Can we talk corn and summer? Being a native of the Midwest, I get pretty nostalgic when I see corn pop up at the grocery store as summer rolls around. I miss those rows and rows of corn sometimes—especially those roadside stands that sold you the freshest corn you can imagine. It’s more difficult for me to find great corn now. You know, that juicy, sweet corn that drips down your face as you bite into it. But I do still appreciate corn from anywhere during the summertime. In anything. I’ve grown to love corn in sweet dishes, especially. Don’t even get me started on those sweet corn Milk Bar cookies.

This brings us to #PopsicleWeek and these sweet babies.

Popsicle Week is the brainchild of the gorgeous mind of Billy. It’s essentially a celebration of the best part of summer. Popsicles. And all of us bloggers get together to give you more popsicle ideas and dirty puns than you know what to do with. You’re welcome! Be sure to head over to Wit & Vinegar to catch the action from this year’s popsicle extravaganza as well as last year’s!

Anyway, back to the corn. We’re blowing out the sugar side of sweet corn in this year’s Popsicle Week contribution. With the aforementioned corn, the blueberries and basil basically push these popsicles over the top with summer goodness. I hope you’re ready for some serious sunny vibes. Essentially all we’re missing are some shades and cotton candy pink fingernail polish.

These popsicles use white corn which is in constant competition with yellow corn in sweetness and tenderness debates. Some people are die-hard “yellow corn is sweeter” people while others are diametrically opposed. The truth is, white corn and yellow corn are exactly the same except for one thing. The presence or absence of beta carotene. Beta carotene is a pigment that creates the yellow, and even orange color in corn (and other foods). It’s converted to vitamin A in the body which contributes significantly to eye health and other functions in the body. Think carrots. So essentially, yellow corn is slightly better for you than white corn. That’s it. I chose white corn here because it creates a more visually appealing popsicle.

If you’re lucky enough to have good, fresh corn already where you are, feel free to use fresh instead of frozen white corn! Reduce the corn to 2 cups and add in one of the stripped cobs to the milk mixture. Just remember to remove it before you blend up the corn into the milk!

Don’t forget to visit the Popsicle Week page!

White Corn, Basil, and Blueberry Popsicles

Makes 8-10 popsicles

Adapted from Chase the Flavors

Print Recipe

For the Creamy Corn Layer

1 ½ cups whole milk

2 ¼ cups frozen white corn

2 tablespoons maple syrup

½ cup heavy cream

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

6-8 fresh basil leaves

For the Blueberry Layer

1 ½ cup fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1-2 limes (see note within instructions)

1. Combine milk and corn in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the milk begins to simmer, cover and remove from heat. Let cool completely. With either a hand immersion blender or in batches in a food processor or blender, blend the corn and milk until the mixture is chunky, but no full kernels are present.
2. Add the maple syrup, cream, salt, and basil leaves to the corn milk. Blitz again to distribute the basil into the mixture. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, reserving about an inch at the top for the blueberries. Place in the freezer and begin on the blueberries.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the blueberries in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with the maple syrup. Stir to coat the berries. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. Zest and juice one of the limes while waiting for the mixture to cool. After about 5 minutes of cooling, mix the lime zest/ juice into the mixture, getting the sticky bits up from the bottom of the pan. Taste the juices. If you’d like more floral lime notes, add zest from the second lime. If you’d like more sour notes, add juice from the second lime to taste.
5. At this point, check to see if the corn mixture is solid enough to hold the popsicle sticks. Insert the sticks into the pops a few inches in. Then, add the cooled blueberries by spoonful around the sticks. Freeze completely until set before enjoying, at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Looking for more popsicle goodness? Check out my boozy contributions here and here.