Honey-Sweetened Thyme and Lime Popsicles

These popsicles are a refreshing treat that creates the perfect blend of thyme and lime together with no refined sugar.

My kids have been in full summer mode lately which typically consists of camping trips, lots of pool days, all-nighters in the living room watching Counting Cars on Netflix, and ice cream with no limits.

Speaking of ice cream, how many different textures, flavors, and toppings can you think of for frozen treats?

Too many to humanly count: think of all the flavors of sherbets, dairy and non-dairy ice creams alike, frozen yogurts, and, of course, popsicles.

I love having such a great variety of treats to cool down.

Summer Flavors and then some…

Summer brings all the wonderful, refreshing flavors out of their hibernation. Some of my favorite summer treats are berries, melons and of course the garden favorites such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

But I also like to change things up and add savory flavors in combination with refreshing ones. That's why the union of thyme and lime come together so well.

Thyme is an evergreen herb that is a cross between mint and oregano. It has a very distinct scent and flavor and can usually be found in savory culinary uses. Or these popsicles because it pairs so well with the tartness of lime.

No Refined Sugar in These Popsicles

I avoid refined sugar whenever I can. That's why I love using honey, real maple syrup or coconut sugar if I needed to sweeten something.

While they do provide nutritional benefit in the form of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, natural sweeteners still should be limited because of their simple sugar content.

Honey, for example, is an anti-bacterial and anti-microbial sweetener and has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. (source)

Honey may also provide relief from seasonal allergies, particularly if local honey is used in the treatment. (source)

Honey-Sweetened Thyme and Lime Popsicles

These popsicles are so easy to prepare – it's the waiting for them to set that's the most challenging.

Tips:

• You may use pure lime juice to save time. This is a good brand. Typically, you would use approximately 2 tablespoons per each lime called for in the recipe.
• Thyme leaves are best to be stripped when the sprigs are dry.
• Add a slice of lemon to each pop mold for a surprise element.
• If you're using a mold with wooden popsicle sticks such as the one I used, soak the sticks in warm water for up to 1 hour to avoid them floating up.
• Remove the pops by placing the mold in warm water for 5-7 seconds. This mold also releases the popsicles separately so you can run them individually under warm running water.