Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita Popsicles

Take margaritas to a new level! These strawberry jalapeño margarita popsicles are the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and boozy!

 Summer is coming. It’s time to get your freezer stocked and ready.

To battle the heat you are going to need: no churn espresso dulce de leche ice cream, halo-halo (Filipino shaved ice sundae), and popsicles… lots and lots of popsicles.

In my opinion, the best kind of popsicles are the ones that serve two purposes: 1) cool you down and 2) booze you up!

These strawberry jalapeño margarita popsicles are THOSE popsicles.

Margarita Popsicles

These frozen pops are made with tequila, fresh strawberries, lemon and lime juice, and sweetened with jalapeño infused simple syrup.

Can you freeze tequila?

Short answer: these tequila based ice pops will not freeze solid. Long answer: let’s dig into a little chemistry. Water freezes at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). T

he higher the proof of alcohol or spirit, the lower the freezing point of said liquid.

It’s popular to store vodka in the freezer to keep it chilled. An 80 proof vodka freezes at -16.5 degrees F (-27 degrees C). FDA advises that your home freezer should be 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C).

Unless you have a super blast freezer, the vodka will not freeze.

Tequila ranges from 62 to 110 proof. It will get cold in the freezer, but it won’t freeze solid, either.

What happens to freezing temperatures when you add sugar and other liquids to alcohol?

Like alcohol, sugar also lowers freezing point of water. There is a mixture of sugar and water from the strawberries, as well as sugar and water from the simple syrup. The amount of sugar in this recipe makes the resulting texture from the popsicle a bit creamy and slushy.

Too little sugar and the popsicle will be frozen rock solid. Too much sugar and the popsicle will never solidify.

Is a popsicle mold necessary? Can I use something else?

I use this popsicle mold, but there are plenty of other options if you don’t have one. Here are some ideas:

• Ice Cube Tray: pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once solid, process the cubes in a blender to make a slushy, frozen strawberry jalapeño margarita!
• Paper Cups: pour mixture into the paper cups, cover with foil, and pop a wooden stick in it. Freeze and then peel off the paper and eat.
• Freezer Safe Containers: use a freezer safe container such a shallow plastic storage container. Fill the container, cover, and freeze. Serve the frozen margarita like a granita, or allow the frozen margarita to soften slightly and then scoop like sorbet.