Giada De Laurentiis’ Gummy Worm Ice Pops Are an Easy, Kid-Friendly Halloween Treat
Halloween is almost here and Giada De Laurentiis knows exactly what to make. The celebrity chef has a fun and, more importantly, easy take on ice pops. Her Gummy Worm Ice Pops are packed with creepy-crawly gummy candy. Pair them with the Food Network star’s marshmallow treats for a festive Halloween menu.
Giada De Laurentiis’ Gummy Worm Ice Pops have to be made ahead of time
This isn’t one of those recipes like Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s strawberry tart where the dish is ready in a relatively short amount of time. De Laurentiis’ Gummy Worm Ice Pops need plenty of time to set up in the freezer. And that means making them well in advance.
According to the Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef’s instructions on Food Network’s website, the recipe requires 10 hours and 15 minutes. 15 minutes is dedicated to making the ice pops. The rest is freezer time. So while it’s a long time until the pops are ready they aren’t the most labor-intensive dessert. Simply prepare all of the ingredients, put them in the molds, and put them in the freezer. Then, 10 hours later, enjoy De Laurentiis’ Gummy Worm Ice Pops.
Make the Food Network star’s recipe easier (and faster) with storebought lemonade
Making her Gummy Worm Ice Pops on an episode of Giada Entertains, De Laurentiis went the homemade route. Explaining that her daughter, Jade, whom she shares with her ex-husband Todd Thompson, loves gummy worms and lemonade, the Food Network star decided to “make homemade lemonade and add gummies to it.”
She started with a simple syrup of water and sugar before adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to the mixture. As De Laurentiis explained, it’s not a necessary step in the ice pop-making process. “Of course if you don’t want to make lemonade you can always buy your favorite from the store,” she said.
Another option is to have some fun with the choice of gummies. “You can use any gummy that you want,” De Laurentiis added, saying that not only does she “love” multi-colored gummy worms but so does her daughter.
Once the lemonade’s been made on the stove or purchased from the store, it’s time to fill the molds. De Laurentiis suggests putting three gummies in each mold — “You want enough gummy in there that you can see it,” she explained — before pouring in the lemonade. “Then you put the lid on and then you take the little pop sticks and you just stick them in there,” she added. After some wiggling to get the sticks around the gummy worms, it’s time for the ice pops to go in the freezer. Four ingredients and 10 hours later De Laurentiis has a fun, kid-friendly Halloween treat.
What reviewers have to say about the recipe on Food Network
Nowhere close to being one of De Laurentiis’ most popular recipes on Food Network, the cookbook author’s Gummy Worm Ice Pops have only been reviewed a handful of times. However, most of them are positive. At the time of publication, the recipe averages 4.5 stars out of 5.
“The kids loved the surprise inside these popsicles! I used a storebought raspberry lemonade to make it really quick and easy,” one reviewer wrote. Another described the ice pops as “easy to make and good” while another said they “tasted great too.”
