Can you think of a better way to beat the heat on a blistering summer day than to slurp on a chilled slushie? Probably not. If you think you can get your favorite slushie only from a cafe or store, you are wrong. You can now make it at home even if you do not own a commercial slush machine. We have not only one but three different ways to make your favorite slushies at home, depending on the equipment you have on hand.
1. Using your Freezer
Do you wish to make a slushie without using a machine? Well, we have the perfect gadget-free technique for you to cool off on a sweltering hot day. You can make delicious granita-style slushies at home using just your freezer. Although the fancy name might fool you into believing otherwise, granitas are very effortless to make. You simply put your favorite sugary blend into the freezer and stir it as it solidifies to get a toothsome slushie-icy concoction.
Follow our step-by-step guide to enjoy home-made slushies using a gadget-free technique:
- Starting with the basics: to make any slushie, you typically need to combine water with a sweetener. Most recipes use plain sugar, but you can also substitute it with agave or maple syrup to make your slushie taste fancier. Eight parts liquids-to-two parts sweetener is the standard ratio for the perfect slushie!
If you choose sugar as a sweetener, add 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water into a bowl and start stirring it. To ensure that your slushie has a smooth texture, thoroughly dissolve all the sugar. If you leave any sugar undissolved, the slushie will taste grainy after it freezes.
You can also swap this sugar and water combination with a sweetened beverage of your choice. Just add 5 cups of your favorite drink to a bowl to make a slushie from it. You can use any chilled drink, such as your favorite soda, lemonade, coffee, fruit juice, or even chocolate milk!
- Next, mix the flavored extract and food coloring with the sugar syrup. You will need one and a half teaspoons of extract and five to ten drops of food coloring. However, you can change the ratio and add more or less according to your taste. Some color and flavor combinations that make yummy and appealing slushies include:
- Blue food coloring and raspberry extract
- Red food coloring and a mixture of cherry and vanilla extract
- Yellow/green food coloring and lime extract. To add an extra oomph to this combination, try adding a teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Once you have combined the flavored extract and coloring of your choice, pour all the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Choose a container that has high sides to ensure that the mixture does not spill out. Using a plastic wrap or a lid, cover the container and place it in the freezer.
- Let the sweet-fruity mixture freeze and stir it after every 30 minutes. As you repeatedly break up the frozen mixture by stirring it, it creates the classic granular texture of a granite-style slushie. You can take it out after 2 to 3 hours.
- Once your slushie-icy mix is ready, scoop it into glasses and enjoy your sweet concoction!
2. Using an Ice Cream Maker
Another fun and easy way to make a slushie at home is to put your ice cream maker at work. Since an ice cream machine also works just like a commercial slush machine, it will churn and freeze the mixture into a smooth chilled drink. All you need to do is add your favorite flavored extract or juice blend – you can even add sweetened iced coffee – into the ice cream maker and let it do its job. In about twenty minutes, you will have the perfect blend of ice and sugar, even better than the slushies you buy at store.
Follow the guide below to make your favorite slushies at home using an ice cream machine for a fun twist:
- The first step is to prepare your sugar syrup, so add 1 cup of sugar (you can adjust the amount to appease your taste buds) and 4 cups of water in a big bowl. Remember that slushies do not contain any milk, so you can only make your sugar syrup using water. Once you have added your preferred amount of sugar and water into the bowl, stir it until all the sugar is dissolved. Make sure that no sugar grains remain at the bottom of the bowl. This step will help you avoid a grainy texture and make your slushie smooth as butter.
- Once all the sugar is dissolved, add in your favorite flavored extract and food coloring, and stir it. Most slush recipes call for 1 1/2 teaspoons of flavored extract/ juice blend to 5-10 drops of food coloring to match. Write down this ratio to concoct your own delicious slushie recipes. If you prefer a creamy slushie, add 1-2 tablespoons of cream into the mixture and thoroughly stir it. Pair it with vanilla or orange extract, and you will thank us later.
- Now pour the prepared mixture into your ice cream maker and process it till it freezes to a slushie consistency. It will take around 10-20 minutes for your slushie to be fully ready. Make sure that you turn off the machine while the mixture still has a loose consistency. If you process it for too long, your slushy mixture will freeze into a solid chunk, and you will have to enjoy ice cream instead of a slushie.
- Once your slushie has reached the right consistency, pour it into glasses and sup it to beat the heat.
Using an ice cream machine is a great way to make a slushie when you do not have enough time to freeze your slushie mixture in the freezer or do not have a blender on hand. You can also make other snacks while your slushie mixture is processing. Moreover, you will not end up with a chunk of flavorless ice when you reach the end of your slushie, as an ice cream maker thoroughly churns your mixture and gives it a homogenous texture.
Do not trust us? Make a batch and try for yourself.
3. Using a Blender
The quickest and probably the most hassle-free way to make a slushie at home is to use a blender. You just have to transfer all your ingredients to the blender, turn it on, and let it handle the rest. You can be as creative as you want and make unique icy blends using different ingredients like frozen fruit and flavored ice cubes.
Don’t know where to start? Follow this simple guide to make the most delicious slushie at home using a blender:
- To imitate the classic slushie, prepare a sugar mixture using the method stated above. Then add the flavor and color of your preference and stir it all together. If you do not have any flavored extract at home, you can use a packet of Kool-Aid powder instead.
If you are a soda-lover, make a soda-flavored slushie by pouring your favorite soda into an ice cube tray and letting it set. Instead of adding the sugar mixture to the blender, add the soda ice cubes with cold soda.
- Transfer your mixture into the blender and add two cups of ice cubes. To have a smooth-textured slushie, get a blender that is powerful enough to crush the ice finely. If your blender cannot handle it, break the ice cubes into smaller pieces before adding them to the blender to get the classic slushie texture.
- Once all the ingredients are in the blender, turn it to high speed and whir everything up until a smooth slush mixture forms. To prevent sipping on unflavored ice chunks at the bottom, stir the mixture periodically and circulate the ice. Keep blending until all the ice has is crushed.
You can also use a food processor to blend your slushie mixture if your blender is not powerful enough and process it in multiple batches.
- Once the slushie reaches the right consistency, taste it. If you are not satisfied with the sweetness or flavor, add more and give it one final blend. Pour the heavenly icy blend into a glass and get relief from the scorching heat.
Final Words
Get ready to prepare the perfect sweet icy blend at home using these methods. You can enjoy delicious slushies with your loved ones without spending extra money on a commercial slush machine. However, if you are looking for one, read our article on 10 Best Slush Machine Reviews.