When summer sizzles, I only want to eat something light and cool. And while I'm a ceviche and frosé kind of gal all summer long, I also like to cool off with a homemade freezer treat or two. Sure, I could fill my freezer with pre-made frozen goodies, but when I make them myself, they're entirely worth the (usually minimal) effort because they're so packed with the good stuff that the flavor truly pops in a way that storebought goodies almost never do.
So if you're ready to stock up with shivery summer goodness, we have all kinds of treats you can make to stick in your freezer until you're ready to chill out. Packed with summer flavors, these freezer treats are sizzling hot weather must-makes.
Mango Sorbet
The best mango sorbet I ever had was a dazzling chef-made concoction in Santa Fe, NM. It was such a flavor explosion that I can still feel that first bite three years later. Naturally, I've been seeking to match that flavor punch with recipe experimentation since the moment I tasted it. And this recipe is darn close. Filled with punchy, powerful mango flavor (plus a little acidity from lime), this simple sorbet will make your tastebuds tingle while it cools you from the inside out.
Ingredients
- 5 mangos, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 cup simple syrup
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon grated lime zest (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth.
- Transfer to an air-tight freezer container. Freeze for four hours.
Helpful Hack
Looking for a slightly creamier consistency? Add up to 3T of full-fat coconut milk before you blend.
Frozen Banana Bites
If chocolate-covered 'nanas are wrong, I don't ever want to be right. For these, use ripe bananas, which are sweeter. Feel free to roll 'em in whatever sounds good — from chopped nuts to your fave cereal. And they're so easy to make. Just melt your favorite dark or sweet chocolate (I use Lily's stevia-sweetened chocolate to cut down on sugar), add a tablespoon or two of melted coconut oil and mix it up, dip in the frozen banana chunks, roll them in something yummy, and freeze them. They're the perfect frozen grab 'n' go snack for summer.
Watermelon Granita
On the hottest day of the year, this icy watermelon treat is so darn refreshing that you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. I like it with a hint of ginger, but that's optional.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of cubed seedless watermelon
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger (optional)
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients on high until smooth.
- Pour into a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze.
- Every hour, use a fork to scrape the top of the frozen watermelon concoction. Do this every hour for six hours.
- Serve within a few hours.
Ice Cream Sandwiches
You'll feel like a kid again when you stock your freezer with yummy ice cream sandwiches. And we have 60 different ice cream sandwich flavor combos you can try, from simply sweet to super decadent (or get creative with your own combo). It's a yummy, low-effort summer treat.
Frozen Yogurt Bark
I love that not all summer treats have to be unhealthy, sugar-laden goodies (although those are tasty, too). Looking for something on the lighter side? Try EatingWell's strawberry chocolate Greek yogurt bark recipe, and then riff on it to make your own combos.
Kulfi
Kulfi is a creamy, flavorful South Asian frozen treat that you can make at home. I admit this one requires a bit more effort because it gets its creaminess from cooking the milk for a while, but it's absolutely worth the time. Try Hebbar's Kitchen's kulfi recipe and see what all the fuss is about.
Grapefruit Granita
I'm a sucker for grapefruit anything (except, ironically, plain grapefruit). It's so refreshing in the summer, especially when it's added to a sweet 'n' sour icy granita, like this recipe from Food Network.
Piña Colada Pops
You don't need a boozy concoction to enjoy a piña colada. Instead, make this booze-free ice pop, and enjoy it poolside.
Ingredients
- 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
- ½ cup simple syrup
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Pour into ice pop molds.
- Freeze.
- Eat.
Helpful Hack
No ice pop molds? You can use paper cups, wooden popsicle sticks, and foil. Simply fill the cups with the mixture, cover with foil, and insert the sticks right through the foil before freezing. Peel away the cups to serve.
Brown Sugar Boba Ice Pops
Can't get enough boba in your life? Yeah — I get it. These frozen ice pops from allybakes make such a yummy frozen treat, you'll want to make them again and again.
Fast Fact
Get brain freeze when you eat something cold? It's called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (say that five times fast), and it's most likely caused by the constriction of blood vessels in your palate. To make it go away, press your finger or your tongue to the roof of your mouth to warm it up or sip on something warm.
Homemade Freezer Treats FTW
Summer heat calls for a big chill, and these tasty homemade freezer treats are the sweetest way we can think of to cool down. So no matter how high the temps climb this summer, stock up your freezer, and you'll be ready to chill out at a moment's notice.
