There are a few things you need to know about this Vanilla Ice recipe:
- It won't rock a mic like a vandal.
- It won't wax a chump like a candle.
- It won't cook MC's like a pound of bacon.
But if you have a problem (with drinks getting watery and tasteless after your ice melts), yo, this recipe will solve it.
Okay, I'm done, I promise. This post isn't just a gimmick and it does solve a problem. I'm not a fan of ice cubes because of the way they water down everything you add them to. But flavored ice cubes, well, those are different! As they melt, they add flavor to your drinks instead of taking it away.
These Vanilla Ice cubes are made with almond milk, sugar, and vanilla. So not only do they add the flavor of vanilla to your drink, they also add some creaminess and a touch of sweetness. They're perfect for iced coffee, tea, chai, or even lemonade.
Alternately, you can add less sugar to the recipe (or omit it altogether) and use these cubes to chill root beer, cola, and other sodas.
And if you're too impatient to wait for them to melt in your drink, you can eat them like popsicles too. (I know this because I'm very impatient and I've had a few of these ice cubes straight from the freezer.)
So here are some additional things you should know about Vanilla Ice cubes. First, they don't always melt all pretty, particularly if your drink is a little bit warm.
The vanilla almond milk mixture has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the glass, so give it a little stir. And let the ice melt a little (or a lot!) before you drink--I mean, that's the whole point of these, right?
Edited to Add: I've heard from a few people saying that their vanilla ice cubes curdled in their coffee. I couldn't figure out why since that never happened to me or for the majority of people who made these.
After doing some research, I found that occasionally curdling will occur in especially acidic coffees or teas, in drinks made with hard water, or drinks that are very hot.
Some brands of non-dairy milk are more prone to curdling than others; I use Silk. Please also note that if you alter the recipe, you may have different results.
P.S. If you're looking for a way to use these vanilla ice cubes, try them in this incredible coconut horchata. Yummy!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- ice cube tray
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond or coconut milk
- ⅓ cup white sugar (organic for vegan-friendly)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional--add for more intense vanilla flavor
Instructions
- Combine almond milk and sugar in a large saucepan.
- Slice open vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape insides into saucepan, then place empty vanilla bean into mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to break up clumps of vanilla.
- Once mixture has come to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes more, whisking occasionally.
- Allow vanilla mixture to come to room temperature.
- Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl with a spout, then pour mixture into ice cube trays.
- Freeze until completely solid, 3-4 hours (depending on the temperature of your freezer and size of the cubes).
- Serve with iced coffee, tea, or other beverages.
Mary Ann says
I'm in the middle of making this now and can I say that the opening few lines of text on your recipe is the best thing I've read in a while, hahah!! 😉
Samantha {Weirding with Wisdom} says
I agree! I laughed out loud reading it and confused my roommate!
I LOVE this idea. I've been making frozen coffee "ice-cubes", but this might just be an even better idea!! Pinning this one for sure!
Kiersten says
Thanks for the pin! 🙂
Gail says
I could just pour my espresso shots over the top of these, and have my cold summer breakfast drink!! Another reason I can't wait for summer!
Kiersten says
That is a great idea! 🙂 I'm totally counting down the days to summer too...
Kelly says
Can you use Splenda or another sugar substitute?
Kiersten says
I haven't done it myself, but I think it would work.
neelieC says
I love this site! These recipes for ice cubes, or "limbels" as we called them when growing up, take me back to my childhood in Puerto Rico. It excites me to think I can still use them in a grown up fancy way. 🙂
Kiersten says
I've never heard of limbels before! Well, I hope this recipe is as good as the ones you had when you were a kid. 🙂
Joy says
I just discovered your blog and LOVE IT! I also love the idea of vanilla ice! I'll definitely be trying this.
Kiersten says
Thank you! 😀
Robert says
Could you put vanilla bean ice cream into a blender and then pour back into ice cube trays?
Kiersten says
I haven't tried it myself, but I did have someone else comment and say he made them that way and they turned out well.
Laura says
These were quite tasty! Though I will note that when tested in iced tea, mine only stayed afloat for a few seconds, before sinking to the bottom. Much like Vanilla Ice's career.
Kiersten says
HA HA! Yeah, they do have a tendency to sink. 🙂
Rachael says
I really want to try these! One question bough. If I don't have vanilla bean, can I just add more vanilla extract?
Kiersten says
Yes! Vanilla extract definitely works too. 🙂
Samantha {Weirding with Wisdom} says
When you say "vanilla" in the recipe, are you talking about vanilla extract? Also, how much should I use, if I were to use only vanilla extract and no vanilla bean (I wish I could afford to splurge on whole beans. I might just now that I know about the website Chris mentioned!)
Kiersten says
I haven't made this with vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans, so I can't say. I'd do it by taste--start with a teaspoon and add more vanilla extract a half teaspoon at a time until it tastes right.
Samantha {Weirding with Wisdom} says
OK so I made some of these last night with almond milk. I used probably about 2.5 tsp of vanilla extract and it was pretty vanilla-y. Honestly probably could have used a little less.
I had a bit of a problem though. I used a few cubes in my coffee this morning, but found that as the cubes melted, the Almond milk seperated. There were a bunch of little "floaties" in my coffee. After some research, I discovered that this is pretty normal after freezing almond milk, and it's not curdling, it's just the almond powder separating out of the water, basically. It doesn't change the nutrition or anything, just looks a little funky and might alter the taste a bit.
I was wondering, have you had this problem at all? If not, I wonder what you're doing differently. Maybe the particular brand of almond milk you're using?
Kiersten says
The last few times I've made these, I've used refrigerated coconut milk, but even when I used almond milk, I didn't have problems with separation. As I mentioned in the post, the ice cubes don't melt completely smooth, but after stirring, things distribute evenly for me. I've heard from people who have no problems with this recipe and I've heard from others who have that curdling/separation, and I really can't say why it works for some people and not others.
Chris says
I love using vanilla beans...they add so much more flavor than vanilla extract....but they are so expensive. But I found a wonderful website that sales them for super cheap and they are AMAZING!!!! http://www.indrivanilla.com I used to feel guilty using vanilla beans and would save them only for the most special times, but now I don't feel like I am breaking the bank to treat myself to something nice.
Kiersten says
Thanks for the suggestion! I feel the same way about using vanilla beans. 🙂 But they are worth it!
Dhara says
Would regular 2% dairy milk alter the end product?
-thanks.
Kiersten says
I haven't tried it myself so I can't say for sure, but I know other people have used dairy milk and the recipe turned out for them.
Rachel Cooks says
I'm obsessed with vanilla beans so naturally, I LOVE this.
Nichole says
Now all I can think about are layered flavor cubes ... coffee on the bottom w/ this vanilla deliciousness on top! I have been hoarding my last few vanilla beans but now I know exactly what I'm going to do with them.
Kiersten says
Ooh, that is a good idea! You just eat those straight like popsicles, really. 🙂
Dawn says
These would be yummy in oj give it that cream siècle flavor
Kiersten says
That is a great idea!
Jones says
This sounds good except you're not supposed to freeze almond milk.
Kiersten says
It's perfectly safe to freeze almond milk and it doesn't alter the taste either. Sometimes almond milk separates after thawing, but stirring remedies that.
aislinn says
Could these be made with cow's milk?
Kiersten Frase says
I haven't tried it myself, but other readers have and I've heard it works well.
Christina says
Thanks for posting this Kiersten! I will be making, and sharing these today 🙂
Christine says
I haven't tried this yet, but do you know if the cubes have a short or long "expiration" time?
Phxcooks says
Vanilla Ice Cubes recipe is great! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. thank you