Halloween Popsicles

Black and orange ice pops are a completely natural and non-scary Halloween treat for kids of all ages. A secret super food ingredient gives these pops their dark color! 

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Well, well. Halloween popsicles have made an appearance on the blog in September. It's something I never thought I would do. I know it seems premature. It seems we're rushing things. Though I am all about savoring the present moment, I'm also a planner. I can't stand when Michael's gets all Christmasy before school is even back in session. But something happened when my family stopped into Michael's this week. The girls were enamored with the Halloween section. And so were my husband and I. "Maybe we should have a Halloween party this year," Yummy Hubby suggested. "Oooooh, the decorating, the cooking, the creating," I mused. And that was it. I haven't been able to stop thinking about all the fun foods I could craft for a spooky Halloween party. I'm planning to do a Halloween party food special over on my YouTube channel in the next few weeks in case you happen to be planning a Halloween gathering of  your own. Be sure to subscribe here so you don't miss it! With all the other things going on this time of year (hello soccer season!) I need at least a month to think about party ideas. So I'll just put this little recipe out there and you can pin it or print it for next month if you wish. 

First on my Halloween Party Food ideas list is black and orange layered popsicles. My kids love popsicles and October is usually still pretty warm. Popsicles are one dessert I don't mind my kids eating. Homemade popsicles are also great because we can make them well in advance - no scrambling at the last minute. Orange and black is a classic Halloween color scheme. 

Aren't these a fun and unique healthier Halloween treat? I'm thinking of having our Halloween party a few weeks before the actual Trick-or-Treating night, so we'll want a little treat. 

These black and orange Halloween popsicles are surprisingly 100% natural. I didn't use any food coloring, which posed quite the challenge. I the first go I tried blending blackberries, but the result was a pale purple. The second try was grape juice and still that was too purple. Finally a secret superfood ingredient worked. As you can see in the pictures, the black layer isn't completely black. It fades to a deep purple with an ombre effect, which I actually thought was lovely.

I try to avoid artificial colors whenever possible, and it's almost always possible if you get creative.

I rummaged through my smoothie cabinet and grabbed the spirulina. Spirulina is a dark green that when mixed with grape juice created a dark eerie hue. If you don't want to use spirulina, you could also use activated charcoal or a store bought natural black food coloring.

To make these stunning layers there is a lot of back and forth to the freezer. However, each layer should take just a minute. When I make layered popsicles like these I do it while I'm doing other things around the house so it's really no trouble at all.

What are your Halloween plans? What are your favorite Halloween foods?

Need an ice pop maker? Here's the one I use:

 

Natural Halloween Ice Pops

By yummy mummy kitchen
PRINTER FRIENDLY RECIPE

Spooky black and orange Halloween ice pops with a secret super food ingredient.

Ingredients

• 2 cups 100% grape juice (the darker the better)
• 2 tablespoons spirulina powder
• 2 cups pure fresh orange juice
• 1/3 cup blackberries, gently cut into small pieces (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large jar, thoroughly mix together the grape juice and spirulina. I used a small whisk for this task, a milk frother also works nicely. The color should be quite dark but won't be completely black. 
2. Pour one tablespoon of orange juice into the bottom of each ice pop mold. Place the top of the mold on and insert popsicle sticks. Make sure the popsicle sticks are in the juice. If they don't reach the juice, add more until they do. Freeze until solid, at least 30 minutes. Remove the mold from the freezer and remove the lid. Pour a tablespoon of dark grape juice mixture over the orange layer, working quickly so the orange layer does not begin to melt. Drop 2-3 pieces of blackberry into the liquid black layer. Return the mold the the freezer (lid does not need to be on). Freeze until solid, at least 30 minutes. Pour a tablespoon of the orange juice over the black layer and freeze. Continue in this fashion until the molds are full, keeping the juices in the refrigerator while freezing layers. Leave in the freezer until ready to serve!

Yield: Makes 10 classic sized ice pops
Prep Time: 3 hrs. 30 mins.

Total time: 3 hrs. 30 mins.
Tags: halloween, ice pops, popsicles