Popsicles are a timeless treat. They're so easy to store for a long time, which, for me, makes them a reliable sweet treat. I know they'll be there when I need them. And yes, sometimes I truly NEED a popsicle! I tend to lean toward creamy flavors like coconut or chocolate, but recently, I was inspired to make these fruit-filled, boozy little wonders: White Sangria Popsicles!
Boozy white sangria popsicle? Yup! If you have not had the chance to enjoy one, I say there's no time like the present! They're slightly sweet and fantastically balanced between the alcohol, juice, fruit, and ginger ale.
At first, I was leaning into a red wine situation, but the light, crisp color of white sangria made me think of a warm afternoon sitting in the sun, and off I went to create the perfect accompaniment to that imagined sunlit occasion.
Read on for all the loving details to make frozen White Sangria Popsicles.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make white sangria popsicles.
Wine - Any white wine will work, as long as it's a wine you would drink. If you don't like it as a sipping beverage, you won't like the popsicle flavor.
Apple juice - I used cloudy, pressed apple juice. If you'd like a clearer, crisper-looking popsicle, you could use apple juice from concentrate.
Ginger ale - I used this for the refreshing ginger flavor as well as added sweetness.
Grand Marnier - I love the extra pop of brandy in a classic red sangria, and I thought an orange-inspired liquor would complement the other fruits in these white sangria popsicles. Triple Sec or Cointreau are also great options.
Fruit - Many fruits work in these popsicles, including strawberries, peaches, and nectarines.
See recipe card for quantities.
What is Sangria
If you've never had the opportunity to enjoy Sangria, here's a little bit about this iconic fruity punch.
Sangria has some interesting origins. It's a red wine punch that typically contains fruit pieces, sugar, juice, and sometimes liquor. Often found in Spanish and Latin restaurants, I've also seen it lately on cocktail menus in bars and other casual establishments. It's easy to make and uses common but unspecific ingredients, which means you can make it your own!
Sangria is a beautiful and colorful drink. It accentuates festive occasions and is easy to throw together with a bit of leftover wine, juice, and soda. Another fantastic attribute is all the different versions of sangria that exist, more than I can list here(see that link above). Instead, I'm picking white sangria to focus on.
This is my popsicle version.
Tools for the job
- Liquid measuring cups
- Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
- Small strainer
- Small bowl and stirring spoon
- Popsicle mold and popsicle sticks
How to make white sangria popsicles
Before you start, make sure your popsicle molds are clean and dry. Also, make sure you have the freezer space ready. This batch of white wine sangria popsicles makes about twelve ice pops in 3-ounce molds.
Macerate the fruit
You can use this technique to sweeten and tenderize under-ripened fruit by tossing it in just sugar or sugar and alcohol. I'm using this process for the white sangria popsicles to dissolve the granulated sugar without the need for cooking and cooling.
This is a great tool anytime you want a fruit topping for baked goods, yogurt, ice cream, or anything else you'd like to top!
- Prepare the fruit by dicing the mango and halving the cherries. You can use frozen or fresh fruit in this recipe. And use what you like! Peaches, nectarines, orange pieces, and strawberries would all be great options.
- Put the diced mango and cherries into a small bowl and pour in the Grand Marnier. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and stir to combine.
- Let the fruit sit for 30 minutes (but no more than 24 hours) to form a syrup, stirring it occasionally. The fruit is ready when the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Leaving it longer than 30 minutes will continue to sweeten and tenderize the fruit, which is great if you're working with underripe fruit!
Make the punch
This part is simple, like this NA version of bubbly pink punch!
- In a pitcher, combine the wine, apple juice, ginger ale, and lime juice.
- When the sugar on the diced fruit has fully dissolved into a syrup, set a strainer on the pitcher of punch and pour the syrup and fruit into the strainer. Set the fruit pieces aside and stir the liquids to incorporate the syrup.
Prepare the white sangria popsicles
- Next, prepare the popsicle molds. Drop 4-5 pieces of mango and 3-4 pieces of cherry into each mold. Then, pour in the punch mixture, stopping about ¼ inch from the top to leave room for expansion. Freeze for 6-8 hours, but preferably overnight.
- To remove the popsicles from the mold, dip one in a glass of warm water for 10 - 20 seconds. Then, tug at the mold, and the popsicle should slide out. Do not submerge the popsicle mold; you only need to dip it about 1 inch from the top.
- Enjoy as is or add to a glass of white wine or champagne!
Macerate the fruit by stirring in sugar and Grand Marnier.
Combine the remaining liquids to make the sangria punch.
When the fruit forms a syrup, pour it into the punch through a strainer to catch the fruit.
Add a few pieces of each fruit to the popsicle mold, then fill with the sangria punch.
To get the frozen pop out of the mold, dip it in warm water for 10-20 seconds.
Then slide it out and enjoy!
Hot Tip!
The popsicle flavor will only taste as good as the liquid used to make it. This is not a recipe for getting rid of a cheap wine. Use a wine you like to drink!
Freezing alcohol
My first attempt at making boozy popsicles did not go so well. I made two mistakes:
- My ratio of juice to alcohol was imbalanced.
- I only let it freeze for 5 hours.
The result was a partially frozen, slushy popsicle that couldn't even hold the stick.
Freezing wine requires approximately a 2:1 ratio, with the smaller portion being the wine. Freezing alcohol like vodka requires a 4:1 ratio. I probably used ¼ cup too much wine to start during that first attempt. And while I've seen recipes that say boozy pops will freeze in 8 hours, I wait 12-24 to be safe!
Why my recipe works: If you read through the ingredients, the alcohol to nonalcohol is not quite 2:1. However, by macerating the fruit to create a sweet syrup, along with the lime juice, you'll end up with over 2 cups of liquid to the 1 cup of wine and (2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier) which results in a nice solid ice pop!
Substitutions and Variations of white sangria popsicles
- Grand Marnier - If you don't want to use this liquor, it can be substituted with triple sec, Cointreau, or more wine.
- Fruit - I had Mango and cherries on hand, but you can add or substitute other fruits like peaches, nectarines, or strawberries for example.
- Ginger ale - The apple juice and ginger ale are the liquids that offset the wine which needs to be approximately a 2 to 1 ratio. (1 part wine to 2 parts nonalcoholic liquids.)
*Too much alcohol and the popsicle won't freeze. If you prefer more ginger ale, a different flavored soda like Sprite, or no flavor like seltzer, you can substitute them as long as you end up with a similar ratio as in the recipe.
Leftovers
- The popsicles will keep well in the freezer for a few weeks. Wrap any leftovers that have been removed from the popsicle mold.
- Leftover sangria mix should be used within a day or two. This recipe will make about twelve 3-ounce popsicles. I will mold my first batch of six, pop them out the next day, and immediately mold the second batch.
FAQ
Yes, although it will not taste like an authentic sangria mixture. You could take the recipe and add more alcohol and sparkling drink to balance out the amount of juice needed for durable freezing.
If you don't have a popsicle mold or you need to make a bunch of popsicles, a good alternative is using paper cups or dixie cups. Line them up on a tray and fill with the popsicle mixture. Cover the entire tray of cups with plastic wrap, adhering to the tray tightly. Then, poke the popsicle sticks through the wrap into the cups and freeze.
If you want to make these non-alcoholic pops, substitute a clear soda for the wine like more ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, or flavored club soda.
More recipes to get ready for summer
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
White Sangria Popsicles
- Total Time: 12 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Enjoy a classic cocktail in frozen form with white sangria popsicles. They're the perfect mix of sweet, fruity, boozy, and refreshing!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup diced mango
- ¼ cup halved cherries
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 1 ½ cups apple juice
- 1 cup white wine
- ¼ cup ginger ale
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Start by macerating the fruit to get the sugar syrup started. Add the mangoes, cherries, sugar, and Grand Marnier into a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
- In a pitcher combine the wine, juice, ginger ale, and lime juice.
- When the fruit syrup is no longer sugary put a strainer on the juice pitcher and pour the fruit and syrup in. Set the fruit aside and stir to combine the syrup and juice mixture.
- Add a few pieces of each fruit to the popsicle molds then pour in the juice/wine mixture until it comes to ¼th inch from the top.
- Add the sticks and freeze for 12-24 hours.
- To remove the popsicles from the mold, dip them into a glass of warm water for 10-20 seconds.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Freezing time: 12 hours
- Category: dessert
- Method: Stir and serve
- Cuisine: American
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