Zucchini mint lemonade ice pops? Zucchini may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of ice pops, but consider this: ice pops are eaten in the summer, and zucchini is in season in the summer. Case closed.

Need a little more convincing?

Zucchini is actually a great base for lots of surprising recipes thanks to its mild taste and pliable texture. It allows the other flavours it’s paired with to really shine through, while providing a satisfying thickness to your recipe. Think of zoodles, zucchini cakes, even smoothies made with zucchini. And it’s a low calorie, low carb, low glycemic index option that still packs a nutritional punch, making it a favourite of those on a weight loss diet. 1.5 cups of sliced zucchini has over half the vitamin C you need for the day, as well as delivering manganese, riboflavin, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin K. The type of fibre in a zucchini – pectin fibre – is known to improve arterial health and reduce inflammation, so it may also help protect against diabetes and insulin resistance as well.

Plus, it is botanically a fruit.

Now that we’re all on the same page, you’re definitely going to want to try these ice pops at home. And if you don’t want to have to extol the virtues of the zucchini to your friends and family, just don’t even mention it. They’ll never know what they’re actually eating.

ZUCCHINI MINT LEMONADE ICE POPS

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 cup water (plus more to taste)
• 6-7 dates (or sweetener of choice)
• 10 mint leaves

Directions

1. Add zucchini, lemon juice, and dates (or other sweetener) to blender and blend ’til smooth.
2. Test the mixture – you may want to add more water or more sweetener, depending on your taste.
3. When you have the zucchini mixture tasting appropriately lemonade-y, add the mint leaves to your blender and pulse until the leaves are torn up but not completely pulverized.
4. Pour the mixture into ice pop molds, and freeze for at least 5 hours.