Make fun, healthier popsicles

Multicolored popsicles are fun and festive, but store-bought versions are loaded with sugar, corn syrup, and artificial colorings - and their lackluster flavor leaves something to be desired.

To make an ultra-flavorful, naturally sweetened version that would please kids and adults alike, we started with two kinds of berries. We settled on honey as our sweetener since it tasted great paired with the berries and wouldn't mar the bright colors we were after.

We made a vibrant red raspberry puree for one layer; a blueberry puree made for a beautifully contrasting purple layer. For the middle layer, we aimed for a clean-looking white to make the red and purple stand out.

We tested several bases, including buttermilk, cream and lemon. Tasters felt the buttermilk's tang distracted from the clean fruit flavors of the other layers, while lemon alone was too tart even when tempered by the honey.

In the end, using a little bit of cream along with the lemon juice created the perfect balance of flavor and texture. A small amount of water in each layer ensured that the popsicles froze solid. For clean, well-defined stripes, be sure to let each layer freeze completely before adding the next layer, and be careful not to spill the mixture onto the sides of the popsicle molds when pouring. This recipe was developed using 3-ounce popsicle molds.

STRIPED FRUIT POPSICLES

Servings: 6 popsicles

Start to finish: 15 hours

Raspberry Layer

4 ounces raspberries (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch salt

Lemon Layer

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons heavy cream

4 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch salt

Blueberry Layer

4 ounces blueberries (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch salt

For the raspberry layer: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Using 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, carefully pour 2 tablespoons of raspberry mixture evenly into six 3-ounce popsicle molds, being careful to keep walls of molds free from drips. Cover molds, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

For the lemon layer: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Using 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, carefully pour 2 tablespoons lemon mixture into each popsicle mold. Cover molds tightly with double layer of aluminum foil. Push popsicle stick through foil into center of each mold until tip hits frozen raspberry mixture. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

For the blueberry layer: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Using 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, carefully pour 2 tablespoons blueberry mixture into each popsicle mold. Cover molds with foil and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours or up to 5 days. To serve, hold mold under warm running water for 30 seconds to thaw.

Nutrition information per serving: 80 calories; 26 calories from fat; 3 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 149 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 1 g protein.

For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Striped Fruit Popsicles in "Naturally Sweet ."

America's Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press.