Let's Vibe: Sweeten Up Summer with a Frozen, Fruity Snack

Whether you spend your summer afternoons sitting by the pool, splashing in the shallow end, or just soaking up the sun’s rays, part of the fun is beating the heat with a cool, refreshing snack. Heading to the freezer for a fruity ice pop can transport you from your own backyard to a tropical island, and the experience can be even more rewarding when the tasty treat is homemade.

Cool down after fun in the sun with these kid-friendly Pina Colada Sweetpotato Ice Pops, a tropical-inspired dessert made with coconut cream, sweet potatoes, fresh pineapple, lime juice, and honey.

Sure to please kids and adults alike, they’re a better-for-you option when a cold snack calls your name. As a “diabetes superfood,” according to the American Diabetes Association, sweet potatoes provide the main ingredient that’s rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber along with a “sweet” flavor without the added sugar.

The ease of this summer snack means kids can help in the kitchen, and while you wait for the sweet concoction to freeze, you can share this fun fact with them: The one-word spelling of “sweet potato” was adopted by the National Sweetpotato Collaborators in 1989 in an effort to avoid confusion with the potato and yam among shippers, distributors, warehouse workers, and consumers. To add to the fun facts, a sweet potato is not even botanically related to a white potato; they are two entirely different species from one another.

Visit ncsweetpotatoes.com to find more delicious summer recipe ideas.

Pina Colada Sweetpotato Ice Pops

Prep time: 5 minutes

Freeze time: 3-4 hours

Yield: 8 small ice pops

• 1/2 cup coconut cream

• 3/4 cup mashed and cooked sweetpotato

• 3/4 cup diced pineapple

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• coconut flakes (optional)
  

In a food processor or high-speed blender, mix coconut cream, sweet potato, pineapple, honey, and lime juice. Transfer batter to freezer molds.

Place in freezer 3-4 hours. Top with coconut flakes, if desired.