Malibu Sun Pops
A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I had some friends over for a kickback. While we were out shopping for snacks, we found Capri Sun on sale. Capri Sun is a brand of flavored juice pouches here in the US; for many of us Millenials, Capri Sun is highly reminiscent of elementary school lunches.
So we decided to make a drink with the Capri Sun for our party. Since it was summer, we landed on the idea of popsicles, and since it was a party, we decided to add alcohol! And with only a few hours until the party started, the method we used is simple enough for most people to pull off with items already in their kitchen.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
A quick rundown of ingredients and equipment:
• Capri Sun (we used Pacific Cooler flavor, but you could use any that you think would mix well with the coconut flavor of Malibu)
• Malibu Liqueur (a coconut-flavored rum-based drink)
• Shot glasses
• Ice Cube tray
• Mixing Bowl
• Toothpicks
• Capri Sun (we used Pacific Cooler flavor, but you could use any that you think would mix well with the coconut flavor of Malibu)
• Malibu Liqueur (a coconut-flavored rum-based drink)
• Shot glasses
• Ice Cube tray
• Mixing Bowl
• Toothpicks
Create the Popsicle Mix
One Capri Sun pouch is 6 US ounces. One US shot is 1.5 ounces. For these popsicles, I added one shot of Malibu to one juice pouch, a 4:1 ratio of the juice to alcohol. Other ratios would likely work, but I wanted the Capri Sun flavor to shine through for its nostalgic quality and the coconut flavoring of Malibu is pretty intense.
Empty the contents of one juice pouch in a mixing bowl and add one shot of Malibu.
Empty the contents of one juice pouch in a mixing bowl and add one shot of Malibu.
Popsicle Molds
Now, since we were making these popsicles impromptu, we didn't have access to proper popsicle molds. A quick search around the web yielded two easy solutions: ice cube trays and shot glasses. We tried both methods and discovered some tips that might help in your selection.
Ice Cube Trays
Pros:
• Good when you're short on time - the smaller liquid amounts freeze much faster (my tray took only 2 hours).
• Produces many bite sized popsicle morsels - good for larger crowds
Cons:
• Doesn't produce full-sized "proper" popsicles
Shot Glasses
Pros:
• Produces larger popsicles (I used double-sized shot glasses for a more traditional popsicle shape)
Cons:
• Takes much longer to freeze (4 hours at least)
Ice Cube Trays
Pros:
• Good when you're short on time - the smaller liquid amounts freeze much faster (my tray took only 2 hours).
• Produces many bite sized popsicle morsels - good for larger crowds
Cons:
• Doesn't produce full-sized "proper" popsicles
Shot Glasses
Pros:
• Produces larger popsicles (I used double-sized shot glasses for a more traditional popsicle shape)
Cons:
• Takes much longer to freeze (4 hours at least)
Freeze!
Pour your popsicle mixture into your chosen popsicle mold. If you chose the shot glass mold, a funnel helps fill them without spilling. Place it in the freezer. Now wait. For a while. If you've got a good summer book, go read that.
Popsicle Sticks
Again, since these were an impromptu decision, we didn't have popsicle sticks on hand. Instead we used two easy work arounds. Toothpicks work perfectly for this use, especially since the popsicles aren't very large. I also noticed that we still had the leftover straw from the Capri Sun pouch. I cut it into thirds and used each piece in the same way as the toothpicks.
Wait an hour or so after putting the molds into the freezer, then insert the toothpick / Capri Sun straw / popsicle stick. You want to make sure the popsicle is starting to freeze and set up before inserting the stick. If its still too liquid-y, the stick won't stand up properly and your popsicle will come out off center. If the popsicle mix is starting to appear cloudy and crystalline, you can insert the stick.
If you chose to use the ice tray, you may not need a popsicle stick. Our ice tray produced gum drop-shaped bite-sized popsicles that our guests preferred to eat without a stick. It depends on the size and shape of your mold.
Wait an hour or so after putting the molds into the freezer, then insert the toothpick / Capri Sun straw / popsicle stick. You want to make sure the popsicle is starting to freeze and set up before inserting the stick. If its still too liquid-y, the stick won't stand up properly and your popsicle will come out off center. If the popsicle mix is starting to appear cloudy and crystalline, you can insert the stick.
If you chose to use the ice tray, you may not need a popsicle stick. Our ice tray produced gum drop-shaped bite-sized popsicles that our guests preferred to eat without a stick. It depends on the size and shape of your mold.
Waiting Time...
You're pretty much done by this point. Now all you have to do is wait for the popsicles to freeze. The longer you can let them sit in the freezer, the better. We came up with the idea the day of our party, so the popsicles only froze for 5 or 6 hours. When they came out, they were delicious, but they melted quickly and retained a slightly slushy quality. More time in the freezer may fix this (although the slushy quality is likely a result of the alcohol's much lower freezing temperature).
Enjoy!
When you feel the popsicles have frozen long enough, remove the molds from the freezer. Removing the popsicle from the mold is a good indicator of if the popsicles are frozen enough - in the shot glass, fully frozen popsicles slide easily from the glass with a slight tug on the popsicle stick. If you cannot remove the popsicle easily, it may be that your popsicle has not frozen enough. Be careful if this is the case; it's very easy to break the popsicle if you attempt to remove it too soon. This happened with the popsicle pictured. Ice cube tray popsicles are often easy to remove, as trays are frequently designed for this exact purpose. My tray has silicone "buttons" under each ice cube that you press to pop them from the mold.
Once the popsicles are ready, enjoy them! The taste is fun, and my guests all said it brought them back to their younger years. If you have fond memories of Capri Sun, these treats are a fun way to satisfy your inner child (and your outer adult).
If you make a particularly good flavor combination, be sure to mention it the comments. I would love to try new versions.
Once the popsicles are ready, enjoy them! The taste is fun, and my guests all said it brought them back to their younger years. If you have fond memories of Capri Sun, these treats are a fun way to satisfy your inner child (and your outer adult).
If you make a particularly good flavor combination, be sure to mention it the comments. I would love to try new versions.