Paletas Mexicanas (Mexican Popsicles)
Paletas Mexicanas (Mexican Popsicles) – Truly outrageous spicy-sweet popsicles made with fresh cantaloupe and chiles! A spicy-sweet dessert you won’t want to miss out on this season.
Paletas Mexicanas
Recently I went to a small Latin market to shop for chiles. I knew our grocery store would have ancho chiles, but I wasn’t sure about the dried pasillas I needed for a recipe. Plus, I love these kinds of markets. They always have such wondrous diversity and great deals!
After wandering around for a while, dreaming of the infinite recipe possibilities with the unique ingredients piled high on shelves, I found exactly what I needed and headed to the register.
In front of the counter was a freezer case filled with Paletas (Mexican Popsicles.) The kids looked up at me with pleading eyes.
It was a hot day after all, and there were so many paletas to choose from! I started reading the flavors to the kids… Coconut, pineapple, tamarind, lime, watermelon, banana, sour orange. Then I saw one simply labeled “Chile.”
Sweet & Spicy Dessert
Now up to this point, I wasn’t craving a popsicle, but I had to know… What would a chile-flavored popsicle taste like?
I had that inkling it might be something special! We walked outside and unwrapped our Mexican popsicles.
The chile flavored Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) was unreal.
A delicate medley of cantaloupe, cucumber, and lime, with a strong dose of salt and lingering heat from the little flecks of jalapeño throughout the pop. This brilliant amalgamation of sweet, salty, tart, spicy, and cooling flavors was a complete revelation!
Homemade Paletas
Clearly, I had to come home and recreate the chile Paletas (Mexican Popsicles.)
My son repeatedly stated they were, “Totally awesome!” My daughter said, “It’s so spicy, but I can’t stop eating it!” And my husband has been telling everyone in sight about them for the last 3 days. You could say the homemade chile Paletas were a hit.
I bet you’ll enjoy these sweet and spicy Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) just as much as we did.
Mexican Popsicles Ingredients
- Large Ripe Cantaloupe – This is the base of the popsicle juice and overall flavor.
- Medium Cucumber – Offers a lovely cooling sensation and additional juice.
- Limes – To balance the sweetness.
- Kosher Salt – Salt helps bring vibrant flavors to the forefront.
- Granulated Sugar – To add sweetness.
- Jalapeño – Seeds removed. To add a little spiciness to this sweet treat!
- Red Food Coloring – If you wanted to give this popsicle a little more color. This is an optional ingredient.
Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below For How To Make Paletas Mexicanas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Mexican Paletas?
Paletas are a frozen popsicle treat that is usually made of pureed fruits but can also include a creamy substance like chocolate or heavy cream. This recipe is a fresh twist on the basic paleta.
Are Paletas Healthy?
Paletas are a dessert filled with sweet fruits and other sweet ingredients. They do contain a decent amount of sugar. Yet they are definitely lower in preservatives, fat, and artificial sweeteners than many other desserts.
Why is my juice separating when putting into the mold?
Separation is normal with any fresh juice. To prevent this from happening, puree the ingredients immediately before pouring it into the popsicle mold.
Other Sweet Treats:
- Vodka Gummy Bears Popsicles Recipe
- Mexican Fried Ice Cream Cake Recipe
- Mexican Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe
- Cereal Milk Popsicle Recipe
- Strawberry Pina Colada Popsicle Recipe
- Mexican Rice Pudding Pops Recipe
- Mexican Brownies Recipe
- Mexican Burnt Milk Candy (Leche Quemada) Recipe
Paletas (Mexican Popsicles)
Ingredients
- 1/2 large ripe cantaloupe
- 1 medium peeled cucumber
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed and diced
- 2 drops red food coloring to enhance the color, optional
Instructions
- Peel the cantaloupe and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the cantaloupe and cucumber. Place them in a blender with lime juice, salt and sugar. Puree until smooth. Check the flavor; it should be equally sweet and salty. Add a little more sugar or salt if needed.
- Add half or all of the jalapeño to the blender. Pulse a few times.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle holds. Freeze for one hour, then push popsicle sticks into the center of each cup and return to the freezer until solid. Usually 2-3 hours total.
How positively delicious sounding! And I love that you also made a salad. The fact that your kids loved them is proof enough for me!
They sound incredible, and I bet my girls would go for them, they do love spicy! I was wondering how it would be as a smoothie too!! My wife on the other hand has a hard time venturing outside of the box….sigh…..now your cucumber cantaloupe salad sounds very very good, I know would enjoy that!
Sounds like an awesome pop. It must be so refreshing!
Mmm…love chili lime salt on melon, mango, pineapple — everything. Your pops are a great idea. Love that smiley fruit shot!
Sommer, this is an awesome post! I'm going to try this when I can get all the ingredients organically grown here. Our organic farm opens in like two weeks I think, so…
By the way, your writing here was really nice. I felt like I was in the store with you about to watch you try the awesomeness (smile)!
Oh I bet those spicy cool pops are refreshing!
Bon appetit!
=:~)
How creative! I wish I would have seen this recipe before I threw out some too ripe to fully enjoy cantalope!
Sommer…usually it would be very difficult to convince me on anything packing this kind of heat. I'm really not a fan of chile anything. However, the fact that your young son liked them…it does make me wonder about a probably superb balance of flavours in those frozen treats. I'm not saying I'll do these for sure…I am saying that I will bookmark this recipe so that I can re-think my courage about this kind of heat ;o))
Ciao for now and have a great weekend,
Claudia
These are so much fun and perfect for this insanely hot weather!
This is my first visit to your blog–love what you have here. I look forward to coming back to read more!
Sommer,
Thank you so much for the kind words regarding my anniversary! It really meant a lot to me. Have a great weekend!
Definitely a spicy perspective on ice pops. These look so fresh. Cant wait to try them, thanks for the post! LOVE IT!
Great inspiration for a summer cooling treat. It looks refreshing and exciting, honestly, unlike any pops I have seen – just creative! And I love that you are not using some crazy ice pop contraption – just disposable cups- easy and simple!
This is so unique and intriguing, Sommer! I want to go get all of the ingredients and make it right now just so I can have the experience. ( : I love it!
How unique, and I love the sweet, salty, spicy combo.
I am a fan of all things spicy & those pops sounds amazing! I just signed up to follow your fabulous blog – so glad I found it. Stop by and visit me sometime at http://www.stephaniesavorsthemoment.com! Looking forward to you next delicious post – Cheers!
I doubt my daughter will like these, but who cares! We'll go nuts for them and she can have something more "regular." Thanks so much for sharing your find.
This is something my brother would totally die over. He's picked up the habit of chili powder on his fruit from some of his friends.
Oh my gosh! that does sound divine! I think i will have to try them out on my kids (and myself as well) and see what the verdict is! Nice find!