Fruit-Packed Mexican Paleta Recipe

We're predicting that the fruit-based frozen treats called paletas, which originated from Mexico, will soon replace the overhyped, overly caloric cupcake as America's new dessert obsession. A welcome change, since each one of these packs close to a full serving of fruit, rather than a whole lot of refined sugar and artificial flavoring attempting to resemble the taste of fruit. You can choose whatever type of fruit you'd like for your paleta recipe; as long as it can be thrown in the blender with a bit of sugar and pureed, then it's prime paleta material. This recipe is a dream for the kiddie cooks in the family as well as for the parents who want to give their kiddies a healthy treat.

Nutrition: 80 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 15 g sugar

Serves 4

You'll Need

For the Mango-Chile Paleta:

1 mango, peeled, pitted, flesh roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp agave syrup or sugar
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Water

For the Banana Paleta:

2 ripe bananas peeled
1⁄2 cup low-fat milk
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp dark rum (optional)
Pinch of nutmeg

For the Strawberries and Cream Paleta:

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1⁄4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon or lime

How to Make It

Mango-Chile Paleta:

1. Place the mango, lime juice, agave syrup, and cayenne in a blender and puree, adding a bit of water if needed to help.
2. Divide among 4 Popsicle holders and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours. (Do not cheat by checking along the way—the paletas won't freeze properly.)
3. To easily release the paletas from the holders, run the bottoms briefly under warm water.

Banana Paleta:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree, leaving the mixture slightly chunky if you like.
2. Divide among 4 Popsicle holders and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours.
3. To easily release the paletas from the holders, run the bottoms briefly under warm water.

Strawberries and Cream Paleta:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. If you don't like seeds, strain them out through a fine sieve.
3. Divide the mixture among 4 Popsicle holders and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours.
4. To easily release the paletas from the holders, run the bottoms briefly under warm water.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!