Recipe: Fig, Yogurt & Vanilla Bean Frozen Pops

This time last week we were up to our necks in fresh figs from our neighbor's ripening fig tree. Over the weekend I knew exactly what I wanted to do with a good bunch of the ripest ones — fig popsicles as a cool summer treat. These frozen pops are so simple to make, have minimal ingredients and are healthy as an added bonus. The 3 main natural ingredients include fresh ripened figs, plain greek yogurt and vanilla bean — that's it!

Ingredients:

• Plain organic greek yogurt*
• Fresh whole figs, chunked
• 1/2 Whole vanilla bean, beans reserved
• Optional: Brown sugar, honey or agave sweetener

*Substitute vanilla flavored greek yogurt for enhanced flavor. I realize the natural taste of plain greek yogurt can come off a little sour to some, so this is an area where you can get creative. Natural sweeteners can also help offset the stronger yogurt flavor if desired.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, blender or using an immersion blender until blended smoothly:

It's OK if there are some thicker chunks of figs — this will lend to little bite sized surprises throughout the popsicles. If you prefer a more uniform consistency, puree until completely smooth. Taste test at this point to make sure mixture has reached desired consistency and sweetness. Adjust sweetness by adding more figs, vanilla bean or a sweetener of your choosing.

Spoon mixture into individual popsicle molds, leaving a small amount of room at the top for the mixture to expand during the freezing process:

Give the molds a good tapping against the counter to help the mixture set and rid you of any air bubbles in your frozen pops:

Complete with mold top and wooden sticks, then place in freezer and allow to cool for at least 4 hours before breaking out to enjoy!

Tip: if you have similar popsicle molds to ours, it might be helpful to hold the mold under running warm water for about 9 seconds to help ease the freezer pops out.

Now all that's left to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your natural fig, yogurt and vanilla bean cool summer treat — so creamy, so delicious:

These freezer pops are so quick and simple to make that they might make a fun morning or afternoon activity to try out with the kids for a treat to enjoy later the same day.

They've definitely been a welcome addition to the cold and sweet snack department in our household this week!

Discover More:

Sangria Popsicles | Yogurt & Peach Popsicles | Avocado, Coconut & Lime Popsicles