Creamy Strawberry Paletas Recipe — Homemade Frozen Treats

These creamy strawberry paletas are delicious — milk and strawberries are a perfect pairing. They’re simple to make and look beautiful on the stick.

Yesterday I shared a water-based recipe, Mango & Chamoy Paletas. Today I’m showing a cream-based version using strawberries, though this creamy base works with almost any fruit.

I usually prefer water-based paletas, but for cream paletas strawberry is my favorite. The flavor of milk and strawberries together is unbeatable.

Ingredients:

Strawberries — about 1 to 1.5 pounds fresh. You’ll puree most of them and save 1–2 cups of finished puree.
Cream — a blend of heavy whipping cream, Mexican crema (creme fraiche), and sweetened condensed milk. The condensed milk provides sweetness, but adjust to taste.
Cellulose gum or cornstarch — a small amount helps keep the paletas creamy rather than icy. See texture tips below.

How to achieve a smooth, creamy texture

This cream base can be used for many fruit flavors.

Two ways to make a creamy paleta:

Use cellulose gum in the cream base. Whip together heavy cream, Mexican crema, and sweetened condensed milk with a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of cellulose gum. It stabilizes the mixture and produces a very smooth, scoopable texture.
Thicken the cream base with cornstarch. Warm the cream mixture gently and whisk in a cornstarch slurry to activate it. This produces a custard-like base that freezes creamy if cooked thoroughly — avoid undercooking or you may notice a starchy taste.

Sweetness

I keep the sweetness moderate. Total sweetness comes from two places: the sugar used to macerate the strawberries and the sweetened condensed milk in the cream. Taste your strawberries first and adjust sugar accordingly. Remember fruit-based paletas lose some flavor and sweetness in the freezer, so account for that before you freeze.

Equipment needed:

You’ll need a popsicle mold, sticks, and bags for storage. A blender and an electric hand mixer are helpful. Silicone molds make removal easier.

Popsicle vs. paleta

Paletas and popsicles look similar, but paletas are typically made with fresh, natural ingredients and fewer additives. Paletas are a beloved Mexican street treat with a long tradition; you’ll find them at shops and from paleteros with carts.

Two types of paletas

There are many flavors, but paletas usually fall into two categories:

Water-based — fruit-forward paletas made with water or juice. They highlight the fruit’s true flavor and can be vegan.
Cream-based — richer paletas with a texture closer to ice cream, made with cream, milk, crema, and/or condensed milk. These allow a wider variety of flavors beyond fruit.

More paleta flavors

If you like creamy fruit paletas, try Creamy Peach or Creamy Mango paletas. You can also make non-fruit creamy flavors such as coconut, pecan, or coffee paletas using the same cream base.

More Creamy Paletas

Dessert

Paletas de Cafe (Coffee Ice Cream)

Dessert

Creamy Mango Paletas

Mexican

Paletas de Coco (Coconut Ice cream)

Dessert

Patbingsoo Paleta (Red Bean Popsicle)

4.84 from 12 votes

Creamy Strawberry Paletas

By Stella Navarro-Kim

These cream-based strawberry paletas use real fruit and freeze up smooth and creamy, not icy.

Total: 30

Servings: 10 paletas

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Ingredients

1.5 lb fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Mexican crema (creme fraiche)
6-8 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp cellulose gum or 2 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

Wash the strawberries and soak in cold water for about 5 minutes, then rinse and drain.
Roughly chop the strawberries. Reserve a few small pieces if you want fruit chunks in the paletas.
Toss the chopped strawberries with sugar and let sit 20–30 minutes to macerate.
Blend the macerated strawberries to a smooth puree. You should end up with about 1.5–2 cups of puree.
If using cellulose gum: combine heavy cream, crema, sweetened condensed milk, salt, and cellulose gum. Mix with an electric mixer for about a minute until it begins to thicken slightly. The gum stabilizes the base to prevent iciness.

If using cornstarch: whisk heavy cream, crema, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a small saucepan until smooth. Heat gently over low, then mix a small amount of the hot cream with the cornstarch to make a slurry. Return the slurry to the pan and continue stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens. Cool completely before proceeding.
Fold the strawberry puree into the cream base until just combined. If you reserved strawberry chunks, gently fold them in now.
Pour the mixture into popsicle molds.
Place the sticks, taking care not to push them too far down or too far up — center them for the best hold.
Freeze at least 8 hours. To unmold, dip the exterior in warm water for about 20 seconds to loosen.
Gently wiggle and pull; silicone molds benefit from stretching the sides to help release the paleta.
Store in the freezer up to two weeks for best texture; longer storage increases ice crystal formation.