One of our children’s favorite treats is ice cream, and honestly, who doesn’t love it? Since we wanted to find less sugary and healthier alternatives to store-bought ice cream, we created the “Make Your Own Yogurt Ice Cream!” kits.

Here, you’ll discover which ice creams the kids liked the most, and you’ll find recipes for making ice cream and popsicles at home.

Lastella Ice Cream Mold

Our ice cream mold has a capacity of 200 ml (6 small ice creams). If you pour liquid (juice, milk, soda, etc.) into the mold, 100 milliliters equals 100 grams. So, you can weigh 200 grams of liquid and distribute it into the mold. However, for example, 100 ml of yogurt weighs 104 grams, and 100 ml of whipped cream weighs only 40–60 grams (depending on the firmness of the whip). Therefore, it’s best to experiment with ice cream mixtures and mix them based on volume rather than grams.

The small size of the mold allows the child to enjoy the ice cream several times, while in quantity, three small ice creams add up to one store-bought ice cream in a waffle cone. You can confidently give the child several smaller ice creams without worrying about the large amount of sugar they would otherwise consume from three store-bought ice creams.

The silicone mold is flexible. If you use our ice cream powder and dissolve it in water, then place the mold in the refrigerator along with a tray or a cutting board underneath. Otherwise, the liquid may leak out of the mold. However, getting the ice cream out of a silicone mold is much more convenient. I’ve used plastic molds before, and I always had to hold the mold under warm water to get the ice cream out. You can’t just pull the ice cream out of the mold. With the silicone mold, you can simply press with your fingers to pop the ice cream out, making it easy for children to manage.

The sweeter/thicker the ice cream mixture, the longer it takes to freeze. More watery mixtures freeze faster. The freezing time for ice cream can vary by several hours.

Sugar Content in Ice Cream

Store-bought fruit popsicles contain an average of 20 grams of sugar per 100 grams. On a hot summer day, fruit popsicles have always been refreshing for me, but their sweetness is too much for my taste. Through trial and error, I experimented with how little sugar I could put in the ice cream while still making it appealing to children. If the finished ice cream contains 10 grams of sugar per 100 grams, children will still eagerly eat it, meaning you can use half the sugar compared to store-bought ice cream. The picture shows yogurt ice creams made from our mixtures.  

The ingredient quantities in the recipes are based on the capacity of our ice cream mold, which is 200 ml. If you use your own molds, you should adjust the quantities accordingly. Our recipes typically make 190 ml of mixture, allowing room for the sticks and the expansion of the liquid as it freezes.

Striped Ice Cream (Yogurt and Caramel Ice Cream)

• 150 g (5.3 oz) plain yogurt
• 40 g (1.4 oz) caramel sauce

Mix 150 g (5.3 oz) of plain yogurt with 20 g (0.7 oz) of caramel sauce, then add another 20 g (0.7 oz) of caramel on top without stirring. Spoon the mixture into the mold, leaving caramel stripes in the ice cream.

You can also make two-colored striped ice cream using our ice cream powders. Mix 85 g (3 oz) of plain yogurt with one (pink) ice cream powder and 85 g (3 oz) of plain yogurt with another (blue) ice cream powder. Spoon the mixtures alternately into the mold, one tablespoon at a time.

Candy Ice Cream

• 90 ml (3.2 oz) whipping cream
• 40 g (1.4 oz) plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 30 g (1 oz) MM candies

Measure 90 ml (3.2 oz) of whipping cream and 40 g (1.4 oz) of plain yogurt into a tall bowl or milk jug. Add 1 tbsp powdered sugar (regular sugar also works) and whip the mixture. Chop the MM candies into pieces, as whole candies in the ice cream can cause it to crumble when eaten. Fold the candy pieces into the whipped mixture and spoon it into the ice cream mold. Yogurt helps balance out the otherwise very creamy and sweet ice cream. The candy colors blend slightly with the liquid, adding a nice touch to the ice cream.  

Whipped Cream Chocolate Ice Cream

• 120 g (4.2 oz) whipping cream
• 1 tbsp sugar / powdered sugar
• 20 g (0.7 oz) chocolate

I recommend trying this recipe when you’re whipping cream for a dessert anyway. One day, I was making a meringue roll with a whipped cream-cheese filling and decided to experiment with how whipped and frozen cream would taste as ice cream. I whipped 400 ml of cream with 2 tbsp of sugar, scooped out 200 ml (a cup) for the ice cream, and used the rest for the cake. I melted 20 grams of chocolate in a bowl, half milk chocolate and half white chocolate. I mixed the melted chocolate into the whipped cream. Since the cream was cold, the chocolate formed interesting little pieces in the mixture. The kids loved the finished ice cream, but for me, it was a bit too rich. I had hoped that the texture of the whipped cream would freeze differently, but it didn’t. It reminded me of regular creamy ice cream.

Strawberry Yogurt Ice Cream

• 12 strawberries
• 80 g (2.8 oz) plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp sugar or honey (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice or ¼ tsp citric acid (optional)

You can adjust the ratio of berries to yogurt to your liking. I preferred the ice cream with a higher berry content than yogurt. I crushed the strawberries with a fork and mixed in the sugar, then added the yogurt. This way, there were still strawberry pieces in the ice cream. If the mixture seems too sweet or cloying, you can add lemon juice or citric acid.

Mango Yogurt Ice Cream

• 120 g (4.2 oz) Salvest organic mango puree
• 80 g (2.8 oz) plain yogurt

Both the kids and I loved the ice cream made from mango puree and yogurt. The puree we used has no added sugar, but it’s sweet enough on its own that no additional sugar is needed. Plus, I didn’t have to peel or puree the mango. Making the ice cream mixture only took a few minutes. I could also give the remaining yogurt and puree to the kids as a snack during the day without freezing it.

Blueberry Popsicles

• 100 g (3.5 oz) blueberries
• 90 g (3.2 oz) water
• 1 tsp honey or more 
• 1 tsp lemon/lime juice or ¼ tsp citric acid 

We mostly eat berries during the summer season when local produce is available.   It’s even better if you can pick the berries from your own garden or forest. I combined the blueberries, water, 1 tsp of liquid honey, and a squeeze of lime juice in a blender and mixed until smooth. Add a little more water if the mixture is too thick. Since the mixture is dense, it takes at least eight hours to freeze. It’s best to leave the popsicles in the freezer overnight. An interesting thing about this ice cream is that it tastes better to bite and chew rather than lick.

Chocolate Condensed Milk Ice Cream

• 80 ml (2.8 oz) whipping cream
• 50 g (1.8 oz) plain yogurt
• 1 heaping tbsp (20 g) condensed milk
• 20 g (0.7 oz) chocolate 

Melt the chocolate in a water bath and spoon it into the bottom of the mold. Whip the cream, yogurt, and condensed milk into a fluffy mixture. Since this isn’t pure whipped cream, you’ll need to whip it a little longer. The result is ice cream with cute chocolate caps.  

Currant Ice Cream

• 80 g (2.8 oz) currants
• 100 g (3.5 oz) coffee cream or cooking cream
• 2 tbsp sugar

If you have a larger home garden or summer cottage, you probably have some currant bushes. We have both red and black currants, and I tried making ice cream with both. Since currants are tart, it seemed logical to try to soften their tartness with cream. I chose coffee cream because the chocolate whipped cream ice cream was too rich for my taste. I was quite satisfied with the result of the currant ice cream, and I liked the red currant cream ice cream better. After blending the currants, sugar, and cream, you can achieve a smoother and better texture by straining the mixture through a sieve. This way, there are no seeds or skins left in the ice cream. However, I think you should slightly increase the recipe quantities. I didn’t bother with this step myself because the kids eat currants as is and often make their own fresh jam for breakfast porridge.

Lemonade Popsicles with Gummy Candies

• 150 ml (5 oz) lemonade
• Gummy candies

You can use your favorite lemonade. Place the popsicle mold on a stable surface, such as a cutting board, which you can later use to transfer the mold to the freezer. Put the gummy candies into the popsicle mold and pour the lemonade over them. Since the lemonade might spill, it’s essential to have a base that helps keep the mold stable and allows you to transfer it to the freezer securely. The popsicles will be ready in 3-4 hours. As seen in the picture, the popsicles turn out light-colored due to the high carbon dioxide content. The popsicles remain a bit brittle and need to be eaten quickly. It’s worth licking these lemonade popsicles as it enhances the lemonade flavor. Children especially enjoyed being able to eat the cold gummy candies at the end.

Kama Ice Cream

• 80 g (2.8 oz) whipping cream
• 50 g (1.8 oz) cream cheese
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp kama flour

When I make a dessert that is served with whipped cream, I prefer to whip the cream with cream cheese. This way, you get a less sweet and fattier foam. For this ice cream, whip the cream, cream cheese, and sugar together. Finally, mix in the kama flour. You can substitute it with multigrain flour or make your own kama flour. Mix one part roasted barley flour, one part rye flour and one part oat flour and small amount of roasted chickpea flour. Filling the ice cream mold is a bit of an art. The foam doesn’t sink and doesn’t fill the mold with its weight. You have to stir the foam with a spoon or ice cream stick to fill the air pockets as best as possible. You can also experiment with changing the ratio of whipped cream to cream cheese. Children loved this ice-cream version!

Which ice creams did I like the most? 

1. Mango Yogurt Ice Cream
2. Candy Ice Cream
3. Blueberry Ice Cream

I must also say that I have actually just frozen apple juice and lemonade and it tasted good too. Last time we froze apple lemonade and it was perfect  for a hot summer day . In any case, the summer vacation has passed interestingly for the children and me. The children’s ranking would definitely be something else, but their memory is not so good that they could compile a really fair ranking for me.