Ginger Lemonade Slushie

Some call them slushies, and some call them slurpees or iced drinks or slush. But regardless what you call it, this gingery lemonade slushie recipe will yield an incredibly refreshing, invigoratingly tart and spicy, and supremely cooling drink – the perfect beverage to kick back with in the shade of a big tree on a warm summer day.

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Ice “Cube” Hack

In my opinion, the trick to perfecting a satisfying lemonade slushie recipe is to make your own ice cubes. It allows you to add an extra layer of finesse and personal flair, instead of defaulting to plain old frozen water.

But what if you don’t have an ice cube tray? That’s not a problem.

I didn’t have an ice cube tray either, but I did have a muffin tray – a silicon, 24-count muffin tray, to be precise (I use it to make dog treats). I simply filled up each individual well with a bit of seltzer water and popped it in the freezer for one hour. Voilà, homemade ice…ovals. They’re not exactly cubes, but they worked well.

If you don’t have a smaller muffin tray, but do have a 12-count muffin tray like most people who don’t bake bite-sized muffin treats for dogs, fill them about 1/2 of the way full with seltzer, rather than all the way, so the ice ovals will fit inside your blender with ease.

If you don’t have a muffin tray, then look for something with a similar design that can endure the cold temperatures of the freezer. But if you really can’t find anything, simply use generic ice cubes made from plain old, un-carbonated water.

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It’s Basically Just Fancy Water That Can’t Sit Still

Much like the drink itself, carbonated H2O goes by many different names: seltzer, club soda, sparkling water, ect. But essentially, they all amount to a fizzy, bubbly water that’ll give your slushie an extra carbonated punch. There might be subtle difference between each of them, but I don’t really think it matters all that much: they will work for this relatively simple lemonade slushie recipe.

Seltzer freezes pretty much the same way that plain, unpretentious water does, but expect it to lose a little bit of its carbonation post-freeze; as the effervescent bubbles of gas become trapped in solid ice, they tend to lose their typical frenetic verve as they melt.

Personally, I would recommend freezing plain carbonated water – like Schweppes Club Soda – for this lemonade slushie recipe, since the end products is already quite lemony and sour with no need of additional flavors. Of course, you have the option of using a flavored seltzer, too. If you are going to do that, for my sake at least go for a lemon or lime flavored sparkling water, as it’s the most thematically pleasing. But in the end, it’s really up to you, even though I’m internally face-palming at the thought of you using a berry-flavored LaCroix or something in the same vein.

Alternatively, you can also simply freeze plain ol’ tap water if your tongue doesn’t fancy a cage match with the sharp, pinprick sensations of fizzy, carbonated waters. But really, for this lemonade slushie recipe, carbonated is best.

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To Sweeten (or Not To) Sweeten the Lemonade Slushie Recipe

Some people have an uncanny ability to endure and even to enjoy the most excruciatingly sour of things. Their face may twist and their lips may pucker and their tooth enamel may peel like old wallpaper, but they simply aren’t dissuaded from going back for another taste. My dad is one of these people. His favorite dessert has always been lemon bars. The more acidic and tart they were, the more that he enjoyed them.

So, if you identify with this rare demographic of people who crave the burn of citric acid and have a high threshold for sour, then by all means don’t bother sweetening this drink. But be warned: pure lemon juice and ginger will have your duck-facing for hours afterwards.

However, if you’re like me, and your tongue isn’t quite ready for that kind of shock, then consider sweetening this lemonade slushie recipe with a bit of syrup, either agave or maple syrup ought to do. You actually don’t need very much – a tablespoon or two at most. Agave tends to be more cloyingly sweet than maple syrup, so you’ll likely need less of that. The important thing is to add the syrup, blend, and then taste. Add a bit at a time and re-taste until you offset the sourness just a little bit. Careful not to completely obliterate the wonderful sour-flavor of the lemon though – you are making a lemonade, after all.

Stevia or xylitol sweeteners?

If you’re conscientious of your sugar in-take, then you also have the option to use something like stevia or xylitol. Personally, I’ve never used these, so I’m not sure roughly how much to add, but I imagine it’s pretty similar to the quantity of syrup in the recipe, a tablespoon or so. Please note that granulated sweeteners may not dissolve very well in colder drinks, so find a way to dissolve them or partially dissolve them before adding the sweetener to the blender, i.e. whisking them in room temp seltzer vigorously. That way, you can avoid a granulated texture and distribute the sweetness more evenly throughout this lemonade slushie recipe.

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The Ginger Lemonade Slushie Recipe

Anyone can make this lemonade slushie recipe. The combination of ginger and lemon in a cool refreshing drink is so pleasing and harmonious, and also a great way of reaping the benefits of consuming raw ginger in a revitalizing way.

Also, this recipe makes enough for one 12.oz glass full – one person worth of slushie. My blender couldn’t handle a double recipe, but yours might be able to.

So get out your ice cube trays or muffin tins, un-cap the seltzer, and prepare for a wonderful, simple to make lemon ginger slushie that’ll get you through the swelter.

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I sincerely hope that you enjoyed this lemonade slushie recipe. If you did, leave a comment and recipe rating before you go!

Also, check out this much more mild and creamy, but equally easy to make, Orange Creamsicle Smoothie, too!

May you have good food in good company,

That Vegan Nephew