Do you need a way to get your kids to have more calcium, or just want a tasty treat? These sweet raspberry milk popsicles are a delight to have on any day! They're easy to make, and you can easily adjust the recipe to your taste. There are also so many variations you could try, with the recipe being so simple.

Step 1: What You Need:

For the popsicles:

Milk (Preferably skim, but you can also use whole)
Granulated sugar
Vanilla
Raspberries
Optional: Other berries and fruits

Tools:

Popsicle Molds (I got mine at the dollar store)
Measuring cups and glass
A spoon
If needed, bowls, plates and a knife

Step 2: Making the Milk Base

You can make many varieties of these popsicles, but will stay mostly constant is the milk base. It's fairly simple; normally I just dump sugar and vanilla into the milk until it's sweet enough, but for your benefit I have added an estimate of how much you need.

For about four popsicles (with fruit included), you will need:

1 cup milk
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all the ingredients in your measuring glass. This is a lot easier, since you don't have to change the container in which the milk is in, and is also easier to pour the base into the molds.

Keep mixing until all the sugar has dissolved (normally I check the bottom of the glass for granules), and set it aside.

Step 3: Preparing the Raspberries

There are two ways to prepare the raspberries, depending on how much you want in your popsicle.

When only slightly broken, the raspberries will float to the top. If you only have enough raspberries to fill half of each mold, you'll end up with only milk at the top of the popsicles and then only raspberries at the bottom.

To solve this problem, you can add raspberries all the way to the top of the mold, so this way they will stay evenly distributed.

Another way is to smash them into a pulp. Depending on the ripeness, you may or may not need a spoon. Mine were in the fridge for a while, so they were ripe enough to break with my fingers.

Once you have finished the raspberries according to whichever method you chose, you can now spoon them into the molds. It's easier to place them in the molds rather than the milk base, because this way the popsicles will get an equal amount.

Step 4: Add Milk!

Pour the milk over the raspberries. They'll still be pretty separated, so you can mix it with a spoon; push it all the way down to the bottom of the mold, and pull it up against the wall of the mold to pull up the raspberries.

The fully mashed ones will give your milk a pretty pink tint (mmm).

Step 5: Freeze!

Place your popsicles in the freezer, and freeze overnight. I'm not fully certain how long they take to freeze, but at least four or so hours.

Step 6: Getting the Popsicles Out

When I was younger, I went through a couple molds because I'd always break them. You'd try to wrestle the popsicle out and end up snapping something off.

The easiest way I get popsicles out is by first running them under hot water for thirty seconds. Usually if I squeeze it should pop out, or with the help of a gentle tug.

Step 7: Oh No!

Sometimes, after you run the popsicle is ready to come out, you pull it and...

NOOO the stick popped out!

Don't freak out here. Just add a little water in the hole and pop it in the freezer again for an hour or so. The next time you try to pull it out, it should come out all together.

Step 8: Enjoy Your Popsicles!

These treats are good on any summer day!

This was my first instuctable, I hope it wasn't too bad. Please pardon any mistakes I made.

Step 9: What If I Have Extra Milk Base?

Give it to your kids or a family member. Anyone will drink that sugary milk goodness.

Step 10: Variations: Whole Milk

Whole milk contains more fat than skim, and has a creamy consistency. This is why many people who drink whole milk try skim and complain that it is too "watery".

When you make milk popsicles, since you are freezing the milk it will become icy and taste less like milk. This is why I generally recommend skim milk because it's already a little less creamy.

If you have only whole milk at home, the popsicles will taste a little different, but more or less the same. They'll have that "cream fat" taste from the fat in the milk, though.

Step 11: Variations: Plain Milk Pops

If you're not in for fruit, you can make just plain milk popsicles! This is what I usually make in the winter, when there aren't raspberries in the garden. Just use the milk base recipe and freeze. Simple and delicious.

Step 12: Variations: Blueberries

I thought that since I had more berries and fruit in the house, I should try to add some to the milk I still had.

The first thing I found were the blueberries. Thinking that, like the raspberries, I should break them up, I smashed the blueberries to a fruity mess.

It looked just a little repulsive. "Like vomit," my sister said.

"Raspberries," I had thought, "raspberries will make it better."

My sister's remark: "Now it looks like bloody vomit."

Well, let's just add some milk and-

Gross. The milk didn't even penetrate the blueberry mess. Slightly disgusted I mixed the popsicles and threw them in the freezer.

Step 13: Blueberries: Feedback

Despite how they looked, the "vomit" blueberry popsicles tasted quite good! The seeds all sank to the bottom of the mold, though, so there was this immense cluster of seeds at the top of the popsicle and then blueberry shells throughout.

My sister tried the "bloody vomit" popsicles and said it was overcrowded with fruit. So as long as you don't put too much raspberries and blueberries in there you should be fine.

Step 14: Variations: Whole Fruit

Even though the taste of the mashed blueberries were pretty good, if you had a party they wouldn't be something that would please your guests presentation-wise. This time, I took the whole blueberries and just chucked them in the mold. I also made one with whole raspberries, and mixed. (The mixed you could use for the Fourth of July!)

I placed them in the freezer.

Step 15: Whole Fruit: Feedback

I'd say for the blueberries, it came out a total success. Not only was it so cute looking, but the taste was a little better. The blueberries were soft and burst in your mouth when you bite them.

The raspberries were okay, but it's a little better when they're broken since they break into segments, and also flavor the milk.

Like the other mixed, it was a little too stuffed with both, and I will have to try it with less filling next time.