These 12  creative ice cube recipes will help you preserve the last bits of herbs, condiments and drinks and save time by having pre-made single serve portions of ready to use ingredients.

 

Once your cubes are frozen, pop them out and store them in resealable freezer bags for easy access. To be more accurate, measure how many tablespoons each cube holds so you know exactly how many cubes to thaw next time you need them.

12 Creative Ice Cube Recipes

 

Berry Mint Flavoured Ice Cubes

Add a little flavor to a jug of water by popping in some berry and mint flavored ice cubes. To make, simply fill each cube with a few sprigs of fresh mint leaves and some fresh or frozen berries. Fill up with water and freeze until solid.

Citrus Flavoured Ice Cubes

A great way to use up the last bits of lemon, oranges or limes, these ice cubes make any glass of water a bit more refreshing. To make, slice any citrus you have on hand and then quarter them so they fit easily into an ice cube tray. Fill with water and freeze until solid.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Ice cube trays are the perfect size for chocolate peanut butter cups, instead of using mini cupcake/ chocolate liners. You can make our Sugar Free Chocolate Caramels in an ice cube tray or if you’re short on time make easy 2 ingredient chocolate peanut butter cups. Simply melt chocolate, layer it at the bottom of the cup (coating the sides in chocolate) and allow to harden. Once it’s hardened, scoop some peanut butter ontop of the chocolate and cover with more melted chocolate. Freeze until solid, then pop out and enjoy.

Wine Ice Cubes

Freeze the last drops of wine in an ice cube tray to use later in cooking. To use, you can either thaw it out or just pop an entire cube into a pot of stew or sauce while it’s cooking.

Coffee Ice Cubes

This is particularly useful if you make freshly brewed coffee but don’t manage to drink the entire batch. Freeze coffee into an ice cube tray and use it to cool down your coffee without watering it down or a strong iced coffee drink (just add cubes to fresh coffee). You can also make a coffee slush, by blending coffee ice cubes with milk or add a cube or two to a smoothie for a caffeine jolt.

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Lemon Juice Ice Cubes

Most recipes call for a tablespoon or two of lemon juice leaving you with lemon halves. Squeeze them and freeze them so they don’t go bad and then thaw it out as you need lemon juice. You can also add a lemon juice cube to a glass of water for easy and fast lemon water, or pop one into a cup of tea to make your own lemon tea.

Pesto Ice Cubes

Keep pesto good for longer by freezing it into ice cubes. Once froze, store in a Ziploc and then thaw out as you need pesto. Frozen pesto would be best for dishes that are going to be heated such as a pasta or pizza sauce. If you’re using pesto as a spread or dip, freshly made would be better.

Frozen Herbs and Olive Oil Ice Cubes

Fresh herbs are a great way to add flavour to any dish, but often all you use is a couple of leaves, leaving the rest of the container to spoil. As fresh herbs, don’t stay good for long the best way to preserve them is to freeze them. To make, remove leaves from stems, wash and dry herbs and add to an ice cube tray. Fill with olive oil and freeze. Once frozen, remove from ice cube tray and store in a Ziploc. When you’re ready to use, just thaw a cube or two and add to your dish.

Flavoured Tea Ice Cubes

This is the best way to make your own iced tea that has a strong flavour. To make brew your favourite flavoured tea (we used a berry flavour tea), pour into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen you can use it in two ways, make a batch of flavoured tea, allow to cool and add your flavoured ice cubes to cool it more. Alternatively you can make your own smootea by adding flavoured cubes to a blender and blending it into a tea slushie.

Tomato Sauce Ice Cubes

Preserve homemade tomato sauce or store bought tomato sauce into handy single serve portions by freezing them. To make, freeze tomato sauce in an ice cube tray. Once frozen remove and store in a Ziploc bag. To use, thaw as many cubes as you need and use as normal.

Soup Stock Ice Cubes

If you make your own vegetable, chicken or meat stock, an ice cube is the perfect storage solution. Pour in, freeze and use as you need. Just pop a cube or two into a soup, stew or any other dish using stock.

 

Fruit Puree Ice Cubes

The answer to storing fruit that is just about to expire. You can cut up fruit into squares and freeze as is to use later in a smoothie. Alternatively, you can puree the fruit and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Once frozen you can either add it to a smoothie, or pop it into a glass of water for a fruit flavoured water. This works well with soft fruit like nectarines, plums, mangos, paw-paws and peaches. You can also freeze vegetable puree in the same way. Useful if you are making your own baby food and want to make bulk batches.