I am really, really, really excited to be partnering with Waiola! This Hawaii based brand, with a strong belief in “less is more” (something I can totally get behind!!!), sells coconut water that is real and 100% fresh coconut water–completely free of added sugars and preservatives. P.S. they have chocolate coconut water and coconut chips too and both are out of this world! I actually have a few bags of the chips in my carry-on right now. I’m obsessed.
Can we talk about how amazing the coconut is?? The oil can be used for things from conditioning your eyelashes to prepping a pan for vegan pancakes. I’ve used the milk for ice creams and custards. Flakey and moist bits of the coconut meat make a great addition to the texture of cookies. And don’t forget about coconut flour and coconut sugar! ~*CoCoNutZ*~ are just basically magic.
I had never cooked with coconut water before, so I had a fun time trying out different recipes and seeing how the water paired with certain flavors. Let me introduce you to these Coconut Mint Lemonade Popsicles! As a big believer in Waiola’s “less is more” motto, I went for a simple and refreshing treat. I have been melting in the current LA weather. Is it fall yet?? This post is the first of two I’ll be sharing of frozen treats using coconut water. Stay tuned till the end of the week for part two–which will also be a little Halloween themed!
These popsicles are basically a frozen lemonade with coconut and mint in it. I used Michelle’s recipe for Thyme Lemonade, and also read the living daylight out of this Food52 article that she adapted the recipe from. Tip #1 of Things I’ve learned: You can never have too many lemons. If you’re never sure of how many to buy at the store, the more the merrier! You can always slice it up for a glass of water, squeeze it over salmon, or make lemon curd. Life is just better with lemons.
I packed a bunch of coconut water and took it with us to the beach. They totally stood up to falling on the sand and getting covered in ocean water. They’re also the perfect size for holding with one hand but not so tiny that you get like four sips. Aka, the perfect drink for a beach picnic!!! Also, can I give a big hug to my friends who came to the beach and sat out in the hot sun and drank free coconut water with me 
What a hard life! But really though, my forever patient BFF modeled and the boys cracked open a fresh coconut for me to shoot with (which we also ate a bit of). All three of them were so excited to help and had such great ideas. You guys are seriously just the best. Yay, Utensils to Belly!!!
Coconut Mint Lemonade Popsicles
Notes: Thank you to Waiola for providing the coconut water used in this recipe! I purchased my popsicle mold off Amazon, which you can find here. It also comes with popsicle sticks in the box so you don’t need to buy it separately.
For the simple syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1/2 medium lemon
1/2 cup coconut water
5-7 fresh mint leaves
For the Lemonade
(makes about 3-4 cups)
1/2 cup of the simple syrup
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained
2-3 cups cold coconut water
extra lemon slices and mint leaves for decoration
1. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest with the sugar to release some of the oil from the zest. This will boost the lemon flavor!
2. Pour the sugar and zest into a saucepan and add the coconut water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the liquid to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let cool on a wire rack. After a few minutes, add in the fresh mint leaves and let the flavors meld for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, the simple syrup should be cooled to room temperature. Strain the liquid into a small glass jar and refrigerate overnight. Discard any of the zest and mint leaves left behind.
4. The next day, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into a large pitcher, preferably with a spout for pouring into the popsicle molds later. Stir in the coconut water until you reach your desired taste. I used about 3 cups of cold coconut water.
5. Add in the simple syrup until the mixture is sweet enough for you. I used the entire 1/2 cup of syrup. Mix it well.
6. Place mint leaves and lemon slices of different sizes in the empty popsicle mold. Fill each popsicle up to just below the top with the lemonade. Cover and add the popsicle sticks. Freeze for 3-5 hours until completely solid. When ready to serve, run warm water around the edges of the mold to release the popsicles. Enjoy!