Ice pops, popularized under the brand name Popsicles, may be one of the few frozen sweets that most folks outgrow, essentially leaving the sugary and colorful frozen confections to kids.

While the kid-level love of ice pops has never melted away, the concept behind these frozen sweets has reemerged in what might be deemed a more mature form, linked to the original look and feel by virtue of stick alone.

Frozen sugar water has given way to complex fruit ingredients, as seen in popular store brands, all products emphasizing assorted fruit and vegetable essences. Entire frozen food sections are now dedicated to fruity, frosty treats on sticks.

But the variety of mass-produced modern ice pops actually pales by comparison to the diversity of such goodies that can be made at home — with little more than a cheap plastic mold and some kitchen creativity.

Here are two of my favorite concoctions. And the best part is, you can make them totally organic and at a fraction of the cost they would be in the supermarket (assuming you could even find them in the supermarket, that is)!

Mango Maple Lime pops

Instead of sugar, I used my favorite sweetener, maple syrup. If you’re not already a maple-syrup fan, you absolutely should give it a try, But be sure to get the real deal – pure maple syrup, preferable organic – and not one of those fakes with high fructose corn syrup and artificial maple flavor. (And real honest-to-goodness maple syrup can be bought at a reasonable price, too.)

Also, mangos are a terrific source of antioxidant compounds and vitamin C that guard against various forms of cancer, vitamin A, which helps strengthen vision and prevent “night blindness,” and enzymes that assist in digestion. In addition, the vitamin C they contain together with the fruit’s more than two dozen carotenoids, helps strengthen the immune system, as well as lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol (with the help of pectin and fiber).

Ingredients:

• 2 mangos
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Score, peel and pit mangos. Put mango pieces in a food processor or high speed blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour into pop mold and freeze until solid.

Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on the size of your mold.

Yogurt chocolate cherry pops

Because this recipe uses plain cocoa powder, you’ll be getting all the health benefits of cocoa without the added fat or calories. (plain cocoa powder has only 10 calories per tablespoon, quite a bit different from a chocolate bar!)

Cocoa is good for your heart, can protect against diabetes and has an incredibly high amount of antioxidants in it. So you can actually think of these pops as a health food!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic yogurt, plain or vanilla flavored
• 2 tablespoons plain (unsweetened) cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, preferably organic
• ¼ to ½ cup of frozen whole, pitted cherries, unsweetened
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put your yogurt, vanilla, maple syrup and cocoa powder in a food processor or high-speed blender and mix until combined well (you may have to scrape the sides of the bowl with a knife once or twice).

When the cocoa powder is well mixed, add the cherries and blend for just a few seconds. You want them chopped slightly, not pureed.

Pour into pop mold and freeze until solid.

Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on the size of your mold.

Now you’re ready for those steamy summer days with a thirst-quenching treat that’s not only cold and delightfully sweet, but remarkably healthy as well!