Summer is officially here and in many parts of the country the first heat waves are already hitting. What better way to cool down than with paletas!

We are sharing five delicious popsicle recipes, some of which might surprise you. Not everyone has a sweet tooth so we are including two refreshing recipes that call for a little chile instead! It’s great to have sugar-free recipes for our niños during the summer. And if you or your niños don’t like chile you can always omit that part from the recipe. Just click on the links below for the recipes by amazing latina bloggers pictured above.

1.Paletas Heladas de Pepino {Con chilito Tajin} by Elida of Simple Y Delicioso.

2. Natural fruit paletas with watermelon and Tajín by Maura of The Other Side of the Tortilla. 

3. Aguas Frescas Popsicles: Sandia & Melon by Angie of Little Inspiration.

4. Paleta de batata (Sweet potato popsicles) by Clara of Aunt Clara’s Kitchen. 

5. Paletas de Fresa y Aguacate by Vianney of Sweet Life. 

This post is sponsored by Walmart. ¡Gracias!

Summer is officially here which also means watermelon season has arrived! Watermelons are a delicious and nutritious treat for our niños. Any watermelon fan knows that to enjoy a watermelon at its best it must be fresh and the closer it’s grown to you the better! 

Walmart has locally-sourced watermelons, and we had the chance to talk with one of their local produce providers in California about their delicious watermelons. Dan Van Groningen’s family has a beautiful history here in California. Van Groningen & Sons, Inc. is a family-owned farming operation that started in California in 1922 by Henry Van Groningen Sr. Henry arrived to the U.S. in 1910 from the Netherlands. He passed down the family business  to his sons and now grandsons who have been providing produce to Walmart in many California areas.

Dan Van Groningen of Van Groningen and Son’s Inc. told us they ”offer name recognition and the fact that we pick the produce when it is ripe. We have a fleet of our own trucks that deliver every day.” After tasting one these watermelons the difference was clear. “If families buy locally they will experience better quality when it comes to taste. We are blessed with an ideal climate in our area. Cool nights and warm days increase the sugar level or what we call brix” said Dan.

The natural sweetness of the watermelon inspired us to create watermelon popsicles reminiscent of the aguas frescas that keep our families refreshed on a hot day. They were super easy to make and we did not need to any sugar! We added a bit of pomegranate juice as well to blend the watermelon and the result was delicious. What made these popsicles taste even sweeter is knowing that the main ingredient came from a local family-owned farm.

Watermelon & Pomegranate Paletas Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 personal-sized seedless watermelon
• 1 pomegranate
• 1/2 cup of water

Directions:

- Take all the seeds from your pomegranate and blend with 1/2 cup of water.

- Take the pomegranate seed juice from the blender and strain it.

- Chop up the inside of your watermelon and place in the blender with the pomegranate juice.

- Blend and pour the watermelon mix into your favorite popsicle mold and freeze.

Are you melting in the summer heat?  Stay cool with these fruity frozen treats that are a whole lot cheaper then store bought ones and healthy too!

I have visited countries in Central America and South America and one thing that stands out to me the most is all of the yummy tropical fruta that you can find at the market or on the streets.  Fruit vendors selling large cups of sliced juicy mango, fresa, guayaba, sandia, mora…. with lime juice squeezed over it (well in Mexico they squeeze lime juice over it).

We made this Guanabana yogurt & berries frozen treats that your kids can help make.  My son kept coming back in the house checking to see if they were ready yet.  It’s healthy and yummy! Your baby will also love these but make sure if they are not eating solids yet that you puree the fruit.

Frozen Berry Paletas Recipe

• Guanabana or vanilla yogurt
• Strawberries, sliced
• Raspberries, halved

1. Use small disposable cups or popsicle molds and fill with fruit pieces.

2. Then pour yogurt and freeze.

Note: If they don’t slip out easily run under cold water but make sure the popsicle doesn’t get wet.

Photo by The Infamous Gdub

I think one of the treats I took the most for granted when I lived in El Salvador and, later, in Mexico was the paleta, the ultimate frozen treat.  They are everywhere and anywhere.  I grew up with the ding, ding of the bell hanging from the paletero’s cart as he walked in front of my house at the same time every afternoon.  My favorites were the paletas de coco, de fresa, pistachio and horchata.

I still remember the time my father, who lives in Houston, went to visit me in Mexico City.  He would make me take him to the corner paletería every single day to devour one or two paletas.  I seriously thought it was a bit obsessive from his part.  I could understand if he wanted something more típico, like quesadillas de huitlacoche, something he just couldn´t find in Texas.

Now that I don’t have paletas at every street corner, I get it and I crave them. You might think a popsicle is just a popsicle. How different can they be?  If you´ve ever had a popsicle in a Latin country you know what I´m talking about.  These paletas are thick, creamy, rich and totally natural.  The typical Mexican ones have bits and chunks of the fruit frozen in them.  Since diversity is what Mexican culture is all about you can find paletas in tons of flavors ranging from fruits, nuts, flowers, cucumbers and even chiles.  Yes…have you ever tried a mango con chile paleta?  Yum, yum.

I live in L.A. where I can find comparable-tasting paletas if I look and go out of my way.  The paleteros in my hood don´t carry the real deal.  Natural is so hard to come by these days.  So, my best alternative is to make them myself for my paleta-obsessed 3 year old.

I recommend spending a couple of dollars in a basic paleta mold that you can reuse.  I bought these some months ago and really like that I can pop out each one individually.  Another option is to use paper cups and wooden popsicle sticks.

For any basic paleta de agua you will need fruit, water, probably some lime, and a blender. The idea is to make a chunky juice and then just pour it into the molds and freeze for 5 hours. The chunkier, the tastier.  Try this site for a good variety of simple recipes.

If you want to get more fancy and prepare a heartier paleta, I´ve got a couple of tasty milk-based recipes that Toma Leche sent my way.  Somehow, they convinced a bunch of the best paleterías in California to share their most popular recipes. And now, I’m sharing my favorite recipe with you. A paleta can’t get more real or nostalgic than this.

This is also a great summertime activity with your kid where you can tell them in Spanish all about arroz con leche, paletas and the memories they stir.

Paleta de Arroz con Leche (makes 12 paletas)

Ingredients

1 cup of rice

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup condensed milk

To make:

Put the rice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan with enough water to cover the rice completely and a bit more.  With the heat on low, let the water evaporate just to where it’s level with the top of the rice and add the whole milk. Continue simmering until the rice is “al dente.”

Add the sugar in the saucepan and mix together.  After 5 minutes add the evaporated milk and mix.  Once the rice is cooked through, transfer to a serving plate and then add the condensed milk.  You can blend the rice and milk before pouring into the paleta molds.  For an extra touch, add a pinch of cinnamon and/or raisins to taste.  Put in the freezer for four hours.

When you’re ready to take the paleta out of the mold, pass it under warm running water and gently pull until it comes out.

Tell us, what’s your favorite sabor de paleta?

Disclosure:  I was invited by the lovely ladies of Toma Leche to learn about their new campaign and was treated to a tasty paleta.  All the words I wrote about my paleta obsession are completely mine, mine.