You don’t need us to tell you summer is here, you can tell by how hot it is. We’ve all been looking forward to this summer, but it looks like it’s going to be a hot one. Looking to beat the heat? We’ve got you covered with this handy list of easy and healthy frozen treats you can make to cool down this summer!

Home-Made Ice-Pops

In recent years, ice-pop freezer molds have become a popular item for people to make their own popsicles. As with anything, when you make it at home you can make it how you want it, without the preservatives, colorants, high fructose corn syrup and other additives that you might find in store bought frozen treats. You can find lots of different recipes for homemade popsicles online, many of them are just a few ingredients! A super easy one to try now is just adding some finely chopped strawberries to some low-fat greek yogurt, and pouring the mix into the mold. Add sticks, freeze and you’re done!

Three-Ingredient Fruit Sorbet

There is perhaps no treat as synonymous with summer as ice cream. While alternatives like frozen yogurt come in and out of fashion, sorbet has been around the whole time and it’s so easy and even good for you. It’s quite literally just fruit and a little bit of sweetener, and when you make it to eat fresh at home you can add even less sugar. Using frozen fruit, either simple syrup or a natural sweetener of your choice like honey, maple syrup or agave, and just a bit of lemon or lime juice to make the flavor pop, you can blend up a refreshing summer treat that’s ready to eat in moments!

Homemade Slushies

Cooling off with fun and refreshing drinks is always a summer staple. And while the high-sugar syrup and crushed ice concoctions you find at fairs and convenience stores are delicious, the monetary and sugary toll might be more than we’d like. But luckily these sippable sweets are just as easy to make as the sorbet. Rather than freezing the fruit and pureeing it in the blender, just toss some fresh fruit in with a good amount of ice, a little something sweet, some water and some lemon juice and blend until the ice is crushed just enough, and there you have it!

Image courtesy of Food to Feel Good

Vanilla-Lime Cashew Cheesecake Bars

If you’re looking for something a little more advanced, maybe you want to get a little adventurous with your summer baking skills, this recipe might be for you. Served cold, cheesecake treats like this just go to show that you don’t need to sacrifice decadence to have a cold desert. And this one is vegan and paleo, so it’s made from all natural ingredients. Made with honey, vanilla, lime juice, cashews and almonds, these little squares can bring lots of rich flavours to a hot summer afternoon.