Healthy FroYo Pops

I've been on an oat and chia seed kick lately. If you're familiar with my Refrigerator Oatmeal and Oatmeal Smoothies, you already know that. Today, I'm completing the trifecta with frozen yogurt pops that have the same oat/chia combo I used in my smoothies. If that sounds gross in a popsicle, let me assure you that this super nutritious grain/seed duo is finely blended and virtually disappears into the froyo pops. You may notice a slight texture when you eat these treats, but its not unpleasant. They taste creamy & delicious. Enjoy them for a sweet snack or dessert. They're so loaded with nutrition that you could even eat one for breakfast without feeling guilty about it.

Fiber, vitamins, and minerals abound! These froyo pops are loaded with nutrition from the oats, chia seeds, bananas, and other fruit. Some of the flavor varieties have cocoa powder, peanut butter powder, and coffee in them--all good for you in these small quantities. You can feel good about eating these pops as part of a healthy diet; and they make a great snack for kids, too!

Chia seeds are power food. If you are unfamiliar with the health benefits of these amazing little seeds, you can read about them in my Refrigerator Oatmeal post. The chias form into a gel-like consistency when they're soaked in milk in this froyo pop recipe. They help these pops have a great eating consistency--frozen, but not hard as a rock like some frozen treats.

Going Bananas! I used ripe bananas in all of the FroYo Pop flavors in this post, because they add natural sweetness and improve the frozen texture of the pops. Bananas are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. There's another bonus: eating bananas can make you happy! Not kidding. They contain serotonin that can help you feel relaxed and happy. They also contain B vitamins that can help you sleep better. (Source) There are all kinds of reasons to love bananas.

Nutritional Information. The 5 flavor varieties are all approx. the same nutritionally. For one 4-oz. FroYo Pop using lowfat plain yogurt and 2% milk:
100 calories, 1.8g fat, 21.8g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g protein
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3 points 

Here are instructions for making 5 flavors of FroYo Pops along with easy instructions for inventing your own flavors.

Step-by-step photos for making Healthy FroYo Pops

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients & supplies:

• Blender. They can vary in power and effectiveness. The better blenders produce a smoother consistency. A smoothie blender is particularly convenient, if you have one. They come with multiple containers that are the perfect size for blending multiple FroYo Pop flavors. I bought mine on Amazon, click here.
• Frozen Pop Molds. These come in numerous shapes and kinds and are available in many stores. I have 3 different shapes that I found on Amazon: groovy, rockets, & stars.
• Chia seeds. I bought mine at Whole Foods; also available on Amazon, click here. I used whole chia seeds (they blend and soften when added to liquid); but you can also buy ground chia seeds, if you prefer.
• Oats. I recommend old fashioned rolled oats over instant or quick oats--they're less processed and better for you. But, instant or quick oats will work, if that's what you have on hand. Steel-cut oats aren't recommended, because they don't blend and soften well. Organic rolled oats available on Amazon, click here.
• Yogurt. You can use any kind of yogurt:  plain, vanilla, or Greek. Greek yogurt makes a more tart frozen yogurt; choose plain or vanilla yogurt for a milder flavor. I prefer plain regular yogurt in my froyo pops.

• Milk. Use skim, 1-2%, or whole (I use 2%). Or, use a non-dairy milk like coconut, almond, rice, etc.

Additional ingredients used to make a variety of FroYo Pop flavors:

• Bananas. Make sure they're ripe for the best taste and sweetness.
• Pineapple. Use fresh, frozen, or canned
• Cherries. Use fresh or frozen; remove pits from fresh cherries using a cherry pitter (available on Amazon, click here )
• Honey. May substitute agave nectar syrup or another syrup sweetener (view on Amazon: organic honey, organic agave nectar)
• PB2. This is a powdered peanut butter with 85% of the fat removed; it's healthy and low-cal (view on Amazon, click here); may substitute regular peanut butter
• Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• Espresso, double strength coffee, or cold-brew coffee concentrate. Read how to make cold-brew coffee concentrate in my previous post. May also use instant espresso powder (view on Amazon, click here)
• Almond or vanilla extract

Step 2. Add oats and chia seeds to blender container. Blend on high until you have the consistency of flour. (It only takes a few seconds in my blender, but blender power varies so much that I can't tell you exactly how long it will take.) This helps the oats and chias blend into the mixture without a chunky texture. The finer you grind them, the smoother your froyo pops will be!

• Convenience tip: If you'll be making these FroYo Pops frequently, or if you make my Oatmeal Smoothies often, it's a time saver to blend a bigger batch of oats and chia seeds ahead of time in a blender or food processor. I make a big batch and store them in a jar. This way it's ready to add a 1/4 cup scoop of this oat/chia flour to a batch of smoothies or FroYo Pops. For a big batch, blend 2-1/4 cups oats with 1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds. That's enough for about 9 batches of smoothies or froyo pops.

 The photos below illustrate mixing the ingredients for a Cherry Banana FroYo Pop

Step 3. Add the milk (or other liquid) to the blender container. Use a long spoon or spatula to mix in the ground oats/chias from the bottom. Let this rest for 10 minutes to allow the chias & oats to soften.

Step 4. Add the yogurt, fruit, honey and additional flavors. Blend well to get a smooth consistency. I blended mine for almost a minute.

Step 5. Pour mixture into pop molds. I like to make several flavors in a variety of shapes. Freeze for at least 4 hours until solid.

5 FroYo Pop flavor varieties (plus Invent-Your-Own Flavor)

(all varieties contain oats, chia seeds, yogurt, milk, honey, & bananas)

CHERRY--Add fresh or frozen cherries and almond extract
PINEAPPLE--Add fresh, frozen, or canned pineapple
PEANUT BUTTER--Add PB2 (powdered, low-fat peanut butter) or regular peanut butter
CHOCOLATE--Add cocoa powder
MOCHA--Add cocoa powder and espresso or double strength coffee
INVENT-YOUR-OWN FRUIT FLAVOR--add fruit of your choice; may substitute juice for all or part of milk. Add vanilla or almond extract, if desired.

There were some flavors that didn't make the cut, 'cause they just weren't good enough to share with you. I'm lovin' all of these, though. 

Here they are. Ta-DAH!

My favorite of the five is the mocha one...this baby will be getting me through the hot summer months when I have a craving for ice cream. Totally creamy and delicious. And good for me, too? Can't go wrong.

If you give these a try, let me know what you think or if you come up with any new flavors. I figure we might as well keep going until we can compete with Baskin Robbins 31 flavors.

Make it a Yummy day!

For more ideas for making healthy frozen treats, I recommend:
ICE POP JOY Cookbook
 click here to view on Amazon 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

You might also like these healthy recipes that use oats and chia seeds:

Make-Ahead Oatmeal Smoothies 

Overnight, Refrigerator, No-Cook Oatmeal in 6 Flavors

If you print this recipe, choose the FULL PAGE option. It won't fit on a card.

Frozen Yogurt (FroYo) Pops

By Monica              Servings: 4-6 frozen pops

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked oats (old fashioned rolled oats recommended; do not use steel cut oats)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds, whole or ground
• 1/4 cup milk (skim, 1-2%, whole; or preferred non-dairy milk--almond, coconut, rice, etc.); or juice, coffee, tea--any liquid that suits your taste
• 1 cup plain or vanilla, lowfat yogurt (regular or Greek)
• 2 tablespoons honey, or other preferred sweetener
• 1 or 2 small ripe bananas, sliced (1/2 or 1 cup)
• ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR DIFFERENT FLAVORS:
• 1/2 cup pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapple (fresh, canned, or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons PB2 (powdered peanut butter); or use regular peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoon espresso, double strength coffee, or cold-brew coffee concentrate (can mix water with instant espresso or coffee granules)

Directions

PROCEDURE: Add oats and chia seeds to blender; blend on high until texture of flour. Add milk and stir. Let rest for 10 minutes. Add yogurt, honey,  fruit and/or additional flavors (see options below). Blend well until smooth. Pour into individual frozen pop molds and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.  Leave in freezer for at least 4 hours (until completely frozen) before removing from molds. Will keep up to 1 week in freezer; best if left in molds until just before eating.

FLAVOR VARIETIES. Add oats, chia seeds, milk, honey & yogurt to blender as explained above. Then add these:

CHERRY--1/2 cup sliced banana, 1/2 cup pitted cherries, and 1/2 teaspoon almond

PINEAPPLE--1/2 cup sliced banana, 1/2 cup chopped pineapple

PEANUT BUTTER--1 cup sliced banana, 2 tablespoons PB2 or peanut butter

CHOCOLATE--1 cup sliced banana, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

MOCHA--Reduce milk to 1/8 cup & combine with 1/8 cup cooled espresso or double strength coffee, 1 cup sliced banana, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

INVENT YOUR OWN FRUIT FLAVOR: combine 1/2 cup sliced banana with 1/2 cup fruit of your choice; may substitute juice for all or part of milk. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION. The 5 flavor varieties are all approx. the same nutritionally. For one 4-oz. FroYo Pop using lowfat plain yogurt and 2% milk:
100 calories, 1.8g fat, 21.8g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g protein
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3 points