When your summer baby turns one you need a safe, sugar free treat. Nectarine squash pops are the perfect solution! Two ingredients, lots of flavor and no allergens.

First birthdays definitely require a celebration.

You made it! You made it through the first year.

The first year of sleepless nights, crying and dirty diapers.

The first year full of firsts! Smiles, coos, laughs, rolling, crawling and maybe even walking. First foods, first teeth, first words.

Let them eat cake.

A birthday celebration requires a special birthday treat. Usually that means cake.

I LOVE decorating cakes. I look forward to our family birthdays each year because I get to create new cakes.

I’ve done Dora, monkeys, dinosaurs, cars, arts and crafts, Legos, cows, Frozen, bulldozers, April showers and princesses for my kids. I’ve even done airplanes, sports and Cat in the Hat for my nephew, basketball and Calvin Knights for my dad, a fall cake for other family members and a neat recital cake for my sister-in-law.

I wanted to continue that tradition with my third child. With the challenges we’ve faced over the last year we are all certainly ready to celebrate.

Of course I set to work experimenting with new recipes that were free of her allergens.

I made a couple batches of cupcakes (that she loved!)…only to find out more foods that bother her.

Who needs cake?

My daughter’s allergies combined with my preference to keep her at least gluten free for now (she’s been grain free up to this point) make birthday cake almost impossible. We can’t use:

• wheat
• rye
• barley
• oats
• rice
• sorghum
• amaranth
• buckwheat
• tapioca
• potato
• arrowroot
• coconut
• almond
• nuts
• quinoa
• millet
• beans

Add to that no coconut oil, palm shortening, butter or egg whites and you’re not left with much.

Birthday Pops.

I gave up on the idea of birthday cake and opted to do popsicles! They make a perfect summer treat.

Since these popsicles are for a one year old I made them without any added sweetener. I even added some vegetables to keep them mild and nutritious.

Nectarine squash pops make a birthday dessert you can really feel good about serving to the whole family.

Eat in season.

I chose fruit that is in season here in Michigan in late August. Nectarines are so sweet and have such a bright color. They make a great base for a popsicle.

You can use peaches instead if you prefer the flavor.

I ended up making a second batch since we ate the first batch before the birthday! I added some watermelon to the second batch for extra color and sweetness. Watermelon is another late summer fruit that almost everyone enjoys.

Fun and Fast.

Nectarine squash pops are the easiest birthday dessert you’ll ever make. Puree cooked squash and cut up nectarine with an immersion blender or in a regular blender and pour the puree into the popsicle molds. Done!

They are also easy to serve. Simply take them out of the molds a few minutes before serving to take the chill off. Pass them out and enjoy.

For older kids you can add chunks of fruit like cut up strawberries, whole blueberries or raspberries to the puree before filling the molds. Then you’ll really have a fruity, colorful treat.

You can also add a tablespoon or two of honey for big kids. It really covers up any hint of squash flavor. My oldest is pretty picky about flavors and textures. She said she couldn’t taste the squash at all when I added a bit of honey.

I was very disappointed that I couldn’t make a cake for my baby’s first birthday. But I’m so happy with how these nectarine squash pops turned out! I’m even happier that my daughter likes them…and that they are so healthy and free of allergens.

Do you celebrate any summer birthdays?

Instead of cake try nectarine squash pops. They make summer celebrations delicious and healthy.

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This post is linked to Savoring Saturdays.