This summer weather has made me obsessive about popsicles. It was brought to my attention that I’ve posted quite a few recently – nay, since this blog began – but I’m not even sorry about it.
For the banana freaks: Skinny “Banoffee” Popsicles
For the cocktail freaks: Cucumer Gin & Tonic Popsicles
For the sick folks: Throat-Soothing Chamomile & Ginger Popsicles
For the chocolate freaks: Chocolate Fudge Popsicles
For the fruit/smoothie freaks: Ginger Mango Lassi Popsicles
For the dessert freaks: today’s Raspberry Cheesecake Popsicles
It has been blisteringly hot here in BC for such a long stretch of time, which is highly unlikely this time of year. Usually it’s chilly/rainy up until about July, and we have two solid months of summer before it gets chilly/rainy again. This year? Well this year we pretty much skipped spring and catapulted right into summer.
To put it into perspective, May in Vancouver was the hottest ever on record, since they started compiling records in 1937. The average amount of rainfall in May is 66mm. This year? 4mm. FOUR. Incredible. June has been basically the same.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love the heat. Some people find 30°C too hot, but I find it just right. It’s the kind of heat I’ll travel 4,000 miles to Mexico for. It’s a heat I can feel in my bones. Granted, any heavy activity will be done in the shade, but if I’m walking home from work or lounging around at home, 30°C is where it’s at.
These are the kind of popsicles to enjoy after a long hot day, preferably after a nice light dinner that was cooked over an open grill. They’re light and summery while being desserty and indulgent. True to their name, they’re essentially mini raspberry cheesecakes, but in frozen form (and a whole lot less effort to make).
The base of these popsicles consists of cream cheese, sugar, and milk, which is whipped together to create a thick but pourable mixture, similar to cream. Stir in some fresh berries, and some graham cracker chunks, and you have the classic flavour combination of a standard cheesecake.
Any berries, fresh or frozen, can work here. I’m partial to fresh local berries, because yum, but I realize they’re not always accessible. If you want to make these in the winter with some frozen berries, by all means, go for it! I’m sure I will once berries go out of season. The berries get frozen in the popsicles anyway.
It took me a few tries to get the right consistency to these lollies – some were too thin and milky, some were too thick and cheesy – but I finally nailed it. It took some research and a few rounds of taste testing (darn) to get these just right.
As an added bonus, cream cheese melts at a lot slower rate than say, juice, so these pops won’t melt all over your hand if you eat them in the sunshine!
| Raspberry Cheesecake Popsicles | Print |
- ¾ package cream cheese (188g), softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 6 graham crackers (5"x2⅓") broken into chunks
- 1¾ cups fresh raspberries, halved
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
- Continue mixing and slowly add in the milk until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in graham cracker pieces and raspberries by hand.
- Transfer mixture to popsicle molds. Use a spoon to scoop the chunkier bits into the molds as you pour. Add popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 5 hours before serving.
I want these in my mouth now. These look so good o.o. And what’s great is that I bet you could substitute other berries for raspberries or sub in cherries or to my fiancé’s delight probably oreo cookies (he loves oreo cookies especially oreo cheesecake).
Thanks Sandy! They’d be great with blackberries, blueberries, cherries, etc. And oh my, I think you just blew my mind – oreo cookies? In these cheesecake popsicles? YES!!