This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Learn how to make healthy homemade lollipops with all-natural ingredients. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and dye-free sucker recipe.

Homemade strawberry lollipops on white table with strawberry slices next to them.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

My kids love to have special treats because, well, they are kids. But finding ones made without artificial flavors and dyes is next to impossible.

It took a lot of trial and error to come up with the perfect lollipop recipe and my little taste testers didn’t seem to mind the process one bit. A few years ago, I came up with an apple sucker, and though it was delicious, we wanted to test out other flavors.

This time around, we came up with a strawberry lollipop recipe, and the kids loved it. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been on a bit of a strawberry kick, making homemade strawberry jam and healthy strawberry shortcakeโ€”and now this!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure HERE.

Homemade Lollipops

To make homemade lollipops, you will need sucker molds and sticks. I found a set that had reusable sticks along with several different shapes and designs for the molds. These can also be made into hard candies using candy molds.

Ingredients

How to Make Healthy Lollipops

  1. Place a sucker stick in each of the sucker molds and set it aside. 
  2. Blend up freeze-dried strawberries in a blender to make strawberry powder.
  3. Add the sugar, syrup, and juice to a small saucepan.
  4. Bring to a boil and leave on the heat until the liquid reaches 300 degrees. Check the temperature with a candy thermometer. 
  5. Stir often to keep the bottom from burning. 
  6. Once the liquid reaches 300 degrees, remove the saucepan from the heat. 
  7. Add in the strawberry powder.
  8. Spoon the mixture into the sucker molds. 
  9. Let them sit for about 30 minutes or until hardened. 
  10. Pop the suckers out of the molds and enjoy. 

How to Make Honey Lollipops

For this recipe, I am using honey. Honey is a great healthy replacement for corn syrup and can be substituted equally in recipes.

Maple syrup can also be used instead of honey in this recipe to give it a maple flavor.

Three red strawberry lollipops.

Making Lollipops Healthy

Coming up with the right hard candy texture took me quite a bit of trying. It would either end up too soft, too sticky, or wouldn’t harden at all. My main goal for making lollipops was to eliminate the dyes, corn syrup, and artificial flavors.

Instead of using dyes, you can use food powders to obtain the color you want. I also found honey substituted equally for the corn syrup works quite well.

Natural Food Dyes

  • Red: Beet
  • Orange: Carrot
  • Yellow: Turmeric
  • Green: Matcha and spinach
  • Blue: blueberries
  • Purple: purple carrots, purple sweet potatoes, and blueberries
  • Pink: Strawberries and raspberries
  • Brown: Cinnamon, cocoa powder, and coconut sugar
Homemade strawberry lollipops in standing in white bowl.

Best Sugar to Use for Suckers

I am using organic cane sugar. Using organic ensures you are not getting any GMO or chemicals. Coconut sugar can be used too but will automatically turn the suckers brown. Still delicious and healthy, just not as easy to customize for the kids.

To make keto-friendly suckers, you can use monk fruit to replace the sugar. Monk fruit is made from the juices of the fruit and has zero calories. Monk fruit is low carb and often used in keto recipes.

Kid Approved Recipes

4.23 from 22 votes

Homemade Strawberry Lollipops

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 10 people
A simple and delicious all-natural strawberry lollipop recipe that your kids are sure to enjoy.

Equipment

  • blender
  • saucepan
  • molds
Save This Recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Place a sucker stick in each of the sucker molds and set it aside.
  • Blend up freeze-dried strawberries in a blender to make strawberry powder.
  • Add the sugar, syrup, and juice to a small saucepan.
    Bring to a boil and leave on the heat until the liquid reaches 300 degrees. Check the temperature with a candy thermometer.
    Stir often to keep the syrup and sugar from burning.
  • Once the liquid reaches 300 degrees, remove the saucepan from the heat.
  • Add in the strawberry powder.
  • Spoon the mixture into the sucker molds.
  • Let them sit for about 30 minutes or until hardened.
  • Pop the suckers out of the molds and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 656kcal, Carbohydrates: 173g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 0.4g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 172g, Vitamin A: 0.3IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @our_oily_house or tag #ouroilyhouse!

About Laura

Welcome to Our Oily House, Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™re here! Explore DIY cleaners, homemade soaps, skincare and hair care recipes, fragrance-free solutions, and sustainable laundry tips for a naturally inspired home.

You May Also Like

4.23 from 22 votes (21 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. Danielle LaGreca says:

    3 stars
    Had no problem with them hardening and coming out of the molds. They taste like straight honey. I used strawberry powder and mango juice but they literally taste Iโ€™m sucking on a spoonful of honey and thatโ€™s it. Mine are also brown and I took the pan off heat the second it hit 300 degrees.

    1. Laura says:

      You could try a different food powder like beet for a more red coloring.

  2. DANIELLE LAGRECA says:

    What flavor juice do you use with strawberry powder?

    1. Laura says:

      Any fruit juice that would complement that flavoring.