There are less than 30 days for summer to arrive! As it’s been creeping up on us, you’ve probably already been reminiscing about all the fun things summer brings. Water parks, beaches, the river, warm weather, long sunny days, BBQs, parties: there are so many things that we love about summer.

And what better way to enjoy summer days and cool off than with some homemade frozen treats!

 

We know that making ice cream and popsicles from home can sound a bit intimidating but it’s actually quite simple.

For popsicles…

All you need are the ingredients, popsicle molds and perhaps a blender if you want to blend the ingredients together.

For ice cream…

You will need the ingredients and an ice cream machine, only if  you’re interested in investing.

Both popsicles and ice cream can be made without the special equipment, which makes this activity easy and fun.

 

The great part about making frozen treats from home is that you can come up with your own recipes, including flavors you don’t normally see in stores or shops. However, if you need some help, we have great recommendations of recipe books that you should check out to make ice cream and popsicles from home.

 

Mexican Ice Cream: Beloved Recipes and Stories by Fany Gerson

 

Our first recommendation is a book by Fany Gerson. Born in Mexico City, Fany always had a lot for food and decided to pursue cooking as her career. She attended and graduated The Culinary Institute of America before doing an externship at a restaurant in Spain and coming back to New York to work at several restaurants. After traveling through Mexico for a year, Fany had a dream that she opened up an ice cream shop in New York and decided that’s exactly what she was going to do. Her ice cream flavors represent little pieces of Mexico, and she even imports products from Mexico to make her ice cream authentic. In her book, she shares a lot of her delicious ice cream flavors for you to make at home!

[ Additional read —> A Beginner’s Guide to Making Chocolate Ice Cream from Home ]

 

Incredible Vegan Ice Cream by Deena Jalal

 

Deena Jalal created her vegan ice cream company called FoMu in 2012. Before this, Deena was very into eating healthy and only ate what she could cook. She one day realized that ice cream still wasn’t a part of the ‘healthy’ movement, and together with her husband decided to create delicious ice cream with sustainable ingredients. All her ice creams are plant-based and made with coconut milk. Upon opening their first ice cream shop, Deena and her husband had an amazing response from the community and kept the ball rolling! The thing with FoMu ice cream is that it doesn’t have a weird taste or texture that a lot of plant-based ice creams have, which is why people love it! she shares some amazing recipes in her book, so check it out if you’re looking for  a vegan frozen treat.

 

Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyn’s Favorite Ice Cream Shop by Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscana

 

The largest ice cream production facility in New York City has its own ice cream book filled with lots of delicious ice cream flavors. A unique aspect of this book is that the recipes are organized by mood. It adds an interesting twist to ice cream recipe books that we aren’t used to seeing. Ample Hills Creamery was generous enough to share recipes for their most sought-after flavors like Munchies, Salted Crack Caramel and Ooey Gooey. This book is great for making ice cream and having fun while doing it because it contains stories, activities and characters throughout the entire thing.

 

Glow Pops: Super-Easy Superfood Recipes to Help You Look and Feel Your Best

 

The reason we love this popsicle recipe book is because it is filled with recipes that are full of nutrients and are actually good for you! There are recipes for popsicles that will give you more energy, mental focus, boost your metabolism, clear your skin and more! You will find recipes such as Avocado Chile Lime, Turmeric Golden Milk, and Strawberry Cardamom Rose Lassi. The author of this book is Liz Moody, a woman who has a long history of wellness. She is a writer, editor, podcaster, and recipe developer: she can pretty much do it all. She was also once the food director for the website mindbodygreen. Bottom line is: we love her book and you need to check it out.

[ Additional read —> Are Vegan Ice Cream Alternatives Truly Healthy? ]

 

Your Business on Ice Cream: The Complete Guide to Starting an Ice Cream Business

 

In 2011, our very own Ashley Adams Adamczyk began creating popsicle and ice cream recipes while living on a remote island while filming the TV show Survivor. She found a passion doing so and created Beach Town Pops, a gourmet freeze pop and artisan ice cream catering business in the Los Angeles area. She built her business from the bottom up, and she also wrote a book on what it takes to start a successful ice cream business!

Filled with her step-by-step guide and so many tips, you can build your own ice cream business as well with the help of Ashley Adams Adamczyk.

 

Your Wedding on Popsicles: A Guide to Creating Gourmet Treats at Bargain Prices

 

Apart from the previously mentioned book, Ashley Adams Adamczyk from Beach Town Pops wrote a second book dedicated to teaching you how to make gourmet popsicles without making a dent in your wallet.

If you are planning your wedding, you know how expensive it can be with the catering, dress, decorations, venue, flowers, etc.

A lot of things are needed for a successful wedding day. You can take a bit of edge off by creating some popsicles from Ashley’s book!

 Your Southern California catering company…

Another great option is to contact Beach Town Pops and have us cater to your wedding.

We create gourmet popsicles using the best quality organic ingredients because we care.

All of our flavors are recipes that we have created on our own and we have to be honest, they are too good to not have at your wedding! Apart from delicious, we even have alcoholic flavored ice cream for the adults to spice up the party.

From Strawberry Margarita to Tequila Sunset, we have flavors that you don’t want to miss out on.

 

When we cater to your event, we can drop off the goodies or we can stick around and help serve your guests. If we stick around, we’ll bring our ice cream cart, which can be customized with your choice of image or quote! Make your wedding more special by placing your and your spouse’s initials on the cart, wrappers and cups!

 

We would love to be a part of your special event, so be sure to check us out here.