Don't Pour Extra Orange Juice Down The Drain, Freeze It For A Tasty Dessert Later

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If you're an orange juice fan, it's hard to top such a glorious combination of refreshment, bright acidity, and zesty sweetness. Whether you regularly keep one of the best store-bought brands of OJ in your fridge or tend to make your own fresh orange juice, there are plenty of ways to use up orange juice aside from just drinking it. And using orange juice to make popsicles is one our favorites.

This is a great no-waste solution, especially because opened cartons of orange juice only last about seven to days in the refrigerator, and homemade versions just two or three days, so you really want to get the most out of every nutrient-rich OJ batch. And freezing the leftovers is a pretty long-term option.

For one thing, doing this is about as easy as making a tasty snack or dessert gets. Simply pour the juice into an ice tray, with or without popsicle sticks, or grab an affordable Honsen easy-release popsicle mold. That's all it takes to have a fun, desserty twist on one of your favorite beverages. And it's good for you, too: Not only are you getting vitamic C, antioxidants, and potassium, but you're also in total control of any ingredients going into these juicy treats. 

The list of flavors you can add to your orange juice popsicles is virtually endless. Start with bits of real, fresh fruit for additional flavor and texture. Bolster the citrus profile with chopped orange or grapefruit segments, and add sweeter-leaning fruits like raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries, too. Alternatively, keep things smooth with a puree, like peach or mango, and of course, you can add so many different juices. Try pomegranate juice for bittersweet acidity, or guava and passion fruit for a tropical twist.

Herbs are a great, easy way to add delicious complexity to OJ pops. Mint, basil, rosemary, and cilantro all pair beautifully with orange. Either mix chopped herbs right into your orange juice, or for a more even consistency, first make a flavored simple syrup with them. Syrups open up the possibilities even more; you could add jalapeño for a spicy kick, for example. Or look to add-ins like honey to take popsicles in a sweeter direction, and there's the classic creamsicle approach achieved with the addition of vanilla ice cream, although you'll be veering away from the healthy-dessert vibe there.

Then there's the boozy route. You can make and freeze the original creamsicle recipe by combining orange juice with orange liqueur, vodka, cream, and simple syrup. Love a tequila sunrise? Popsicle-fy it with grenadine and tequila — for a fun twist, add chopped maraschino cherries. Topping orange-juice cocktail popsicles with an actual orange wheel also levels up presentation and perfects the popsicles' orange profile.