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–+ servings
green white and red striped popsicles
Kate Ramos

Bandera Paletas {Grape-Lime-Strawberry Pops}

A good paletas recipe is one of the best ways to celebrate summer's sweetest fruit. These colorful frozen treats are refreshing, packed with real fruit flavor, and exactly what I want waiting in the freezer on a hot afternoon.

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Freeze Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 -10 paletas
Course: paletas
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 107
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Method
 

  1. For the green layer, combine 2 cups grapes, 1/2 cup kale, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the solids to squeeze out all the juice. Taste and whisk in more sugar a teaspoon at a time until it is sweet enough for your tastes.
  2. Pour 2 tablespoons of the green juice into each mold (a small funnel makes this much easier).
  3. Place in the freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
  4. Combine 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup water, and 3 tabelspoons of the sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Taste and add more if it is too tart.
  5. Pour 2 tablespoons of juice into each mold, insert popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.
  6. Blend the 1 pound strawberries and remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar in a blender utnil smooth. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve like you did with the green layer. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
  7. Pour 2 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture into each mold and freeze until solid.
  8. To remove from the molds, run the paletas under warm water until they slide out of the mold. Paletas will keep in the freezer for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 1gSodium: 6mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23g

Notes

  1. Preventing Layer Bleeding: To get crisp, clean stripes like the ones pictured above, ensure each layer is completely frozen solid before pouring the next. If the lower layer is still soft, the new liquid will bleed into it and blur the flag effect.
  2. The Stick Alignment Trick: Step 5 asks you to insert the sticks into the lime layer. If your popsicle mold doesn't have a secure lid to hold the sticks perfectly straight, wait about 30 to 45 minutes after pouring the lime juice. Once it reaches a slushy consistency, insert the sticks—they will stay perfectly upright.
  3. Long-Term Storage: While the recipe mentions they keep for a week, you can extend this to 3 weeks by unmolding the paletas all at once, wrapping each tightly in plastic wrap, and storing them together in an airtight Ziploc bag to prevent freezer burn.
  4. Alternative for Baby Kale: If you want that brilliant green color without using kale, you can easily substitute fresh spinach.

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