Limoncello Cherry Bomb Popsicles

Happy hour just got cooler with these Limoncello Cherry Bomb Popsicles! A perfect balance of tart lemon and sweet cherries with a little kick! So cool and refreshing! Its been pretty warm here so I was looking for a light and frosty dessert option to serve at a dinner party. Very often we like to have a small sweet after dinner, but sometimes other dessert options seem to heavy when its hot out. We make popsicles for the kids all the time, so I decided that I would make some for just the grownups, that were a little smaller and a little less sweet.

Limoncello Cherry Bomb Popsicles

• 1/2 Cup Cherries, pitted (I used frozen)
• 1/4 Cup Vodka
• 1 Cup Lemonade of choice 
• 3 TBSP Limoncello (Lemon flavored Italian liqueur)
• 4 Shooter Glasses
• 4 Popsicle Sticks *

Begin by making the Cherry Bombs. They are often made by soaking Maraschino cherries in rum. Instead, I soaked frozen, pitted black cherries in vodka for about 3-4 hours.

For this recipe I made an individual cup of lemonade, but you can use any kind you like. I used the juice of 1/2 lemon, water and honey. Honey takes a little longer to dissolve, but I prefer it over sugar. Once my lemonade was ready, I added 3 TBSP of Limoncello. If you haven’t had Limoncello before, its an Italian Liqueur that is often served after a heavy Italian meal as a digestive aid. 

In your shooter glasses, place about 3 cherries at the bottom with just a tiny drizzle of the juice remaining in the bowl of cherries. Carefully pour the lemonade over the cherries and fill the glasses. Put the filled glasses in a square or rectangle plastic storage container to keep them from sliding around in the freezer. We have a bottom freezer drawer and I was concerned that pulling open the drawer would move them around too much or perhaps fall over. Push the glasses together and cover with plastic wrap. Insert a popsicle stick through the middle and push down into the glasses. This will help keep the sticks in place and not droop over.  Freeze 3-4 hours or until solid.

* I do not recommend using popsicle sticks from the craft store. Many have been treated with chemicals NOT meant for consumption! I found mine on Amazon. They are a perfect size and a good value! Find them HERE. (affiliate link)

When you’re ready to enjoy them, place the glass (very briefly) in a small bowl of  warm water. This will help to remove them from the glass without breaking. Or, you can run the bottom portion of the glass under warm running water instead. 

They were really delicious and refreshing. I found that these were just the perfect size too. Sometimes the other molds I have are a little too much for me and I don’t always finish them. These can also be made without the alcohol or even with Limeade, if you love Cherry Limeade!

How would you make them? Tell me in the comments!