Last week’s recipe for Vegan and Gluten-Free Paletas de Aguacate, or, Avocado Mexican Popsicles was a hit, so we’re bringing you another recipe that packs a little kick. Paletas, mexican popsicles, are a traditional frozen sweet treat sold throughout Mexico.

As with last week’s recipe, we reached back into our favorite paleta recipe book, Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas by Fany Gerson.

This recipe is a playful mix of sweet and spicy, relying on fresh pineapple for some sweetness, and chiles and peppers for a delicious spice. A tart addition of fresh lime juice rounds out the flavor to make these go beyond traditional children’s popsicles, into full-fledged adult treats.

Spicy Pineapple Ice Pops

1 cup water
½ cup vegan sugar
1 small serrano or jalapeño pepper, split lengthwise
1 ripe pineapple, peeled
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 to 2 teaspoons ground chiles (piquín, guajillo, or árbol)
½ teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and cook over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture until it has come to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Next, add the serrano or jalapeño pepper, lowering the heat, and allowing to simmer for 5 minutes.

Let the mixture cool until it is room temperature, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Next, dice 1½ cups of the pineapple finely, and coarsely chop the rest of it. Mix together the finely chopped pineapple, chile and salt and set aside. Next, blend or process the coarsely chopped and then pour in the syrup, lime juice, and blend again until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the mixture evenly into the popsicle molds, making sure to leave enough room for the diced pineapple. Put the molds in the freezer without covering them with their lids, if using commercial popsicle molds. Freeze the mixture until it has a slushy consistency, which will be approximately 30 minutes. This ensures that the diced pineapple won’t sink to the bottom of the popsicles.

Next, dived the diced pineapple evenly among each paleta, using a small utensil or popsicle stick to push them down into the paleta. If you are using a commercial popsicle mold, you can now afix the lids and freeze until solid, about 5 hours. If you use your own molds, such as glasses or paper cups, freeze until they begin to set, usually around 45 minutes to an hour, and insert popsicle sticks before freezing until solid, which will be about another 3-4 hours.

If you use an automatic popsicle maker, mix the diced pineapple into the blended mixture and pour into the molds. Then follow the manufacturer’s instructions for freezing.

These would pair perfectly with your favorite gluten-free pale ale, or eat alone for ultimate refreshment.