How to Use Extra Kefir

Do you need to use extra milk kefir you have in your refrigerator? If you have been making milk kefir for very long, it is very likely that you have more than you know what to do with. This recipe is an excellent and delicious way to use up some of that excess and another way to add beneficial probiotics to your family’s diet.  Milk kefir has both beneficial yeast and bacteria in it, and has many more strains of probiotic bacteria than yogurt. Learn how to make milk kefir here. 

Your children will probably eat these even if they may not eat plain kefir.  (Even though I do like the taste of plain kefir, my husband does not and, therefore, will not eat it.  He really likes these!)

This is a great treat for when you feel like eating something sweet or you want ice cream.  It is a very healthy alternative, as it contains no or little sugar (depending on the sweetener you use), and it contains a healthy dose of some of the most nutritious probiotics.  It is also a wonderful way to use up ripe bananas or other fruit that you do not want to go to waste.

This recipe makes seven frozen pops or about 1 – 3/4 cup of liquid before freezing.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes                   Freezing Time:  3-6 hours

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana

Kefir, Frozen Strawberries, and Banana

2-3 large strawberries, fresh or frozen

3/4 cup of plain kefir   (Learn how to make it here.)

1-2 drops of liquid stevia

2-3 tbsp. xylitol or sweetener of your choice

2 or 4 tbsp. or so of heavy cream to make the pops creamier (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a personal blender, like the Magic Bullet, or a regular blender.

2. Blend until the mixture is smooth.  It will be thin.

   

   Filling Freezer Pop Molds

3. Pour the mixture into frozen pop molds.  Alternatively, you may pour them into small paper cups and add sticks after the mixture has frozen about half way so that they will stand up.

   

   Molds Filled and Putting On Caps/Sticks

4. Freeze several hours until solid.  The freezing time will vary depending on the temperature of your ingredients and, of course, the temperature of your freezer.

5. A few minutes before you are ready to serve the pops, set the molds out of the freezer for a few minutes or run water over the outside of the them.  When the mold is loose, slip the pops out.  If using paper cups, just peel them off.

   

   Frozen Banana-Strawberry Pop Ready to Eat

Enjoy these just as you would regular fruit or other freezer pops.

Variations:  Substitute any other fruit of your choice.  You may also use yogurt instead of kefir.

Notes:  The amount of sweetener needed will depend on the sweetness of the fruit, the tartness of the kefir, and your personal preference.  Be careful not to use too much stevia, as it can have an off taste if you use too much.

If you want to make your own kefir, I have a source for milk kefir grains on my Resources page.

Please share what you like to do with your extra kefir in the Comments section below.  Thank you!

By Tia Lee