Which pop is top? The best popsicles for summer

Looking for a way to beat the summer heat? Here’s a fix – popsicles for all! As the old adage goes, “A popsicle a day keeps the summer afternoon slump away.” 

Knowing a freezer full of popsicles is a necessity for summer success, we set out on a quest to find the very best. With a backyard full of popsicle aficionados (neighborhood children) and a sweltering, steamy day, the taste-testing experts ranked four popular brands to find the reigning champion of all popsicles. 

The popsicles were chosen based on their geographic accessibility and all had to meet the criteria of being served on a wooden stick. Each popsicle was assigned a letter so it was a true blind taste-test. Each taste-testing expert chose their favorite flavor from the different brands so they could focus on texture, level of refreshment, and overall experience. 

The candidates

Outshine

• Currently 53 cents per pop at Target or 50 cents per pop at Walmart
• Ingredients (cherry flavor): water, cherry juice concentrate, cane sugar, cherry puree, lemon juice from concentrate, natural flavor, beet juice color, guar gum, carob bean gum, ascorbic acid, vegetable juice color, turmeric oleoresin color

Popsicles

• Currently 33 cents per pop at Target or Walmart
• Ingredients (cherry flavor): water, high fructose corn syrup, less than 2% of: sugar, beet juice, vegetable juice, turmeric extract, annatto extract, guar gum, malic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, natural and artificial flavor, cherry juice concentrate

JonnyPops

• Currently 82 cents a bar at Target, available in bulk at Costco for 69 cents per bar. Pro tip: watch for sales at Costco, these frequently go on sale for under 50 cents per bar! 
• Ingredients (rainbow flavor): filtered water, organic cane sugar, organic fruit and vegetable juice, natural flavors, citric acid, organic orange juice concentrate, organic stabilizer (organic guar gum, organic gum acacia), organic sour cherry juice concentrate, organic spirulina extract (for color), organic turmeric (for color), organic natural flavors, salt.

Sundae Shoppe (Aldi’s brand)

• Currently 74 cents per bar at Aldi’s 
• Ingredients (mango flavor): water, mango, cane sugar, guar gum, citric acid

The verdict

The winner was Sundae Shoppe fruit popsicles from Aldi’s, but a close second was JonnyPops. Outshine came in third and last place was Popsicles brand. All moms can let out a great sigh of relief that the only popsicle containing high fructose corn syrup came in last place, and the shortest ingredient list came in first! 

It was a tough competition. One little girl quipped as she tried to rank her favorite, “How can I choose my favorite? All popsicles are my favorite popsicles.” 

Summer popsicle plan

This summer, freeze pops have a designated spot in the freezer for their affordability and ability to (somewhat) contain brightly colored popsicle juice within their plastic wrapper. Some days call for the excitement and fun of homemade popsicles. But on a day where we need both ease and a popsicle experience with the ultimate flavor explosion, Aldi’s Sundae Shoppe or JonnyPops are our top choices. 

It’s time to stock up on popsicles, summer is here!