How to Make Flavored Ice Cubes: 5 Fun Ideas

From edible flowers to gummy candies to cold brew coffee, it's easy to enhance your water, cocktails, or other beverages with these 5 flavored ice cube ideas.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Whether you're trying to drink more water or you're planning a cocktail party, one of the easiest ways to spruce up your beverages is to add flavored ice cubes. Not only do they make beverages more visually pleasing but they're tasty too. Flavored ice cubes can be made with a wide variety of ingredients (and ingredient combos), so the possibilities are endless. Besides, who says ice cube trays are just for water?

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What's more, the ice cubes themselves can be used in myriad ways. You can think of flavored ice cubes as mini ice pops but also as ingredients in the drinks themselves. Want to take your mojitos and mocktails up a notch? Try basil-infused ice cubes. Want to encourage your little ones to drink more water AND get more fruit and veggies? Enter fruit-infused ice cubes and green smoothie ice cubes! You could even mix and match different types of ice cubes for a deliciously unique beverage.

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If you're looking for inspiration, you're in luck. From striped smoothie ice cubes to dried flower versions, the following five creative ice cube recipes will make your summer drinks extra cool.

Striped Ice Cubes

Things You'll Need

  • Canned coconut milk (or milk of choice)

  • Mango puree or smoothie

  • Berry puree or smoothie

  • Ice cube tray

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

To puree a fruit, simply blend it in a food processor or blender. You can combine several fruits if you’d like. To make a healthy smoothie, blend the fruits with milk of your choice. For example, for our striped ice cubes, we used a berry smoothie made of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and oat milk.

1. Add the first layer

Fill a third of each cavity in the ice tray with the berry smoothie. Place the tray in the freezer for at least two hours.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

2. Add the second layer

Fill the next third of each cavity with coconut milk. Place it in the freezer for another two hours.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

3. Add the third layer

Top off the ice tray by filling the last third with mango puree or smoothie. Return it to the freezer for another two hours.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

4. Enjoy striped ice cubes in summer drinks

Whether you're drinking plain water or fruit juice, these striped ice cubes will add flavor and fun to your summer beverages.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

Keep in mind that the coconut milk, mango puree, and berry smoothie are just suggestions. Feel free to replace these ingredients with other types of purees or smoothies depending on the color palette you’re going for. For example, you can use kiwi puree for a green layer, blueberry puree for a dark purple layer, or strawberry smoothie for a light pink layer.

Dried Flower Ice Cubes

Things You'll Need

  • Dried rose petals

  • Dried lavender buds

  • Dried calendula and/or chamomile petals

  • Water, lemonade, or iced tea

  • Ice cube tray

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

Always use dried edible flowers that have been grown for culinary use. You can buy them at tea shops, specialty health grocery stores, or apothecaries.

1. Mix and match dried flowers

Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of dried flowers to each cavity in an ice cube tray. You can add more or less depending on the finished look you want. Remember that flowers have their own scents and flavors, from subtle to strong. This will depend on many factors, including how the flowers were dried and how old they are.

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Since edible flowers are so versatile, they taste lovely with a wide range of drinks. However, there are some combos that work especially well together. For example, for a relaxing iced tea, try lavender and chamomile ice cubes. For grapefruit juice or lemonade, we recommend rose.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

You can also use fresh edible flowers if you’re able to find them. The availability of fresh edible flowers might depend on the season.

2. Fill the tray and freeze

Add water until the tray is full. For more flavor, we recommend using lemonade or iced tea instead of water. Place the tray in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

3. Dress up your drinks and serve

Enjoy your floral ice cubes in water, iced tea, seltzer, or lemonade. For extra fun, try adding a lemon slice or a fresh sprig of rosemary to the glass.

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Looking for more edible flower inspiration?

If you enjoy these flower ice cubes, delve further into the delight of dried flower edibles and try these edible floral lollipops!

Mint and Basil Ice Cubes

When it comes to herb-infused drinks, mint and basil are classic options. You can use them together or on their own depending on the flavor profile you're going for.

Things You'll Need

  • Fresh mint and basil

  • Water or lemonade

  • Ice cube tray

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

1. Add the herbs

Separate the basil and mint leaves so that they can fit in your ice cube tray. Add one to four leaves to each cavity depending on the size of the leaves and the amount of flavor you want. You can also use just basil or mint for each cube if you'd like.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

2. Fill the tray and freeze

Fill each cavity with water or with lemonade for more flavor. Place it in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

3. Add the herb-infused ice cubes to your favorite drinks

Serve your mint and basil ice cubes with cocktails, lemonade, or plain water. For cocktails, we recommend enjoying these ice cubes with drinks made with lime or lemon.

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Coffee Ice Cubes

Things You'll Need

  • Cold brew or black iced coffee

  • Ice cube tray

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

1. Add coffee to the tray

To make these easy flavored ice cubes, simply fill the ice cube tray with cold brew coffee for the best flavor. It's brewed slowly over 12 to 24 hours, so it's more concentrated and has a smoother flavor. This means it will be less likely to dilute your drink or change its taste.

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Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

You can also use iced black coffee that has been brewed over a few minutes, but this version tends to taste more bitter, so it might change the flavor of your drink. Iced black coffee is also less concentrated than cold brew, so it may dilute your beverage.

Tip

Avoid using hot coffee. Not only will the heat potentially damage your tray but it will take much longer to freeze.

2. Freeze and add a touch of coffee to your favorite drinks

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Coffee ice cubes are perfect for, well, coffee! Compared to normal ice cubes, they won't water down your coffee as they melt, making them ideal for iced coffee and lattes. You can also add coffee ice cubes to your favorite milk for a delicious beverage.

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Gummy Candy Ice Cubes

Things You'll Need

  • Gummy candies

  • Water

  • Ice cube tray

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

You’re welcome to use sour gummy candies for this ice cube recipe. However, keep in mind that the gummies will lose the sour coating in the water.

1. Add the gummy candies

Add three or four gummy candies to each cavity in an ice cube tray. Feel free to mix and match colors and types of candies ... and try not to eat them all just yet!

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

While the gummies don’t actually add flavor to drinks, you’ll be able to eat them once the ice melts. So, you can choose gummy flavors that complement your drink if you’d like. For example, if you’re serving a peach drink, consider using peach gummy rings for a fun touch.

2. Fill the tray with water and freeze

Add enough water to fill each cavity. Place the tray in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Tip

For a colorful twist, use orange juice or cranberry juice instead of water. You could even pair the gummy candies with lime slices.

3. Elevate your drinks with gummy candy ice cubes

Image Credit: Kirsten Nunez

Thanks to the bright colors of gummy candies, this version is super fun and attractive. Enjoy gummy candy ice cubes in sparkling water, summer cocktails or even plain ice water. Once the ice cubes melt, you'll be left with a tasty treat.

Common Questions

What are the best molds for making flavored ice cubes?

When making flavored ice cubes, consider using an ice cube tray with a lid. This will keep the contents from picking up odors from your freezer. Plus, if your ice cubes have solid ingredients, like dried flowers or herbs, the lid will help them stay put as the cubes freeze. For these recipes, we used the OXO Good Grips Ice Cube Trays, which are available on Amazon. We’re also big fans of the W&P Peak Everyday Ice Tray, which is made of silicone.

How do you make clear ice cubes?

The best way to make clear ice cubes is to freeze water in a mini cooler overnight, remove the ice and cut the ice into cubes using a serrated knife. However, this technique might not be ideal, especially if you have a small freezer. You can also make ice cubes with water that has been previously boiled. The ice cubes won’t be completely clear, but they will be clearer than ice cubes made with nonboiled water.

How should I store my flavored ice cubes?

After your flavored ice cubes have been fully frozen, you can remove them from the tray and store them in a reclosable freezer bag. You may wish to avoid storing them directly in the tray, as other foods stored in the freezer, like fish and meats, may affect the taste and scent of your ice cubes.

Now that you've mastered the art of making flavored ice cubes, try this summery citrus spritz cocktail made with flower ice cubes!

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