Check out these delish gourmet ice pops perfect for hot summer days.

They're like health food on a stick, well almost entirely healthy but why not add a little splash of booze to make it fun.

Blu-berry Lavender Lemonade 
Blueberries, especially the wild kind, have among the highest antioxidant count of any berry. And pairing them with an aromatic floral herb like lavender gives these pops a decidedly summery flavor. 

1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp culinary lavender
1/4 cups water, divided
3 Tbsp lemon juice (or juice of 1 to 1 1/2 lemons)
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 

1 cup Tequila of your choice

Bring sugar, lavender, and 1/4 cup water to boil in saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep for at least 30 minutes. Combine tequila with lemon juice. Strain lavender from sugar syrup, add syrup to lemon water, and mix well. Evenly distribute into ice-pop molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Drop several blueberries into each mold, until the liquid reaches the top. Insert sticks and freeze for about 8 hours. 

Melon Stripe 
Low-cal melon gets some extra sweetness from honey. And while achieving the desired stripe effect takes a little patience, your friends and family will be awed by the outcome. 

1 cup cantaloupe, diced
2 Tbsp lime juice, divided
2 tsp honey, divided
1 cup honeydew, diced

1 cup vodka 

In blender, combine cantaloupe with 1 tablespoon lime juice 1/2 cup of vodka and 1 teaspoon honey. 
Fill a fourth of each ice-pop mold with a layer of cantaloupe and put in the freezer for 1 hour. Set remaining mixture aside. In blender, combine honeydew with remaining vodka, lime juice and honey. After cantaloupe layer has set, add a layer of honeydew. Freeze for 1 hour. Add one additional layer of cantaloupe and then honeydew, allowing pops to set in the freezer for 1 hour between each layer. After pouring the final layer, insert sticks and freeze for another 4 hours. 

 

Thai Iced Coffee
Antioxidant-packed java may help ward off diabetes and some forms of cancer--and keep your mind sharp. Adding cardamom to the grinds while brewing gives this cool dessert a spicy kick. 

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp almond extract

1 cup strongly brewed coffee, cooled (prepared with 1/2 tsp ground cardamom added to coffee grinds)
2 Tbsp half-and-half or bailey's

1 cup vodka

Boil sugar and water in saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Combine syrup with remaining ingredients. Distribute into ice-pop molds, add sticks, and freeze for 8 hours. 

 

Blood Orange & Cream 
This artisanal spin on the ice-cream-truck classic delivers both fiber and protein, thanks to the fruit-and-dairy combo. 

1 small blood orange, peeled and segmented
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup 1% milk

1 cup orange liquer such as Solerno Blood Orange Liquer or Absolute Mandarin Liquer

Cut orange slices lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Boil sugar and water in saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to simmer, add orange pieces, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Combine blood orange–sugar syrup (including orange slices), orange liquer, orange juice, and milk in a bowl. Pour mixture into ice-pop molds, insert sticks, and freeze for about 8 hours.

 

Hope you enjoy these recipes, we would love to hear feedback on them and any suggestions of your fave popci's as well.