Now that ice cream has ballooned to become a nearly $13 billion industry, it’s clear that people love frozen treats all year long.
Sales spike in the summer as people struggle to combat the heat and take a little bit of the pressure off in the midst of a sweaty day. Finding the perfect frozen treats takes a lot of trial and error and you might find that you change your preference every single summer.
Here are 10 frozen treats you should think about when it’s time to reach for something good and cold.
1. Sorbet
If you want something frozen but not too heavy, sorbet is always a great alternative to ice cream. Ice cream can be heavy and sugary in those hot summer months when just standing still makes you sweat. Also, you never know who could have an issue dealing with dairy.
There are plenty of dairy-free sorbet options available at your local grocery store. While the classic orange is always a treat, rainbow can be fun for the kids.
If you prefer something lighter, there are some high-end brands who now make a very simple lemon sorbet. Enjoy this one with your sweetie on the porch watching the fireflies go by. It’s the perfect cap to even the heaviest homemade dinner.
2. Frozen Daquiris
Frozen daiquiris are a great treat whether you’re on vacation or just at the end of a long work day. A standard daiquiri is a simple sweet rum drink that’s like a martini for people who like a sweet flavor.
Most of the local chain restaurants like TGIFridays or Applebees will probably have a frozen daiquiri option in the summer but it’s likely to be overly sweet. Go to a beachside bar that specialized in them or else make them yourself.
It’s a simple three-ingredient cocktail that when blended with ice is not only fun to drink but will cool you down. Making a pitcher of them before you head to a barbecue or have friends over for badminton can be the beginning of an afternoon to remember. Enjoy them responsibly and often.
3. Homemade Popsicles
There are a hundred and one ways to make homemade popsicles. The main ingredients are fruit juice, some kind of receptacle, and some sticks. There are even special ice trays that are made for popsicles.
If you’re just having fun with the kids in the afternoon, you can make them with orange juice or your favorite fruit juices. Make a blend and pour them into an ice cube tray. Stretch cellophane over the tray and gently poke toothpicks in so that they stick straight up out of the tray.
In just an hour or two, you’ll have a tray full of popsicles.
If you’re prepared to do something more involved, make a smoothie with blended banana, strawberries, and a dash of your favorite non-dairy milk. pour them into trays and set them up like you did the juice pops. You’ll have a delicious and exciting treat in just over an hour.
4. Frozen Bananas
Frozen bananas are a tasty frozen treat any time of year. They’re so simple but so perfect, that there’s never a bad time for one.
You can buy them prepackaged and made or you can make them yourself. Either way should be just as fun.
Buy some small bananas or be prepared to slice bananas in half. Get some popsicle sticks and some chocolate to melt. Find a recipe for making a chocolate dip and heat it over your stove top.
Lay your impaled bananas on a tray covered with wax paper and gently pour the chocolate over the bananas or dip them if you have enough. Cover the bananas as much as possible and then freeze them for a little more than an hour.
Come back and you should have a freezer filled with delicious treats that will last you all week if you can keep your hands off them. If you make this recipe correctly, they can even be vegan!
5. Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ice cream sandwiches are one of the best classic frozen treats to cool off with in the summer. Whether you like the classic brown cookie on either side of white milky ice cream or a Tofutti Cutie, there’s no good way to improve on this recipe.
Some variations include a chipwich, with chocolate chip cookies on either side and chocolate chips around the outside. You can also opt for a Klondike bar, completely submerged in chocolate.
There are other types that have a softer ice cream or a denser cookie. Whatever you go for, there’s no real way to mess up an ice cream sandwich. It can be like a 3-minute vacation from your day.
6. A Pint of Fancy Ice Cream
There are very few things as nice as remembering that you have a pint of fancy ice cream in your freezer after a long, difficult day. Cracking open that pint and enjoying alone or with a loved one is equally rewarding. A pint of your favorite mashed up flavor can bring a smile to your face no matter what the occasion.
There are so many brands out there offering everything from a candy shop dumped into a pint or high-end gelato. One of the best bets is to go with Ben and Jerrys. There’s a flavor for everyone in their roster.
From the classic “Chunky Monkey” to celebrity-themed flavors, no one can be disappointed by a trip to their shelves. If you want something simpler, there’s always Haagen Dazs.
7. Ice Cream Cake
If you or a loved one has a summer birthday, have you considered an ice cream cake instead of a traditional cake? While you can pick one up at the store, you could also try to make your own ice cream cake. It can be a messy affair at first but it’s so much more fun than a plain old sponge cake.
Ice cream cake is sold by major ice cream makers at most grocery stores. A Small ice cream cake can go much further than a traditional cake.
If it’s a tradition for you and your family to buy cake and ice cream together, why not skip a step and just buy an ice cream cake. You’ll save time and get something delicious all at once.
8. Frozen Fruit
Just plain frozen fruit can be a delicious frozen treat in the summer. A cut up mango tossed in the freezer for an hour or a day could be a fun treat to take out later.
Even frozen grapes can be a fun snack on a hot summer day.
No matter what your poison is, there’s a frozen fruit that will give you everything you’re looking for from a snack while keeping you healthy.
You can cut up frozen fruit and make a smoothie, put them in ice cream, or just eat them on their own. Fruit is never a bad idea.
9. Frozen Margaritas
Frozen margaritas are always a delicious way to start off a weekend or cap off a vacation. Frozen margaritas aren’t available at every kind of bar or restaurant, but they’re often found at Mexican joints during the summer.
If you’re stuck and can’t find a frozen margarita anywhere, you can always make your own. There are delicious recipes online. Just make sure you have all of the amenities to go with them.
Mango frozen margaritas can be the trick up your sleeve at your next big house party. You’ll have people clamoring for more or even asking you to bring them to their next party.
Coat the rim with a salty and spicy mix and you’ll help to slow down the drinking on these tasty treats.
10. Slushies and Soft Serve
If you’d prefer a nonalcoholic version of a daiquiri or a margarita, there are always slushies. You can make your own with a simple recipe, or even go for frozen smoothies.
Or else, you can go to your favorite convenience store for your preferred brand of slushies. Everything from Slush Puppies to Slurpees is a delicious treat for hot weather.
Maybe while you’re out on the hunt for a slushie, someone in the car might want to grab a sundae or some soft serve. View here for more options as to what’s available at your nearby DQ location.
Frozen Treats Can Bring The Family Together
Whether after a little league game, a morning at church, or just a fun family hike, frozen treats can help to bring everyone together. When you have frozen treats, no one is prepared to have an argument or a bad day. Frozen treats can keep the kids from fighting or just help to distract from something else that’s going on.
If you’re in the backyard enjoying frozen treats, you’re going to need our guide for making something shady to hide from the sun with.
