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 tsp 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.
Alison says
I was thinking this would be perfect to make iced coffee! What an awesome idea!
Kiersten says
They totally are. I wanted to take more photos of the first batch I made and by the time I got around to it, my husband had used them all in his coffee!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
What a cool pop of flavor it would give!
Kiersten says
It does! And a little bit of creaminess too. 🙂
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
Those are awesome! I''m thinking in chai tea!
Word to your mutha.
Kiersten says
You'll want to drink that tea daily and nightly. Will it ever stop? I don't know.
Ammie says
The opening of your post has me cracking up! I love the idea of vanilla ice, which would be perfect in my iced tea!
Kiersten says
I had it in iced green tea--perfection!
Rachel @ Rachel's Giveaways says
Now I'm going to have this song in my head all day 🙂 What a neat idea!
Kiersten says
I've had it in my head all week now--ever since I wrote the post!
Sarah @ OneStarryNight says
First off, FABULOUS idea! Second? HAHA omg the whole post, ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. I can recite Ice, Ice Baby by memory in full.
Pinned, shared on FB, tweeted, stumbled, AND +1.
Kiersten says
Me too. I've always had a thing for Vanilla Ice. Like, I even watched that house flipping show he had last year and if my husband tried to talk to me while it was on, I'd be all, "SHHHH!!!" And I've seen Cool As Ice more times than I'd like to admit. I deleted about 10 other references from this post because I didn't want to frighten my readers with my vast knowledge of all things Vanilla Ice.
Carol @ Always Thyme to Cook says
What a great idea! Have to try this.
Kiersten says
They are good! 😀
Mandi says
This is awesome! I'm so making these to pop into my iced coffee. Thanks! And your Vanilla Ice reference totally had me cracking up. 🙂
Kiersten says
Thank you! 🙂 You will love them--my husband doesn't even like flavored coffee and he used about 8 of these cubes in a day.
Jackie @ The Beeroness says
I just LOL'd for real. Because you know I like a high hat with a souped up tempo.
These look so much better than regular coffee cubes.
Word to your mother.
Kiersten says
I ended the post with "word to your mother" in my first draft, but I figured it was too much, so I deleted it. 🙂
Mary Beth Elderton says
This is absolutely brilliant! We drink iced coffee every day this time of year and love a flavoring. This is so much healthier than using cream. Thank You!
Kiersten says
Yup, it's healthier than cream and much lighter too--perfect for summer!
Emily says
I bet these would be good with Kahlua!
Kiersten says
They would be! Or you could even add a little Kahlua to the cubes themselves too...
Natalie says
I agree with the comment above, but I was thinking it would be great for Bailey's on ice! All the suggestions you gave are great too .. this is a fantastic idea!
Kiersten says
Yes, it would totally go with Bailey's too! 🙂
fatpiginthemarket says
Ice ice baby! Perfect for coffee.
Kiersten says
It's definitely the perfect pair. 🙂
Candace says
After the overnight mango oatmeal that you turned me onto and that I'm still eating, by the way, I was pretty sure you were a genius. Now I'm convinced. What a fantastic idea!!
Kiersten says
Ha! Well, I try. 🙂 Oh, and I've been having peach overnight oatmeal lately since they're in season here. So, so good! I may try nectarines next...
Cat Davis - Food Family Finds says
Oh those are just brilliant! I'm definitely going to make some to pair up with a vanilla iced coffee.
Kiersten says
Thank you! Let me know what you think if you make them. 🙂
Viper says
Just made these with granulated splenda and stuck a chai tea bag in while it simmered. UNF! So good!!
Kiersten says
I'm so glad you liked them! Love the idea of adding the flavor of chai too. 🙂
Brenda Williams says
I usually just drink my coffee black, but you have me thinking I need to expand my horizons and try these awesome cubes! Love the photos too.
Kiersten says
My husband doesn't like flavored coffee and he absolutely cannot get enough of these ice cubes! And I've been using them in my iced tea. 🙂
Laura says
What a fantastic idea (and even better Vanilla Ice references)! Trying this immediately in honor of my 90s crush Robert matthew Van Winkle. For real!
Loving your blog and wholesome, gorgeous recipes by the way 🙂
Kiersten says
Ha! You know his middle name? Okay, I officially cede the biggest Vanilla Ice fan crown to you. 🙂 And thanks for the kind words about my blog!
anda says
I'm glad I found this post because yesterday I was having a watered-down-iced-coffee crisis and I decided that I really should find a way to make ice cubed that won't ruin my iced coffee experience. Will give this recipe a try later today!
Kiersten says
I hope you like it! Watered down iced coffee is a sad, sad thing.
Rikki says
Ok, I died laughing when I read this haha. All the Vanilla Ice memories of my past just came back to me. I can only imagine how much better these make iced coffee taste. This is an excellent solution to that problem and they will come very much in handy over here[:
Kiersten says
It tastes SO much better this way--kind of like adding creamer, but much lighter. And colder.
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Oooh, delicious! I love this idea - all I can think of is iced chai tea or something similar now. Yum! And I love the straws 😉
Kiersten says
Thank you! I have a huge package of these straws, so they will probably pop up again soon. 🙂
Henrietta says
This is such a fun idea! Who knew ice cubes could be so pretty!
Kiersten says
I was really happy the vanilla bean specks showed up in the photos!
heather says
Wow. You are totally killin' my brain like a poisonous mushroom - deadly.
I'm in love with your vanilla ice.
xo
H
Kiersten says
My style's like a chemical spill, feasible recipes you can vision and feel.
PS - Your book is my favorite thing ever. (Yes, ever.)
Kristi Powell says
Seriously, this is so good...if this ice were a drug, I'd sell it by the gram...LOL! It's so refreshing to read peoples' blogs and know that it's not just my sisters and I that have the same sense of humor and also know all those old '80's lyrics!! And, you SO should've ended with Word to your Mother!! Id've simutaniously spit my coffee, died laughing and peed myself!! Oh well, maybe another time.
Kiersten says
I don't know if I can think of another recipe that could so conveniently incorporate Vanilla Ice lyrics! I might have to move onto Snow...
All Natural Katie says
I kind of like the idea of eating them as popsicles...LOL!
Kiersten says
They're really good like that. Although I suggest adding sticks to them. I didn't and my fingers froze and it was kind of a mess. A delicious mess, but a mess just the same!