Creamy Whole Lemon Ice Pops
These lemon ice pops are creamy and use an entire lemon (including skin and rind) for an ultra lemony flavor. They are the perfect summer treat.
I’ve been a walking kitchen disaster lately. Like most people, I sometimes have a bad kitchen day where nothing is going right and the smart decision is to just step away and try again another day. But I just went through a week long phase of kitchen mishaps, including 4 complete recipe fails and a shattered penguin shaped salt shaker (sob).
I had this lemon ice pop idea in my head for awhile, but it took four tries to get it right. Last year I made whole lemon bars and they were the best lemon bars I’ve eaten. I’ve also made whole lemon ice cream. Using the entire lemon really brings the lemon flavor to another level. So I wanted to apply the same to these ice pops.
I also really wanted creamy ice pops, which is a tricky balance. Too creamy and your ice pops are basically frozen ice cream and while it tastes good, it looks like crap because it can’t hold its form.
But after three fails, several trips to the grocery store for more ingredients, I finally found the balance I was looking for and I’m excited to share this recipe with you now.
If you like this recipe, check out: whole lemon bars and my entire collection of ice pop recipes which includes my Creamy Biscoff Popsicles.
SPECIAL TOOLS:Â Norpro Ice Pop Maker*
*Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Creamy Whole Lemon Ice Pops
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) can fat free sweetened condensed milk (must use fat free! regular condensed milk will be too creamy and ice pops won't freeze right)
- 1/2 cup whole milk, (see note)
- 1 whole lemon minus seeds
Instructions
- Slice your lemon into thin slices and remove the seeds. Discard seeds. Place lemon slices into a blender.
- Add condensed milk and whole milk into blender. Blend at high speed (I used my smoothie setting) until smooth batter forms and lemon is completely pureed. Pour into ice molds and freeze for several hours or overnight. To remove, run ice molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pop out of ice pop molds.
Notes
- You can use reduced fat milk but your ice pops will be icier.
Ii always use regular sweetened condensed milk. I also cook my liquid on the stove and add two tablespoons of corn starch and heat just enough to activate the starch. This gives them that soft mouth feel. I do this with all my popsicle recipes. The corn starch that is. You can bite right into them. I never had any trouble with then freezing right. I love using the whole lemon! Great recipe
Thanks for sharing your experience with this recipe! We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
So I made these, added an extra half lemon for more tartness, but my pops have lots of lemon bits in them. Taste is good but too many bits. Did I just not process it enough?
It helps to have a high-powered blender for this recipe. If you used one, you may not have processed them long enough.
Great recipe – & works with regular sweetened condensed milk too, when the pops are left to freeze for a whole day 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Ooh, thank you for sharing that, Amanda!
I had high hopes for these popsicles but they weren’t tart enough for me.  I was initially drawn to this recipe hoping to mimic the tart lemon and creamy flavor  that you’d get in a lemon meringue pie….but it was a miss for me.  Maybe because of the peel it lacked that burst of tart lemon I like..  This was a more mellowed lemon flavor.  Which is absolutely fine if that is the profile you want. Â
I wasn’t trying to make a tart ice pop, so I can see why these wouldn’t be tart enough for you. Sorry they weren’t what you were looking for.
Do you peel the lemon?
nope!
Do you know if you put this in a container and freeze could you dip it like ice-cream?
this recipe was designed to be a popsicle so it won’t work as ice cream. I do have an ice cream version though! https://kirbiecravings.com/2015/06/3-ingredient-no-churn-whole-lemon-ice-cream.html
Would this work with lime?
I have not attempted it with lime. I’ll have to try sometime!
I have tried this with lime and it is Amazing!
Thanks for letting us know it works with lime, Amber! It wasn’t too bitter for you? Or how many limes did you use?
I can’t wait to try thisÂ
hope you enjoy!
Hello, I love this recipe it looks really good. I’m going to try it this weekend. Would you by any chance know the nutritional information of these popsicles? (How many calories per pop?)
I don’t know, but I usually use caloriecount.com to calculate the nutritional information for a new recipe. You can enter in the recipe and it’ll calculate everything for you
150 calories each according to caloriecount.com
thanks for sharing!
Are they sour?
they are sweet, but also have the natural sourness from lemons.
Two questions – From somebody not based in the US – how large a can of condensed milk do you use? you might consider updating the recipe with “sweetened” 🙂 … Also, do you use regular lemons or Mayer lemons?
the can is 14 oz. Either regular or meyer will work. I prefer meyer but I actually used regular for this recipe
Did you use Sweetened condensed milk or just condensed/evaporated milk?
fat free sweetened condensed milk. evap milk is something different!
These look so great! Â I’ve made Deb Perelman’s whole lemon bars (which rock) multiple times, so I love this idea.
thanks! i think these have that same intense lemony flavor that I really like
They look delicious!
Thank you!
Augh I’ve had those kitchen mishaps week. They suck so bad. You’ll have to post a pic of the penguin. I didn’t realize there was a fat free version of condensed milk!Â
The penguin was in a million pieces =( I will have to post a pic of his pepper companion though. so bummed i broke one of them
Aw man – I know how frustrating kitchen fails can be! I’m so glad you stuck with these lemon pops thought because: DROOL! They look like they’re bursting with lemon flavor!
I was so determined to get these right! so glad I did because i really love them!