5 summer slushie recipes to cool off and beat the heat wave

Cookbook author and lifestyle expert Maria Provenzano recently shared five simple slushie recipes you can enjoy at home this summer amid sweltering temperatures and widespread heat waves.

Check out the frozen beverages below and cool down quick!

Lavender Lemonade Slushie

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lavender
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups water
Lemon slices and lavender sprigs for decoration; optional
Additional water if needed

Instructions

Place the sugar and water into a pan and stir together over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk the lavender into the pan and stir together.

Once the mixture starts to boil lightly, turn the heat down to a simmer.

Simmer the mixture together for about 10 minutes; you can simmer for less time if you want a lighter lavender flavor. Strain the lavender from the simple syrup. Allow it to cool.

Juice the lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice.

Combine the lemon juice with 4 cups of water.

The lavender simple syrup will yield about 1 cup; add 3/4 cup of it to the lemon juice/water mixture.

To make it sweeter, add more of the syrup, to make it more lemony, add more lemon juice.

Pour half of the lemonade into ice cube trays, place in the freezer, and let them freeze completely. Store the rest of the lemonade in the fridge.

Once frozen, place the ice cubes in a blender with about 1 cup of the non-frozen lemonade and blend until smooth.

Add more lemonade if needed to make it smooth.

Pour into glasses and serve with fresh lemon slices and a sprig of lavender.

Tip: for extra creaminess, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Strawberry Slushie with Coconut Topping

Ingredients
1 pound strawberries
1 lemon
4-5 tablespoons agave, optional
3-5 cups ice, plus more if needed
8 ounces coconut creme

Instructions

Add the strawberries, the juice of half the lemon, and 3 tablespoons of agave to the blender and blend until smooth. Add more agave, depending on how sweet the strawberries are to your liking.

Add in 2 cups of the ice and blend until smooth. Add in a third cup of ice if needed. Pour into cups.

Make the coconut topping by adding the coconut creme, the juice from the other half of the lemon, 2 tablespoons of the agave, and about 2 cups of ice into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour the coconut slushie over the strawberry slushie and serve!

Coffee Slushie with Homemade Mason Jar Whipped Cream

Ingredients
2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled
1 cup half-and-half (or non-dairy milk)
1/2-1 cup cold water
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup, optional
1 mason jar (16 ounces) with lid
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder for topping

Instructions

Pour coffee into ice cubes trays and half-and-half into ice cube trays, and place in the freezer until completely frozen.

Make the mason jar whipped cream by adding the heavy cream into the mason jar with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Seal with the lid and shake for a couple of minutes, and taste for sweetness level. Add more powdered sugar if needed, and then continue to shake with the lid on until it becomes thick. Place in fridge until ready to use.

Place the coffee ice cubes into the blender with about half of the half-and-half ice cubes, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate, if using, and 1/2 cup of cold water.

Blend until it starts to become smooth; add more water if needed. Add in more half-and-half until you reach the desired creaminess.

Scoop the whipped cream over the coffee slushie. Sprinkle the cocoa powder over the top, and serve!

Watermelon Slushies

Ingredients
4 cups cubed frozen watermelon
12-16 ounces sparkling water
1 lime
2 tablespoons agave or simple syrup
Fresh mint to garnish

Instructions

If using fresh watermelon: cut the rind off and cut the watermelon into cubes. Spread the pieces onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer and place them in the freezer for a few hours until they are firm. Then, place in a freezer-safe bag until ready to use.

Place the frozen watermelon into a blender with 12 ounces of sparkling water, the juice of the lime, and 1 tablespoon of agave.

Blend until smooth. Add more water if it’s too thick and more watermelon or ice if it’s too watery. Add more agave to sweeten.

Pour into glasses, garnish with fresh mint and serve.

Blue Cloud Coconut Slushie

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups ice
1/2-1 tablespoon blue spirulina
1/2 cup frozen banana
1-2 tablespoons agave
4 tablespoons greek yogurt or thick dairy-free yogurt alternative

Instructions

Place the coconut milk, ice, 1/2 tablespoon blue spirulina, banana, and 1 tablespoon of agave into a blender and blend until smooth. Add more blue spirulina to deepen color if needed, and more agave to sweeten if needed.

Use the back of a spoon to create “clouds” onto the inside of a glass with the yogurt.

Pour the slushie into the prepared glass and serve!