Earlier we looked at the Benefits of Homemade Popsicles. Also check out 50 amazing homemade popsicle recipes.
Now we’ll check out some handy dandy homemade popsicle gear you’ll need, especially non-toxic popsicle molds.
Homemade Popsicle Molds
Of course you’ll need some non-toxic popsicle molds. I’ve used TONS of ice pop mold over my life – some better than others. Following are the features I look for in a good popsicle mold.
Reusable. Anyone can make ice pops in a paper cup with a wooden stick but that’s not really eco-friendly right? You’re still creating trash. Look for dedicated popsicle molds that you can use without having to buy extra accessories (i.e. more sticks).
Non-toxic. I try my best to find molds that are non-toxic, which usually means molds made of silicone or plastic that’s free from BPA and other chemicals. That said, if all you can find are plastic molds and you’re not sure that they’re chemical free, you have to weigh the pros and cons. For example, in my opinion, even traditional plastic ice pop molds are more eco-friendly than store bought pops. Store bought pops are usually wrapped in ink printed paper or plastic anyhow and at least the plastic molds can be used over and over again, thus saving on waste and the energy used to manufacture store bought pops.
Single serve. In my experience ice pop molds that offer single serving ease are WAY easier to deal with than molds that stick together. One, they’re easier for kids to get the pops from. Two, single serve molds allow you to take one pop out at a time vs. taking the entire tray out and holding it under running water. Three, they’re much easier to wash. I will occasionally use tray-type molds or ice cube trays but I like single serve molds better and so does my son.
Dishwasher-friendly. It’s a pain to hand wash ice pop molds. Enough said.
Following are some good popsicle mold ideas:
The best molds… In my opinion, Tovolo popsicle molds have all the best features you want in a good popsicle mold and few cons. These molds come with single serve ice pop makers that sit steady in a matching base; you can remove one pop at at time after freezing. Molds have handy drip guards that actually work pretty well. Molds are also dishwasher safe and BPA-free. My son loves the bright colors and fun shapes of these molds too.
The main con we’ve run into with Tovolo popsicle molds is that the bases are awkwardly shaped and take up a weird amount of space in your freezer while you’re freezing your pops. After freezing I take the pops out of the molds and place then in a square container – my son just grabs them from said container. Besides the badly designed base we do love these molds though. We’ve had a few sets for about three years now, washed them often, and they’re in great shape. One tip, we have the star, rocket, and groovy molds shown below; if you don’t want a weird base, just get the groovy molds which have a nice square base.
- Tovolo Blue Rocket Pop Molds
- these are my son’s favorite. He thinks the rocket shape is awesome.
- Tovolo Yellow Groovy Pop Molds
- Tovolo Green Shooting Star Pop Molds
- Tovolo Red Rocket Dual Freeze Pop Molds
– these molds allow you to make duel layered ice pops – fun!
- Kinderville Little Bites Silicone Popsicle Molds (Set of 4)
– I recently saw these and will likely be getting some. They’re made with BPA-free, non-leaching silicone. I’ve actually been trying to figure out how to make homemade yogurt tubes, and these look perfect – my son likes his yogurt frozen anyhow.
- Orka 4-Ice Pops
– made with silicone with a drip cup to catch messes.
- Lekue Silicone Ice Pop Mold, Set of 2
– I’ve been wanting to try these forever – another yogurt tube option.
- Cool Cones Reusable Ice Cream Serving Cones – 4 Pack by Jokari
– these clever reusable cones can be filled with homemade ice cream or slushy type pops and used like store bought push pops; but with no waste.
- Tovolo Freezer Jewel Pops, Set of 6
– these might be cool for a party, but I’m not sure that they’re big enough for everyday. These are more a fun ice pop set.
Other cool popsicle gear to have on hand…
- Hamilton Beach 50242N WaveMaker 10-Speed Blender, Black
– a blender is very useful, and you can pick up an inexpensive one anywhere. For example, the blender shown above is under $40. You can also look at garage sales. It doesn’t need to be ultra fancy – just so long as it’s strong enough to blend some crunchy stuff like frozen berries, ice or carrots it’ll work. It is useful to get a blender with an easy pour spout – it’s hard to pour mixes into ice pop molds.
- Pops!: Icy Treats for Everyone
– this is an excellent book PLUS the author’s website is fabulous and even has directions for making your own non-toxic molds.
- Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
– you don’t just have to freeze liquids. You can also make ice cream pops. This book is a great guide and you don’t need a totally fancy ice cream maker either for many of these recipes to work.
Which ice pop molds are your favorite?
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Check out the great stainless steel popsicle molds from the tickle trunk – no plastic!
I LOVE those molds Joy. However, I don’t like the fact that you need to buy sticks. That’s an ongoing cost and waste of resources. But I do like the molds. I’ll look around for a reusable stick option that might work with them.
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