How to Make Healthy Fruit Slushies
Today we are talking about how to make healthy Fruit Slushies! With June in full swing, eating frozen fruit and making fruit drinks is a great way to cool down on a hot day. Specifically, buying a slushie at the local convenience store with a group of friends was one of my favorite pastimes (anyone else, circa 2007 with the drawstring bags and a pocket full of change, walking to the convenience store to get snacks and drinks)? Trying to fill a cup with the sugar-laden convenience store slushies feels overly sweet now, although as a child it was lighting up my brain with all the happiness chemicals.
Making a slushy recipe at home didn’t occur to me until I became aware of the amount of sugar and flavorings that were going into the store-bought options (green apple slush? More like green apple syrup and more sugar)!
Once I became aware of what was in my favorite slushie drinks, making them myself seemed like an easy enough option – it was sweetener, ice and some fruits to flavor it, right? Turns out it’s just that!
This recipe is a summer slush, filled with the tangy taste of lemon and tons of fiber and natural sugars from the orange and mango. It’s a bright orange color and is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer afternoon!
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Fruit Slushies
Fruit-Sweetened: This orange and mango slush is the perfect healthy treat and is totally sweetened with only real fruits! Mangoes and oranges provide lots of fiber and natural sugar, so there’s no need to add syrups, flavorings or additional refined sugar here.
You also have multiple servings of fresh fruit and tons of vitamins and minerals (Vitamin C!) in here too. There’s no orange juice concentrate or any specific other ingredients aside from fruits!
No Special Equipment: There’s no slushie machine required for this recipe! I used to have a slushie machine growing up, but instead of a machine you can easily blitz ice cubes with fruits and liquid in the blender to make this smoothie instead.
Substitutions
Orange: Substitute with more fresh mango or pineapple. Adjust proportions of ice as needed.
Mango: Use fresh mango, as the recipe already contains ice. If using frozen mango, then let it thaw at room temperature so it isn’t completely frozen. Otherwise, you will end up with mango ice cream! Any type of mango will be great here except green mangos which are used in chutney and salads.
Lemon: Use lime instead of lemon. Make sure the juice is from a fresh lemon, and not from a bottle of lemon juice. Bottled juice contains preservatives and is usually more acidic.
Sweetener: If desired, add in pure maple syrup or agave nectar for additional sweetness.
How to Make Healthy Fruit Slushies Recipe Notes
- For best results, use a good blender with a powerful blade to make sure that the ice cubes break apart well enough.
More Summer Time Recipes You’ll Love
Rosemary & Pomegranate Mocktail
Starbucks Coconut Mocha Frappuccino
If you make these healthy Fruit Slushies, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
How to Make Healthy Fruit Slushies (Orange & Mango)
Equipment
- High-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh mango peeled and chopped
- 1 large fresh orange peeled and chopped
- ½ cup ice cubes
- Juice of ¼ medium lemon
- agave nectar optional
Instructions
- Blend together all ingredients in a high-powered blender until no fruit chunks remain. If you would like a less tangy slush, start with half as much lemon juice and increase it as desired.
- Once blended, taste it to see if you'd like to add more sweetener. If so, add in agave nectar or another sweetener of choice, and blend again.
- If you'd like a more "slush" effect, add in some more ice as well.
- If you don't want it to be fibrous/pulpy, then strain it before drinking. Otherwise, drink it as it is.
- You can store it in the fridge the same day and give it a mix before drinking, or drink it right away!
