These strawberry ice cubes are a great way to enjoy the flavor of fresh and fruity strawberries in any beverage you like! Yes, the ridiculousness of giving you a RECIPE for ICE CUBES is not lost on me, but stick with me…there are a few special tricks to know! 😜
When you spend over 10 years developing beverages and cocktails, you tend to get creative with your presentations. Taking something as simple as ice cubes and dressing them up is an excellent way to take your homemade beverages to the next level.
These ice cubes are a perfect way to add some fun flair to anything from strawberry Italian sodas, to lemonade, to special strawberry-based cocktails, like this strawberry ranch water. It’s the best way to use berries at the peak of strawberry season, when berries are on special for buy one get one, or when ripe strawberries start to appear at the farmer’s market.
💕 why you’ll love this strawberry ice cube recipe
🍓 perfect for berry season. Make this recipe when berries are buy one get one at your local market! It’s a flavorful way to enjoy strawberries in all your beverages.
🙌 super simple. If you can slice fruit and freeze water in ice cube trays, you can make this recipe. It’s also a great recipe to make with kids when you are teaching them knife skills in the kitchen!
🤩 impressive & inventive. Imagine the look on your friends and family’s faces when you serve them beverages using these special ice cubes!
🛒 ingredients
- strawberries – this recipe calls for fresh strawberries, but you can also use frozen berries if you like! Using peak-season berries is the best way to make sure that as the ice cubes melt in your drink, the berries will be super flavorful. The instructions specify trimming and hulling the strawberries, but it’s not totally necessary. You can use the whole berry if you want!
- filtered water – this recipe uses regular filtered tap water, because it’s quick and easy! If you want your ice to freeze more clearly, make sure to purchase some distilled water so that it has fewer impurities in it.
Check out the troubleshooting tips for more information on how to get clear ice cubes if that’s what you’re after! Spoiler alert: while they are even more spectacular looking, they do require special equipment and a little more time to make.
🍳 instructions
Step 1: Wash your berries well to remove any dirt or other impurities, then trim and chop your berries.
Step 2: Place 2-3 strawberry slices in each section of an ice cube tray.
Step 3: Place 2-3 strawberry slices in each section of an ice cube tray.
Step 4: Place the ice cube trays in the freezer for 6-8 hours, or overnight, until the ice cubes are completely frozen.
Step 5: Remove the ice cubes from the tray.
Step 6: Store them in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Add them to any beverages you like!
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
Use these cubes in any beverage you like! They work especially well in drinks that have strawberry as an ingredient, because they serve as a “flavor cue.” Using garnishes like these ice cubes is a great way to give a clue to your guests for the flavors they should expect to taste in their drinks!
Here are a few ideas:
- strawberry lemonade – put these cubes in your lemonade to add subtle berry flavor as the cubes melt!
- strawberry soda pop – add 1 tbsp of strawberry simple syrup to some soda water, and fill a glass with these ice cubes for a refreshing treat on a hot summer day!
- strawberry mojitos – imagine the fun of having these strawberry cubes floating in a mojito! Want even more flavor? Try them in a kiwi mojito!
- strawberry ranch water – I recently made these cubes to put in a batch of strawberry ranch water and the result was spectacular!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
In order to be sure you can really see the berries well in the cubes, place the berries sliced side down in the tray.
Putting 2-3 slices of strawberries in the tray up against the bottom and sides of the ice cube tray ensures that the strawberries will be pushed to the edges of the cubes. This helps you to see the slices once they freeze. Otherwise, the berries will float to the middle of the cubes while freezing and you won’t be able to see them clearly.
This recipe makes ice using filtered tap water, which results in ice that can be cloudy. You have a few options if you really want ice that is more clear.
Normally, making clear ice at home without a specialty ice maker involves boiling water and freezing it while it’s still hot. I do not recommend this method as the hot water can damage the delicate strawberries. If you want to make clear ice, use one of the specialty ice cube makers linked below.
- Use distilled water to minimize impurities in the water. This helps the ice to freeze more clearly.
- Use a specialty clear ice maker that will help with that. I love the brands True Cubes and Clearly Frozen.
⚖️ scaling tips
- If you want to make a large batch of ice cubes you can! They store well in the freezer for up to 6 months, so feel free to make as many as you like!
🔆 top tip
If the strawberries aren’t good enough to eat, don’t try saving them to freeze in cubes. As the cubes melt, they will flavor your drinks, so you want to use the best-tasting berries you can!
♻️ substitutions & variations
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- frozen berries– use frozen strawberries in place of fresh ones if you can’t find any berries near you.
- add juice – Add in some citrus juice, like lemon or lime, for a fun and flavorful twist. Strawberries and lime go very well together!
- pureé – purée the berries first, then freeze them in the ice cube tray for solid cubes of strawberry flavor!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
- ice cube tray – I love using ice cube trays from Tovolo because they come with lids for easy stacking and they are compact. Freezer space is a premium for us, so having smaller trays is always a plus! They can be a little difficult to remove cubes from at times, but their pros outweigh the cons for me. Plus, they make the perfect 1-inch cubes!
- pairing knife – You’ll need a sharp pairing knife to trim your strawberries. I love using Wuthöf knives, but if your budget doesn’t allow for such a splurge, Cuisinart makes a great option!
- cutting board – You’ll also need a cutting board for slicing the berries.
🫙 storage tips
Store your strawberry ice cubes in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
💬 q+a
Can you freeze strawberries into ice cube trays?
Yes! Berries are some of the perfect fruits to chop up and freeze into ice cube trays. They make beautiful ice cubes for all your beverages, and are the perfect way to give flavor cues!
Do frozen berries get soggy?
To a point, yes. Freezing fruits breaks down their cell walls, which impacts their strength and structure.
Why is my ice cloudy?
Freezing ice in home freezers is done by multidirectional cooling. This means the cold air is hitting the ice cube tray from top to bottom, and side to side. This leads to cloudiness in the ice, because the particles in the water are getting pushed in towards the center. In order to make clear ice easily at home, check out specialty clear ice makers!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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Strawberry Ice Cubes
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Equipment
- 1 ice cube tray
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 small cutting board
Ingredients
- 200 grams Fresh Strawberries about 1 cup, or half a pint
- 340 grams filtered water 1.5 cups, or 12 ounces
Instructions
- Wash your berries well to remove any dirt or other impurities.
- Trim, hull, and slice the berries.
- Place 2-3 strawberry slices in each section of an ice cube tray.
- Fill the ice cube trays with water.
- Place the ice cube trays in the freezer for 6-8 hours, or until the cubes have frozen solid.
- Remove the cubes from the ice cube tray and store them in a zip top bag for up to 3 months. Add them to any beverages you like!
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
