfying than your typical fruit popsicle!
What You’ll Need
Please note that as always, you’ll find the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, and it covers ingredients, measurements, and instructions so you can save it at home. In the coming sections I’m sharing extra hints and tips.
- Blueberries – Add sweetness, color, and lots of berry flavor.
- Raspberries – Bring a little tartness that keeps the popsicles from tasting overly sweet.
- Strawberries – Add fresh fruity flavor and help balance the mixed berry blend.
- Banana – Makes the popsicles creamier and naturally sweeter without needing tons of added sugar.
- Maple syrup – Adds extra sweetness and helps keep the texture softer once frozen.
- Vanilla protein powder – Adds protein while giving the popsicles a creamy smoothie-like flavor.
- Oat milk – Helps everything blend smoothly and keeps the popsicles creamy instead of icy.
How To Make Berry Smoothie Protein Popsicles
- Add the banana, maple syrup, oat milk, and protein powder to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the berries and blend again until creamy and fully combined. If you have a high-powered blender, you can toss everything in together from the start.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, then gently tap the molds on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Add the lid and popsicle sticks if your mold has them, leaving part of the stick exposed for easy grabbing later.
- Freeze for at least 8 hours, or until fully solid. Using frozen berries can help speed up the freezing process slightly.
- To remove the popsicles, dip the bottom of the mold into warm water for a few seconds until they loosen easily.
- Store wrapped or in freezer-safe bags in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
Using a just-ripe or slightly underripe banana gives these popsicles a creamy texture without making them taste too strongly like banana. A very ripe banana will make the banana flavor much more noticeable.
If you’d rather skip the banana altogether, replace it with about ½ cup of plain or vanilla yogurt. That also works well if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan.
Any non-dairy milk works here, but oat milk gives the popsicles a naturally creamy texture. For an even richer popsicle, full-fat coconut milk is really good.
The protein powder does more than just add protein – it also helps make the popsicles creamier and slightly sweeter. If you leave it out, increase the maple syrup a little and add nut butter or sunflower seed butter to help keep the texture balanced!
Frozen berries work perfectly and make these super easy.
Serving Ideas
These berry smoothie protein popsicles are perfect straight from the freezer as an easy snack, post-workout bite, or healthier dessert during warmer months.
For a slightly more filling snack, pair them with a handful of nuts, granola, or yogurt on the side.
You can also drizzle them with melted dark chocolate or roll the edges in crushed freeze-dried berries or chopped nuts if you want to make them feel a little more fun!
Troubleshooting
This recipe has been through vigorous checks in our test kitchen, but sometimes things do go wrong! Here are some common issues that can sometimes pop up, with tips on how to fix them.
My popsicles froze too hard
A little hardness is normal with fruit-based popsicles, especially after a full night in the freezer. Let them sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes before eating. Using banana, protein powder, and enough maple syrup helps keep the texture creamier.
The popsicles won’t release from the molds
Run the outside of the molds under warm water or dip the bottoms into warm water for about 10 seconds to loosen them.
My mixture isn’t sweet enough
Different berries can vary a lot in sweetness, especially frozen ones. Taste the blended mixture before freezing and add a little more maple syrup if needed.
The texture is icy instead of creamy
Using lower-fat milk or skipping the banana can make the popsicles icier. Full-fat coconut milk or yogurt creates a creamier texture.
The protein powder taste is too strong
Some protein powders are sweeter or more artificial tasting than others. Vanilla protein powder usually blends best with the berry flavors. If needed, use slightly less protein powder next time.
Berry Smoothie Protein Popsicles
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh/frozen raspberries
- 1 cup fresh/frozen chopped strawberries
- 1 medium banana barely ripe
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2/3 cup vanilla protein powder 2 scoops
- ¾ cup oat milk or other non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Add the banana, maple syrup, oat milk, and protein powder to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the berries and blend again until creamy and fully combined. If you have a high-powered blender, you can toss everything in together from the start.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, then gently tap the molds on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Add the lid and popsicle sticks if your mold has them, leaving part of the stick exposed for easy grabbing later.
- Freeze for at least 8 hours, or until fully solid. Using frozen berries can help speed up the freezing process slightly.
- To remove the popsicles, dip the bottom of the mold into warm water for a few seconds until they loosen easily.
- Store wrapped or in freezer-safe bags in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Tried these? Leave a review and rating below! It really helps other readers who might be thinking about trying these out for the first time, and it really makes my day.