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Give me the chills! Here's where to get your ice pop fix in North Texas this summer

Popsicles and paletas are helping cool down the summer with intense flavors and icy goodness.

It’s only getting hotter in Texas. The best, logical solution to this is taking a bite of frozen, fruity goodness that comes in the form of paletas and ice pops.

Modern ice pops are like cooler, hipper versions of your favorite childhood treat, but with pure ingredients and exciting flavor combinations. New shops are popping up around North Texas alongside longtime favorites, and all offer everything from fruity, refreshing delights to milky, more decadent flavors.

Paleteria San Marcos

Paleteria San Marcos has been making authentic, frozen Mexican desserts for more than two decades, says co-owner Belén Ortiz. Paletas are considered an everyday treat in most Latin American countries as well as here in Texas, she says.

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Fresh fruit makes these treats all the sweeter. San Marcos sells Mexican-style paletas in flavors such as mango with chile, tamarind, and papaya with avocado, which are the shop's most popular choices during the summer. There’s also the option of grabbing a bolis, which Ortiz says is basically a paleta without the stick and the mess. Ortiz says the rompope flavor, which tastes like eggnog, is popular.

The shop makes batches of 500-600 of each flavor at a time, and the fruit ones involve hand-dicing the fruit and squeezing fresh limes, she says.

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“All of that matters so that you get a really bright flavor when you eat it,” Ortiz says.

2740 Valwood Parkway, Suite 130, Farmers Branch; 14203 S. Coit Road, Richardson. paletasanmarcos.com.

Push carts sit to the side at Paleteria San Marcos
Push carts sit to the side at Paleteria San Marcos (Shaban Athuman / Staff Photographer)
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HA’ Paletería

HA’ Paletería is a Mexican concept, but owner Mario Ramirez wants to appeal to a universal crowd. He says he takes advantage of all of the great fruits and flavors of Mexico and converts them into pops. That history started in Mexico with taking ice from the top of volcanoes and topping it with exotic fruit, he says, which eventually evolved into paletas and other ice cream treats.

Owner Mario Cesar Ramirez poses for a photograph holding paletas at HA' Paletería in Plano.
Owner Mario Cesar Ramirez poses for a photograph holding paletas at HA' Paletería in Plano.(Ryan Michalesko / Staff Photographer)

A distinct flavor combo of his is creamy avocado with an espresso shot. Other fun flavors include guava; tuna fruit (prickly pear cactus flower); “mojito” with chunks of pineapple, orange and mint; and a strawberry pop filled with creamy condensed milk bits.

“Yes, we came up with our own recipes,” Ramirez says. “We became alchemist.”

Ramirez says he loves being in Plano because of the multicultural, accepting atmosphere. “People have loved our concept since day one,” Ramirez says.

Paletas in a freezer at HA' Paletería
Paletas in a freezer at HA' Paletería(Ryan Michalesko / Staff Photographer)

Also on the menu are Mexican snacks like churros, tostilocos, chamoy and Tajin ice pops, and mangonada.

1601 K Ave., Plano. hapaleteria.com.

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Alchemy Pops

Alchemy Pops is a Fort Worth-based gourmet ice pop shop and delivery company that uses fresh, all-natural ingredients. The company has been around since 2016 in mobile form, but the brick-and-mortar store opened in 2018, says Carolyn Phillips, owner and chief alchemist.

From Alchemy's creamy chai tea latte and green tea matcha options to its original flavor mix of honey cream lavender and the best-selling blackberry lemonade pop, the flavor combos keep things interesting. If you’re vegan or prefer a dairy-free treat, don’t fret. The chocolate pop is made with dates and coconut milk, making for a fudgy consistency, Phillips says.

Alchemy Pops owner Carolyn Phillips in her store in Fort Worth.
Alchemy Pops owner Carolyn Phillips in her store in Fort Worth.(Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor)
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Employees - called “popstars” - not only handcraft the products by chopping, blending and hand-packaging the pops, but they also have a hand in the flavor combinations that get picked.

411 S. Main St., Suite 109, Fort Worth. alchemypops.com.

Picolé Pops 

If you’re looking for an adult version of a fruity treat, look no further than Picolé Pops. Not only does the shop have the traditional fruit and cream-filled options, it also carries alcohol-infused pops. Yes, you read that right. Alcohol-infused. These Brazilian-style pops come in flavors like Strawberry Daiquiri, Blackberry Mojito and Mango Margarita on a stick. The alcohol-infused pops are sold only at the Deep Ellum location. Filled options (alcohol-free) are some of Picolé's most popular flavored pops, like banana with Nutella filling and mango with chamoy sauce.

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Manager Melissa Lara says Picolé wanted to bring something new to the area. She says the shop uses top brands of tequila, and all of the ice pops are made with fresh, all-natural ingredients.

“It’s all glass," Lara says of the store, "so people can see how we make them while we’re cutting all the fruit and watermelon and cucumber and mixing the alcohol popsicles."

Adrian Lara, co-founder of Picole Pops, prepares a pair of popsicles at the store's Deep...
Adrian Lara, co-founder of Picole Pops, prepares a pair of popsicles at the store's Deep Ellum location.(Lynda M. Gonzalez / Staff Photographer)
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Bishop Arts District, 415 W. Davis Street, Dallas; Deep Ellum, 2656 Main Street, Suite 110, Dallas. facebook.com/PicolePopsDallas.