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.
When I saw your recipe I new I had to make it! They were so yummy, thanks so much!
I had never heard of these before so I had to give them a try. Definitely unique but soooo good!
The flavor combo did not disappoint! We all loved them and will definitely make again!
Very good recipe. As my first paleta, it was everything I would have expected. My one comment: ripe, aromatic fruit a necessity. My cantaloupe, while ripe, was under-flavored. I used most of a large jalapeño and found the popsicle only mildly hot. Thanks for posting.
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These cantaloupe / cucumber / jalapeno pops are fantastic. Everyone that tries them loves them. The first ones I made separated before they could freeze, with the liquid settling at the bottom and the pulp floating to the top. This doesn’t so much affect the flavor, but I discovered if I partially freeze the mixture, then run it through the blender one more time before pouring into the mold that the pops don’t have time to separate before freezing completely. These are very easy to do and definitely worth making.
What fun flavor combos!
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Excellent click, good recipe. Nice to be here. Kids will love these delicious looking pops. Thanks, best wishes.
you had me at pops, then the flavors..oh your awesome…love all your latin flavors, are we realted..lol
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~The Bargain Shopper Lady
I'm intrigued by this flavour comibination. I must try!
Hey, I'm back. I just thought to tell you that I dreamed about this combination last night-weird;)
The pops look great and what an explosion of flavors. I've made normal melon pops in the past but need to up the 'wow' factor with this recipe.
I love markets like that, I go crazy and usually come out with everything but what I went in for.
The pops look so refreshing, and the salad is gorgeous…sadly I can not eat melons, but I can dream:)
Such a unique frozen dessert, love all the flavors together in your pops, thanks I'll have to try this one!
What a great combination of flavors! I love recreating foods for myself…you definitely did an awesome job of it here :)