Frozen fruit popsicles are easy to find nowadays and short of making them yourself, there are some healthy supermarket popsicles you can feel good about.
Scroll through the freezer section of your supermarket and you’ll see the booming class of popsicles.
Since I originally wrote this post in 2011, the frozen fruit popsicle category has exploded.
From paletas to classic popsicles and flavor combinations that will blow your mind, frozen fruit bars offer a range of interesting and creative options.
Sure, you can make your own popsicles and control the ingredients, especially the grams of sugar.
But, do you have to make homemade versions to get what you’re looking for?
What constitutes a healthy popsicle, anyway?
If you’re thinking it needs to be sugar-free, then you better get in the kitchen and fire up the blender.
Popsicles are a treat. They fall into the “sweets and treats” category in my mind.
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Just like ice cream, candy, or cookies, my philosophy is they can fit into a balanced eating pattern.
Most importantly, when you allow this frozen dessert, let your child (or yourself!) enjoy it fully.
Now let’s get on.
I’ve updated my popular post from 2011 and reviewed the popular store-bought popsicles.
Similar to my original post, this popsicle list does not include products containing artificial sweeteners.
What are the Best Popsicles from the Supermarket?
Popsicles are a frozen treat, often eaten on a hot summer day, but they don’t have to be.
For this review, I looked at the nutritional value including calories, total carbohydrates, and added sugar, as well as overall nutrient content.
This came down to fruit popsicles, mostly.
However, all popsicles in this review containedadded sugar. Now that we have the new Nutrition Facts Panel, it’s easy to see exactlyhow muchadded sugar is in these products.
In my previous writing, this was not possible.
Scroll to the bottom for a summary chart of 10 popular popsicle brands and their calorie, carbohydrate, and added sugar content.
Drum roll, please…
365 Everyday Value Strawberry Frozen Fruit Bars
It’s hard to beat these all-star fruit pops.
With real strawberries and a bit of cane sugar (yes, this is added sugar), these bars are tasty.
You’ll find these at Whole Foods.
Calories: 120 | Total Carbohydrate: 30 g | Added Sugar: 20g
Whole Fruit Fruit Bars: Strawberry
Strawberries are the second ingredient listed in this pick that contains 70 calories, 17 grams of added sugar, and no fat.
Bonus: 1 gram of fiber! This pick covers 25% Daily Value of vitamin C.
Easy to find in the supermarket…and in my freezer!
Calories: 70 | Total Carbohydrate: 18 g | Added Sugar: 17 g
Good Pop: Strawberry Pops
The simple ingredient list earns these bars a nod. Since my first writing, this brand has exploded with a variety of new flavors.
You can also find these in freezable sticks.
Calories: 60 | Total Carbohydrate: 15 g | Added Sugar: 12g
Outshine Strawberry Popsicles
Outshine offers a wide variety of fresh fruit flavored popsicles. I chose strawberry for the comparison to the other brands listed here.
The variety of flavors is what I like most about this brand.
You’ll find these are made with real, whole fruit puree.
As such, they are chock full ofvitamin C. Plus, they’re easy to find in just about every supermarket.
Calories: 60 | Total Carbohydrate: 15 g | Added Sugar: 12 g
Annie’s Cheerful Cherry Popsicle
Made with real fruit juice and no artificial anything – that means artificial colors and artificial flavors. Annie’s stands out as one of the low-sugar popsicles available.
Calories: 45 | Total Carbohydrate: 10 g | Added Sugar: 5 g
Jonny Pops Summer Strawberry Popsicle
Made with five simple ingredients, including cream, these popsicles are sure to capture the classic flavor of strawberries in the summertime.
Calories: 90 | Total Carbohydrate: 12 g | Added Sugar: 11 g
Helados Mexico Strawberry Fresas Paletas
Now you can buy paletas at the store! I remember when I lived in Nashville, we used to make a special trip to get hand-made paletas.
The ladies who operated the shop were only open a few days a week and you had to arrive early because they often sold out. Now, you can purchase these traditional popsicles from Mexico in the supermarket.
Calories: 80 | Total Carbohydrate: 20 g | Added Sugar: 18 g
Popsicle Calories: Which Ones are Low-Calorie Popsicles?
To find the lowest calorie popsicle options, I reviewed 10 different brands and focused on similar flavors.
In my review, Popsicle, Annie’s, and Favorite Day were the lowest in calories.
However, calories are dependent upon portion size and many of the lower calorie popsicles are a small, stick size rather than a full “bar.”
Which are Real Fruit Popsicles?
According to my review, Whole Fruit, Outshine, Good Pop, Jonny Pops, Helados Mexico, and 365 Everyday have fresh fruits as their main ingredient.
Fruit Popsicle Comparison Chart, 2024
I’ve summarized popular frozen fruit popsicles you can purchase in the supermarket here. A couple of things to note:
Every brand has added sugar – sometimes that’s in the form of high fructose corn syrup.
If you want a commercial popsicle without added sugar, purchase brands that state NO ADDED SUGAR. This trade-off may include artificial sweeteners, or the addition of monk fruit extract, however. Read the label.
Since the selection here is mostly all fruit pops, there is little to no fat.
The exception to this are the popsicles from Halo Top and Helados Mexico, which are made with dairy.
Make Your Own Frozen Fruit Bars!
Feeling adventurous? It’s so so easy to make your own fruit-based pops at home!
Do you have a favorite flavor or popsicle your family likes to eat?
Disclaimer: The Nourished Child provides an objective and independent review of these products; no affiliations or support was obtained from any grocer or food marketer.
Originally published in 2011 | Updated November 2023
