Farm-to-freezer: Beat the heat this summer with local gourmet popsicles

It's another hot summer in Sacramento. Chill out with sweet gourmet iced treats (champagne-and-pear popsicles, anyone?) from these four local dessert artisans.

DavePops

​Dave Feldpausch of Sacramento, who owns DavePops, calls the method of making his signature popsicles “duBlé,” a word he made up to describe how the treats retain their creamy texture without the use of any dairy products (hint: Feldpausch freezed the ingredients twice). His low-calorie, vegan-friendly creations have become popular at local farmers’ markets, where he rolls out his cart filled with popsicles whose flavors range from the classic strawberry made with real fruit to the addicting mint chocolate chip with mini vegan chocolate chips to the new Cherry Garsoya, a delicious twist to Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia made with soy milk instead of egg yolk and cream. You can find DavePops at the Oak Park farmers' market at McClatchy Park on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or alternating between Carmichael Park and Land Park farmers' markets on Sundays. 925-8521. davepops.com 

Devine Gelateria

​This desserterie brings a taste of Italy to midtown with handmade sorbetto and gelato pops. Owners Elizabeth and Brian McCleary opened the shop in 2011 after Elizabeth spent a month in Italy perfecting the art of making gelato, which uses less air and very little cream in its ingredients, giving it a dense, velvety texture. Try the irresistible salted caramel gelato pop, or the espresso chip, with an espresso syrup base mixed with Temple coffee and drizzled with hard-shell chocolate. On the fruity side, Devine makes an elegant champagne-and-poached-pear pop, which tastes exactly as it sounds, a refreshing blend of sorbetto base with fresh, ripe pear poached in bubbly champagne. 1221 19 St. 446-0600. devinegelateria.com

Fat Face

Don’t let the name—or the company’s logo featuring a cockeyed pig—make you feel guilty about splurging on a sweet iced treat at this popsicle cart. Most of creator Jaymes Luu’s frozen treats contain fruit and other fresh, locally grown produce, including the blueberry lemon yogurt and peach lavender pops. Luu is known for his fusion of ingredients you would never find at your neighborhood ice cream parlor, like the popular limeade-and-avocado pop or the plum-basil-green-tea pop, a tongue-tickling combination of cinnamon basil, Santa Rosa plums and jasmine green tea. You can find Fat Face pops at the bustling Davis farmers' market on Wednesday evenings from 4:30–8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. fatfacedavis.com

JB Ice Cream Nevería & Paletería de Michoacán

​Baskin Robbins may have 31 ice cream flavors, but they still can’t compete with this Northgate nevería (ice cream parlor in Spanish), whose owner trained in Michoacán, the Mexican state known for its superior ice cream. The shop currently sells a whopping 39 flavors of fruit bars, all of which are made in-house and use natural ingredients, like the refreshing mango, pineapple, coconut and strawberry fruit bars. If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of JB’s less conventional bars, like the one made with pine nuts or the hibiscus flower popsicle, for which the plant is dried, strained and combined with water and sugar. 2330 Northgate Blvd. 514-2309

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