Turn “it’s too darn hot” into “hot fun in the summertime” with White Sangria Popsicles. These boozy popsicles are on trend, to the point, and in season. Bursting with summery peach flavor and just the right amount of tang from frozen white wine, you may ask for another round. But don’t worry – at well-under 100 calories a pop, these sweet treats have very little added-sugar so you can enjoy guilt-free!
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As if 2020 couldn’t get more infuriating, we’re set to have the hottest summer on record in Maryland. It’s been stifling in every way imaginable, so we take our simple pleasures where we can. At the end of one particularly excruciating day of being cooped up with everyone inside (where the AC kept tempers and temperatures relatively low), we were desperate for outdoor time. How to survive? Answer: popsicles.
But not just any popsicles would do. There’s a time and place for joining the boys in a celebration of what amounts to jarringly-bright, frozen Kool-Aid. But this was not that time or place. I needed something that would keep me refreshed in both body and spirit. Answer: boozy popsicles.
So that evening I followed the golden rule of making any recipe that calls for alcohol – one for me, two for the mixing bowl – and created these glorious, peachy, summer-on-a-stick treats that tomorrow would allow me to still mean it when I said “Don’t spray your brother in the face with the hose,” but be chill enough to just let it slide.
White Sangria Popsicle Ingredients
- Peaches and nectarines: very ripe, even overripe, fruit is best.
- White Wine: something drinkable. I can’t stress this enough – bad wine is going to give you a bad pop.
- Triple Sec: this is a key sangria ingredient, and it really does give the finished popsicles the right flavor balance, instead of “here’s a fruit popsicle with wine.” If you don’t want to buy a whole bottle, get an airplane bottle of Cointreau.
- Apple Juice: just a splash adds more liquid for a more solid popsicle.
- White Sugar: you can also use honey (halve the amount) if you avoid white sugar.
You’ll also need a popsicle mold. This recipe was made for our mold, which fits 10 3-ounce popsicles. After trying lots and lots (and lots) of cheap popsicle molds over the years, we finally bought a pricier one and it’s 100% worth the investment.
How to Make Boozy Popsicles
White Sangria Popsicles are a great, grown-up way to savor stone fruit before the season is over. (And since these boozy popsicles keep for up to 6 months in the freezer, it’s a great way to enjoy summer peaches well into the winter should you desire.) There’s no need to separate out your ingredients – just toss ’em all in the blender and pulse until smooth. The most work you’ll do is straining out the solids, which (not gonna lie) I scraped into a glass and topped with prosecco for a bedtime bellini. Freeze for at least 6 hours and then “bottoms up!”
- Pit and dice the fruit (no need to peel) and place into a blender with white wine, triple sec, apple juice, and sugar. Blend on high until the fruit is pulverized and the puree is smooth.
- Strain through a mesh strainer. This makes 3-3.5 cups of liquid, depending on how juicy your fruit is, so pick a bowl accordingly.
- Add a few slices of very thin peaches to each popsicle mold – this is optional, but very fun (and really pretty if that’s your thing).
- Fill each popsicle mold with the boozy puree, leaving roughly a half inch of expansion room at the top.
- Place the lid onto the mold, insert popsicles sticks, and transfer to the freezer until solid.
How Long Does it Take to Freeze Popsicles?
Because of the alcohol content, boozy popsicles will take slightly longer to firm up. Anything less than 6 hours and you’ve got sorbet on a stick. Which may be tasty, but sure is messy. Plan ahead for an overnight freeze to ensure maximum portability.
How to Release Popsicles From a Mold
The ultimate frustration, right? Kind of like running your ice cream scoop under hot water to make it easier to get at dessert, you’ll want to gently lower the mold into warm water for ~30 seconds until the popsicles loosen from the sides. Don’t submerge – if the pops get wet they turn into Gremlins. Or it will trigger melting. Or both. I can’t be certain because I am mindful not to get my popsicles wet.
Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly
- Feel free to use whatever stone fruit you have on hand that you love.
- Very ripe and even over-ripe fruit is best. If you have any firmer fruit, save those for the delicious, decorative slices.
- Mix it up: substitute half the stone fruit for strawberries.
- Use good white wine – the kind you’d happily drink. Wanna get fancy? Use sparkling. Go ahead. Treat yourself. Just make sure it tastes good.
More Summer Boozy Treats
Did you make these White Sangria Popsicles? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
White Sangria Popsicles
Print Recipe Rate this RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Popsicle Mold
- Blender
- Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe peaches, pitted and diced
- 1 medium ripe nectarine, pitted and diced
- 1½ c dry white wine, we like Sauvignon Blanc
- ½ c apple juice
- ¼ c triple sec, optional
- ¼ c sugar
- thinly sliced nectarines or peaches, optional
Instructions
- Combine the diced peaches and nectarines with the wine, apple juice, triple sec and sugar into a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until very smooth.
- Place a mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour the wine and fruit puree into the strainer. Occasionally scrape the bottom of the strainer with a rubber spatula to clear the solids.
- Place 1-2 slices of stone fruit into each popsicle mold. Fill each popsicle mold with the sangria puree.
- Freeze until solid – at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- To release the molds, fill a bowl or container wider than the mold with lukewarm water. Dip the bottom of mold in and out of the water (do not fully submerge) for 30-45 seconds, or until the popsicles loosen. Enjoy immediately or keep frozen in the molds for up to 2 weeks. See notes for longer storage.
Notes
- Use very ripe or overripe fruit. Underripe fruit will not blend into a puree.
- Substitute ½ c hulled and slices strawberries for the nectarine or one of the peaches.
- To Store Long-term: remove a popsicle from the mold and wrap tightly in plastic wrap; place the wrapped popsicles in a gallon sized freezer bag and store for up to 6 months.
[…] Margaritas. Rickey’s. Juleps. Pina Coladas. Boozy popsicles. Ice cold beers. And yeah, when the mood is right, I will absolutely partake in a hard seltzer when […]