Elderberry Popsicles Recipe (Soothing for Sore Throats)

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Elderberry Popsicle Recipe - throat soothing and immune boosting
Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Remedies » Elderberry Popsicles Recipe (Soothing for Sore Throats)

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of using elderberries to keep my family healthy during the winter months. My kids love their elderberry gummies and elderberry syrup, but sometimes it’s nice to have something that’s extra soothing for sore throats.

These elderberry popsicles not only boost immunity, they also soothe an achy throat, all while tasting amazing. (And I now have a good way to use my stainless steel popsicle molds in the winter!)

The Amazing Flu Fighting Benefits of Elderberry

Elderberry is a popular remedy, and for good reason. It’s anti-viral properties have been shown to prevent the flu better than a flu shot (source). And in this study, those who were given elderberry recovered in half the time as the placebo group.

A complete cure was achieved within 2 – 3 days in nearly 90% of the elderberry-treated group compared with at least 6 days in the placebo group.

If you go to your doctor for a dose of Tamiflu (which I would personally never do!), it is shown to only reduce your symptoms by an average of just 1 day. Even scarier is that it commonly affects children more adversely than adults (source).

Some people using Tamiflu have had rare side effects of sudden confusion, delirium, hallucinations, unusual behavior, or self-injury. These symptoms have occurred most often in children. (source)

With no side effects and a sweet, kid-friendly taste, elderberry really is the clear winner here! You can read more about how awesome elderberry is here and get more ideas to avoid and beat winter sickness here.

Other Soothing Ingredients

The next ingredient in these elderberry popsicles is antioxidant-rich blueberries. They give the popsicles a more intense berry flavor and are high in vitamins C and K as well as manganese. Not only does vitamin C help fight the cold and flu, but  during a bout with the flu it helps to protect the lungs. These antioxidants help to reduce the severity of coughs and prevent the sickness from turning into pneumonia.

My sweetener of choice for these elderberry popsicles is raw honey. Not only is it not detrimental to health like refined sugar, but it has a plethora of benefits. It’s antibacterial and is frequently used to soothe sore throats, among many other benefits. If you’re making these popsicles for a small child under 1 year old, then omit the honey or substitute maple syrup (and be sure to supervise them while eating).

I’ve also included grass-fed gelatin in this recipe. Since there isn’t a lot of fat or sugar in these popsicles, the gelatin helps to keep them from becoming rock-hard ice bricks. Not only does gelatin make these a popsicle consistency, but it’s fantastic for hair, nails, skin, and joints. Here are 12 unusual ways I incorporate gelatin’s benefits into my life.

Electrolytes + Vitamin C

Instead of just using elderberry infused water in these popsicles, I’ve also included coconut water. It’s sweet taste is a big hit with kids, and it’s a great source of electrolytes and other good stuff. During sickness, especially if there’s been vomiting, it’s important to replace your body’s electrolytes. Just make sure you use a brand that’s minimally processed and doesn’t contain added (and unnecessary) sugar.

A hint of fresh lemon juices finishes up this elderberry popsicle recipe. The acidity from the lemon helps balance out the other sweet flavors. Lemon is also full of natural vitamin C to improve wellness and boost glutathione production, which is considered the body’s master antioxidant. Lemon is a great source of natural Vitamin C. Since our bodies can’t produce their own vitamin C, it’s important to get it from food, especially during illness.

Vitamin C is also highly concentrated in immune cells and consumed quickly during an infection.

How to Make the Popsicles…

Elderberry Popsicle Recipe - throat soothing and immune boosting

Elderberry Popsicles Recipe (Soothing for Sore Throats)

These delicious elderberry popsicles are packed with nutrient dense ingredients and antioxidants. We love them for soothing a sore throat or during colds and flu.
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Calories 42kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

6 popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan combine the elderberries and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce and gently simmer for 15 minutes. You’re making elderberry tea here, just extra strength.
  • Strain the elderberries from the water with a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Make sure you really squeeze them to get the juice out. Pour the elderberry tea back into the clean saucepan.
  • Sprinkle the gelatin over the elderberry tea and let it absorb for a few minutes.
  • If your raw honey is really thick add it to the elderberry tea after the gelatin has gelled a bit.
  • Gently heat the mixture over very low heat, stirring slowly just until everything is combined and melty. You don’t want to overheat this, or the honey won’t be raw anymore!
  • In blender combine the coconut water and blueberries and blend until smooth.
  • Pour the coconut mixture and the lemon juice into the elderberry mixture and stir just until combined.
  • Pour the elderberry popsicle mix into your favorite popsicle molds and freeze until firm.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Elderberry Popsicles Recipe (Soothing for Sore Throats)
Amount Per Serving (1 popsicle)
Calories 42 Calories from Fat 2
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.2g0%
Saturated Fat 0.1g1%
Sodium 47mg2%
Carbohydrates 9.6g3%
Fiber 1.1g5%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 1.5g3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

You may be tempted to just add everything to the blender, but unfortunately that just makes a whole lot of foam. And foam doesn’t freeze into popsicles very well. 
This recipe easily doubles if you find yourself quickly eating up these popsicles. 

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Sources

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

72 responses to “Elderberry Popsicles Recipe (Soothing for Sore Throats)”

  1. Tana Avatar

    Wondering what can be used as a substitute for the gelatin? My family doesn’t eat gelatin.
    Thank you

  2. Ruth Avatar

    What would happen if I leave out the gelatin? Is it really necessary? If yes, do you think fruit pectin work? (vegan here!)

  3. Brittany Avatar

    I hope I didn’t miss someone asking this already, but what if you used Elderberry syrup already made? Do you have an idea of what the ratios would be with that? I’m trying to figure out how much syrup to put with the coconut water and blueberries. Maybe I’ll just play around with it.

  4. Denise Avatar

    Can I use dried elderberries and if so, how would you recommend doing it? Thank you.

  5. Debbie Avatar

    Can I freeze dry elderberries ? How do I preserve them to use later. I am going elderberry picking this week.

  6. Clare Avatar

    Is the gelatin absolutely required in this recipe? What about a vegetarian version?

  7. Tonya Avatar

    5 stars
    In a QT jar I mix raw honey, with 2-3 organic lemons washed & sliced, organic “true” or Ceylon cinnamon & organic cloves. Put in the fridge shake weekly and it creates it’s own juices over the winter months. When I use it for sore throats coughs, congestion.

  8. Theresa Avatar

    3 stars
    Just made my first batch and going to make another. I added more honey since one commenter said it was too tart for her kids but I felt like it made ours too sweet. Also, for some reason the gelatin made our pops more like Jell-O then popsicles. Too soft. So I will try again and put the amount of honey in the recipe but adjust the amount of geletain. That all said my 4 year old cannot stop eating it!

  9. Amy Space Avatar
    Amy Space

    Hi, is there a limit to how many popsicle kids can have? Meaning, is there a recommend dosage of elderberries? We do elderberry vit. Too.
    Thank you

  10. Stormy Avatar

    This sounds like a delicious way to get the elderberry syrup into my kids! This is on my to-do list for sure now. Thanks!

  11. Anita Avatar

    What wood popsicle sticks (wood only, not chemically treated) do you recommend with these stainless steel popsicle molds?

  12. Amy Avatar

    Any chance you know about using agar agar powder instead of the gelatin in this recipe or others? Does it substitute well? Thanks!

  13. Tashi Avatar

    Thank you for all the wonderful recipes and advice you offer here!

    I love this recipe and have made it several times already. This last time I didn’t have coconut water, so I used plain water and then added electrolytes, which worked well.

    Also, I can never find my strainer (must be permanently lost), so I use a stainless steel tea infuser, the one that sits atop a cup, and it works perfectly! This way makes it easy to smash with a spoon too.

    First time I followed this recipe to the T, and it was a bit pungent. I put extra honey in it the following times and it tastes better for the kids. I put closer to 3 TBSP of honey and a tiny bit of Stevia (that was in the electrolyte powder). The elderberry is bitter (I purchased through the link provided by Wellness Mama), so added sweetener makes the difference for us.

    Folks: Don’t forget to leave room for expansion when freezing!

    Thanks again!

4.24 from 30 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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