Healthy Recipe: Chai-Spice Ice Pops

Chai-Spice Ice Pops

Recipe by Ivy Manning | Photo by Erin Kunkel

These two-tone pops contrast layers of chai-spice tea and creamy vanilla frozen yogurt, all touched with honey. They’re the perfect finale to a spicy Indian meal, or they make a sweet treat to cool you off during the dog days of summer. If you want to make this recipe dairy-free, substitute coconut milk for the milk and yogurt.

Ingredients

1¼ cup (10 fl oz/310 ml) low-fat milk
1 slice fresh ginger, about ½ inch (12 mm) thick
4 green cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches/7.5 cm)
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 star anise, broken into pieces
5 tablespoons (2 oz/60 g) honey
3 strong black tea bags (such as Twining’s Irish Breakfast Tea)
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) low-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and star anise. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of the honey. Add the tea bags and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. Squeeze any excess liquid out of the tea bags and discard the bags. Continue to steep the milk and spices for 20 minutes longer.

Strain the milk into a measuring pitcher and pour it into 6 popsicle molds. Freeze without the popsicle sticks until nearly solid, 1 hour.

In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vanilla, remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, and 2 tablespoons water. Spoon the yogurt mixture into the popsicle molds over the partially frozen chai tea. Insert the popsicle sticks into the molds and freeze until solid, about 12 hours.

Makes 6 pops

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 110
Protein 6 g
Carbs 19 g
Fiber 0 g
Sugar 19 g
Total fat 2 g
Saturated fat 1 g
Sodium 37 mg