A Spicy Perspective

Paletas Mexicanas (Mexican Popsicles)

Paletas Mexicanas (Mexican Popsicles) – Truly outrageous spicy-sweet popsicles made with fresh cantaloupe and chiles! A spicy-sweet dessert you won’t want to miss out on this season.

Spicy-Sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Paletas Mexicanas 

Recently I went to a small Latin market to shop for chiles. I knew our grocery store would have ancho chiles, but I wasn’t sure about the dried pasillas I needed for a recipe. Plus, I love these kinds of markets. They always have such wondrous diversity and great deals!

After wandering around for a while, dreaming of the infinite recipe possibilities with the unique ingredients piled high on shelves, I found exactly what I needed and headed to the register. 

In front of the counter was a freezer case filled with Paletas (Mexican Popsicles.) The kids looked up at me with pleading eyes.

It was a hot day after all, and there were so many paletas to choose from! I started reading the flavors to the kids… Coconut, pineapple, tamarind, lime, watermelon, banana, sour orange. Then I saw one simply labeled “Chile.”

Making Spicy-Sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Sweet & Spicy Dessert

Now up to this point, I wasn’t craving a popsicle, but I had to know… What would a chile-flavored popsicle taste like?

I had that inkling it might be something special! We walked outside and unwrapped our Mexican popsicles.

The chile flavored Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) was unreal.

A delicate medley of cantaloupe, cucumber, and lime, with a strong dose of salt and lingering heat from the little flecks of jalapeño throughout the pop. This brilliant amalgamation of sweet, salty, tart, spicy, and cooling flavors was a complete revelation!

How to Make Spicy-Sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Homemade Paletas

Clearly, I had to come home and recreate the chile Paletas (Mexican Popsicles.)

My son repeatedly stated they were, “Totally awesome!” My daughter said, “It’s so spicy, but I can’t stop eating it!” And my husband has been telling everyone in sight about them for the last 3 days. You could say the homemade chile Paletas were a hit.

I bet you’ll enjoy these sweet and spicy Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) just as much as we did.

Must-Make Spicy-Sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Mexican Popsicles Ingredients 

  • Large Ripe Cantaloupe – This is the base of the popsicle juice and overall flavor.
  • Medium Cucumber – Offers a lovely cooling sensation and additional juice.
  • Limes – To balance the sweetness.
  • Kosher Salt – Salt helps bring vibrant flavors to the forefront. 
  • Granulated Sugar – To add sweetness. 
  • Jalapeño – Seeds removed. To add a little spiciness to this sweet treat!
  • Red Food Coloring – If you wanted to give this popsicle a little more color. This is an optional ingredient.

Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below For How To Make Paletas Mexicanas.

Spicy-Sweet Chile Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Mexican Paletas?

Paletas are a frozen popsicle treat that is usually made of pureed fruits but can also include a creamy substance like chocolate or heavy cream. This recipe is a fresh twist on the basic paleta.

Are Paletas Healthy?

Paletas are a dessert filled with sweet fruits and other sweet ingredients. They do contain a decent amount of sugar. Yet they are definitely lower in preservatives, fat, and artificial sweeteners than many other desserts. 

Why is my juice separating when putting into the mold?

Separation is normal with any fresh juice. To prevent this from happening, puree the ingredients immediately before pouring it into the popsicle mold. 

TDF Spicy-Sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Other Sweet Treats: 

Spicy-Sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) | ASpicyPerspective.com
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5 from 5 votes
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Paletas (Mexican Popsicles)

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Easy spicy-sweet Paletas (Mexican Popsicles) made with fresh cantaloupe and chiles. The perfect way to spice things up while you cool off this summer!
Servings: 12 paletas

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Peel the cantaloupe and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the cantaloupe and cucumber. Place them in a blender with lime juice, salt and sugar. Puree until smooth. Check the flavor; it should be equally sweet and salty. Add a little more sugar or salt if needed.
  • Add half or all of the jalapeño to the blender. Pulse a few times.
  • Pour the mixture into popsicle holds. Freeze for one hour, then push popsicle sticks into the center of each cup and return to the freezer until solid. Usually 2-3 hours total.

Nutrition

Serving: 1paleta, Calories: 46kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 0g, Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 198mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 815IU, Vitamin C: 13.9mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.2mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Author: Sommer Collier

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53 comments on “Paletas Mexicanas (Mexican Popsicles)”

  1. When I saw your recipe I new I had to make it! They were so yummy, thanks so much!

  2. I had never heard of these before so I had to give them a try. Definitely unique but soooo good!

  3. The flavor combo did not disappoint! We all loved them and will definitely make again!

  4. Very good recipe. As my first paleta, it was everything I would have expected.  My one comment: ripe, aromatic fruit a necessity. My cantaloupe, while ripe, was under-flavored. I used most of a large jalapeño and found the popsicle only mildly hot. Thanks for posting.

  5. Pingback: Meyer Lemon and Peppercorn Italian Ice

  6. These cantaloupe / cucumber / jalapeno pops are fantastic. Everyone that tries them loves them. The first ones I made separated before they could freeze, with the liquid settling at the bottom and the pulp floating to the top. This doesn’t so much affect the flavor, but I discovered if I partially freeze the mixture, then run it through the blender one more time before pouring into the mold that the pops don’t have time to separate before freezing completely. These are very easy to do and definitely worth making.

  7. What fun flavor combos!

  8. Pingback: The Illustrated Guide to Popsicles | Eva Black Design

  9. Excellent click, good recipe. Nice to be here. Kids will love these delicious looking pops. Thanks, best wishes.

  10. you had me at pops, then the flavors..oh your awesome…love all your latin flavors, are we realted..lol

    sweetlife

  11. I love my designer but I'm not sure if she is still designing. I know she could recommend someone if she is not.
    Love your blog!
    ~The Bargain Shopper Lady

  12. I'm intrigued by this flavour comibination. I must try!

  13. Hey, I'm back. I just thought to tell you that I dreamed about this combination last night-weird;)

  14. The pops look great and what an explosion of flavors. I've made normal melon pops in the past but need to up the 'wow' factor with this recipe.

    I love markets like that, I go crazy and usually come out with everything but what I went in for.

  15. The pops look so refreshing, and the salad is gorgeous…sadly I can not eat melons, but I can dream:)

  16. Such a unique frozen dessert, love all the flavors together in your pops, thanks I'll have to try this one!

  17. What a great combination of flavors! I love recreating foods for myself…you definitely did an awesome job of it here :)

  18. How positively delicious sounding! And I love that you also made a salad. The fact that your kids loved them is proof enough for me!

  19. They sound incredible, and I bet my girls would go for them, they do love spicy! I was wondering how it would be as a smoothie too!! My wife on the other hand has a hard time venturing outside of the box….sigh…..now your cucumber cantaloupe salad sounds very very good, I know would enjoy that!

  20. Sounds like an awesome pop. It must be so refreshing!

  21. Mmm…love chili lime salt on melon, mango, pineapple — everything. Your pops are a great idea. Love that smiley fruit shot!

  22. Sommer, this is an awesome post! I'm going to try this when I can get all the ingredients organically grown here. Our organic farm opens in like two weeks I think, so…
    By the way, your writing here was really nice. I felt like I was in the store with you about to watch you try the awesomeness (smile)!

  23. Oh I bet those spicy cool pops are refreshing!

    Bon appetit!
    =:~)

  24. How creative! I wish I would have seen this recipe before I threw out some too ripe to fully enjoy cantalope!

  25. Sommer…usually it would be very difficult to convince me on anything packing this kind of heat. I'm really not a fan of chile anything. However, the fact that your young son liked them…it does make me wonder about a probably superb balance of flavours in those frozen treats. I'm not saying I'll do these for sure…I am saying that I will bookmark this recipe so that I can re-think my courage about this kind of heat ;o))

    Ciao for now and have a great weekend,
    Claudia

  26. These are so much fun and perfect for this insanely hot weather!
    This is my first visit to your blog–love what you have here. I look forward to coming back to read more!

  27. Sommer,

    Thank you so much for the kind words regarding my anniversary! It really meant a lot to me. Have a great weekend!

  28. Definitely a spicy perspective on ice pops. These look so fresh. Cant wait to try them, thanks for the post! LOVE IT!

  29. Great inspiration for a summer cooling treat. It looks refreshing and exciting, honestly, unlike any pops I have seen – just creative! And I love that you are not using some crazy ice pop contraption – just disposable cups- easy and simple!

  30. This is so unique and intriguing, Sommer! I want to go get all of the ingredients and make it right now just so I can have the experience. ( : I love it!

  31. How unique, and I love the sweet, salty, spicy combo.

  32. I am a fan of all things spicy & those pops sounds amazing! I just signed up to follow your fabulous blog – so glad I found it. Stop by and visit me sometime at http://www.stephaniesavorsthemoment.com! Looking forward to you next delicious post – Cheers!

  33. I doubt my daughter will like these, but who cares! We'll go nuts for them and she can have something more "regular." Thanks so much for sharing your find.

  34. This is something my brother would totally die over. He's picked up the habit of chili powder on his fruit from some of his friends.

  35. Oh my gosh! that does sound divine! I think i will have to try them out on my kids (and myself as well) and see what the verdict is! Nice find!

  36. I will definitely have to take a course with you on chile cooking !! I know NOTHING about this….
    Inspiring pictures !!!

  37. I'm in looooove.

    This is fabulous.

    PS. I needed to see that smiling face ;-)

  38. Dear Sommer – Chile pops are marvelous and rivaled only by the delicious summer salad. What wonderful flavors!

    You are such a joy in the kitchen – no wonder the kids were looking at you with goo goo eyes :)

    Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

  39. I love the combination of cool and spicy in the chile pops. I'm sure they were fantastic. Great photos too!

  40. What a fantastic discovery. These really look like something I have to try. The salad looks wonderful as well. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary

  41. That sounds so cooling on a hot day. I love that they're a bit spicy, and the seven year old couldn't get enough of them. Did they get watery at all? My only hesitation with making homemade popcicles is that when I made them as a kid, they often tasted a bit watery.

  42. These popsicles rock. What a creative use of ingredients!

  43. what a great idea – now if I only had room in my freezer…….

  44. This is so original and scrumptious. Grand use of the melon and all those flavors combined. I have some canteloupe sitting here waiting to be used. Mexican pops,anyone? Or a salad. Cannot decide.

  45. I love making homemade pops. You've put a real twist to making them. So cool!

  46. Love the combination of cantaloupe and cucumbers, sounds absolutely delicious.

  47. Genius! Love the sweet,sour, salty and spicy combination! Both the salad and pops are absolute winners in my book and tailor made for summer!

  48. Uuu Aaaa… Yes the salt. I get it.
    Fresh latino flavours in sweet, tart, spicy and slight salty concoction.
    Definitely one of the greatest exotic (for some "homely") treat of the summer. (Ouch! Brainfreeze ;p)

  49. Wow this does sound like a revelation! Obviously I need to try these so my world can be officially rocked. :D Thanks so much for sharing, this is really a unique idea!!!

  50. This looks great! I love chile on anything and this is so tempting.

  51. We have been eating cantaloupe like crazy here. Love the salad and the popsickles are such a wonderful idea. I am a big fan of good Mexican food and like the sweet, salty and spicy combo.

  52. I love it! I am Mexican and grew up with chile powder on everything from candy to fruit. This is my first visit to your blog and I love it! I will be a regular from now on :)

  53. OMG! Chili pops? It sounds divine. I also love those kind of Markets, the ingredients are so amazing…I found a place called Samosa House here in LA that is a Indian vegetarian restaurant and on the side a market. Oh Boy! It's awesome, so much to choose. The pops are adorable, I loved that you used those cups. Looks great.