These light cherry cheesecake popsicles are a frozen and healthier take on a classic, well loved dessert. Creamy, cool, honey sweetened cheesecake base is swirled with tart cherry compote and finished off with a graham crumble. These decadent and flavorful popsicles are like taking a luscious bite into a cherry cheesecake. The only thing missing is all that sugar and extra calories!
Preschool is officially out for the Summer! The girls just wrapped up their last day of school and that is definitely cause for a celebration. Especially since Bea “graduated” preschool and is off to Kindergarten in the Fall. We have some down time before their Summer Camps begin, so we will be using that time for baking, playing, and treat making! Then we get to relish in enjoying the sunshine and all the fun summer snacks, like these light cherry cheesecake popsicles.
Popsicle weather also means we will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Frozen pops mean sticky hands, faces and floors. So we tend to enjoy them on the deck. Hopefully I do better with the Summer bugs than I did with the bees from Dutch Baby!
Light Cherry Cheesecake Popsicles
As you know from my Shrimp Stir Fry recipe, Grant has gone on his annual health kick. I guess with swimsuit weather here and beach trips coming up, he is getting ready! So we are starting our days with Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowls instead of Cinnamon Rolls and Brioche Pastries. We are also swapping wine for lower sugar Negronis and Timur Pepper Gin & Tonics. So far, so good! I have also been recipe developing treats that will cool you off from the hot Summer days while keeping you feeling healthier, like these light cherry cheesecake popsicles!
There are three simple and fresh components to these frozen treats. There is a tart and juicy cherry compote that gets swirled into a cheesecake base. The base for these treats is a Greek Yogurt bar sweetened only with honey and given a touch of cream cheese and lemon juice for that cheesecake flavor. Then a graham crumble finishes it all off in style, texture, and cheesecake perfection.
These decadent yet light frozen bars are so satisfying, great for kids, and so cool for the Summer! And giving kids treats with less sugar is always a good move!
The only special equipment you will need is a blender and a popsicle mold.
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Cherry Compote
To begin making these light cherry cheesecake popsicles, make the cherry compote. You are welcome to use fresh or frozen cherries. But since cherries are so ripe, juicy, and full of flavor this season, I go with the fresh ones.
You can pit the cherries a few ways. First, you can use the easiest method of using a cherry pitter. However, this gadget would be most useful to people who eat a lot of cherries and constantly make pies! Or if you are a kitchen gadget junkie like me, then it’s a fun one to have! But another way to pit cherries is to use a sturdy cutting board and set your washed and stemless cherry on it. Use a strong straw to push through the center, easily removing the pit. Lastly, feel free to use your fingers to rip apart each cherry and remove the pit. But be careful to use gloves when doing this method, since like Turmeric, cherry juice can stain and make quite a mess.
Once you have pitted all of your cherries, set them into a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle on a touch of sugar and stir. Then allow the cherries to cook until they are bursting and releasing their juices. Then allow the cherry compote to cool before using a blender to puree it. Leave some chunks if you desire pieces of fruit in the cherry popsicles.
Cheesecake Base
The base for these light cherry cheesecake popsicles is Greek Yogurt, a touch of cream cheese, lemon juice, and honey to sweeten them. You can also swap out honey and use agave nectar.
Use softened, room temperature cream cheese. In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the Greek Yogurt and whisk so no lumps remain in the mixture. Then add in the lemon juice and honey and finish mixing. Alternatively, you can throw it all into a food processor and blend until silky smooth.
Set the mixture aside while you work on the graham crumble,
Graham Crumble
The last part of making these cherry cheesecake popsicles is a graham crumble. Since I use a lot of graham crumbs for recipes like Key Lime Puppy Chow and Passion Fruit Cheesecake Cups, I tend to keep a box of the pre-crushed grahams in my pantry at all times. That’s so much quicker and easier. Plus, no extra cleanup! However, you can also use a food processor to grind up whole graham crackers into crumbs.
Then melt a little bit of butter to bind the crumbs. Drizzle it over the grahams and mix until it resembles wet sands and clumps.
Then assemble your popsicles.
Layer Popsicles
Then get your ingredients into the molds. Start by spooning in a tablespoon of cherry compote. Next, add in approximately 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake base. Divide up the last of the cherry compote. If you desire a swirled effect like pumpkin swirled brownies, use a bamboo skewer or knife to gently drag the mixtures around in the mold to swirl it together. Otherwise, go for the layered look. Then finish off each mold with the graham crumble.
The popsicles need at least 8 hours to completely set.
To remove the popsicles from the mold, hold each under hot water for about 20 seconds. You can either use a bowl of hot water to dip the popsicles into, or just rotate the mold under a stream of water. But be careful not to let water get into them. Then just gently release the treat from the mold and enjoy immediately. These light cherry cheesecake popsicles do not last long!
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Light Cherry Cheesecake Popsicles
Creamy, luscious frozen Greek yogurt ice pops that have a light cheesecake base and swirls of fresh cherry compote. A graham crumble finishes it off, so it tastes just like cherry cheesecake!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cherries pitted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup Greek Yogurt
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup graham crumbs
- 1 teaspoon butter or coconut oi melted
Instructions
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CHERRY COMPOTE
Pit the cherries. See full post for ways to pit them.
Once you have pitted all of your cherries, set them into a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle on a touch of sugar and stir. Then allow the cherries to cook, about 10 minutes, until they are bursting and releasing their juices.
Then allow the cherry compote to cool before using a blender to puree it.
Leave some chunks if you desire pieces of fruit in the cherry popsicles.
CHEESECAKE BASE
In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth.
Then add the Greek Yogurt and whisk so no lumps remain in the mixture.
Then add in the lemon juice and honey and finish mixing.
Alternatively, you can throw it all into a food processor and blend until silky smooth.
Set the mixture aside while you work on the graham crumble,
GRAHAM CRUMBLE
Make graham crumbs (or use pre-made crumbs).
Then melt a little bit of butter to bind the crumbs.
Drizzle it over the grahams and mix until it resembles wet sands and clumps.
Then assemble your popsicles.
LAYER POPSICLES
Start by spooning in a tablespoon of cherry compote.
Then spoon in approximately 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake base. Divide up the last of the cherry compote on top of each pop.
If you desire a swirled effect, use a bamboo skewer or knife to gently drag the mixtures around in the mold to swirl it together. Otherwise, a layered look will be achieved.
Then finish off each mold with the graham crumble.
The popsicles need at least 8 hours to completely set.
To remove the popsicles from the mold, hold each under hot water for about 20 seconds. You can either use a bowl of hot water to dip the popsicles into, or just rotate the mold under a stream of water. But be careful not to let water get into them. Then just gently release the treat from the mold and enjoy immediately. These light cherry cheesecake popsicles do not last long!
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