This is one of the most fun drink recipes for both kids and adults alike, and perfect for summer!
These slushies and popsicles are a delicious summer treat
‘Tis the season for lemonade, my friends. For those of us living north of the equator, at least. And for the rest of you guys… life is but a circle, and it always comes back. 🙂 Summer is my enemy, and anything cold is my friend. Anything cold and refreshing, is my best friend! Check out my archive of frozen dessert recipes, fruit desserts, and juice and smoothie recipes for plenty of ideas to cool down. And as far as summer recipes go, these Color Changing Lemonade Slushies are one of a kind! I’m rapidly running out of freezer and fridge space these days, because I’ve been stocking up on popsicles and plenty of these pink lemonade slushies and pink lemonade popsicles (and between you and me, some of my stock of slushies also contain a shot of vodka, because hey… why not?). Summer just isn’t the same for me without lemonade slushies and popsicles, because those were the very first frozen treats that I remember eating (and craving) when I was little – you know, way back when, during those dark mythical ages of the late 1980s when dinosaurs (adults) roamed the earth. All these years later, I still love me some pink lemonade slushies and popsicles, especially in the summer. ‘Tis the season for lemonade, after all. But every now and then, I just like to try something different, just for the fun of it. This apple lemonade is still one of my husband’s absolute favorite drinks, and it’s perfect for summer, autumn, or any time of the year, really. And then there was this rainbow lemonade that I made last year with rainbow ice cubes (no artificial coloring). And what I have here today aren’t ordinary lemonade slushies either. These are (magical) Color Changing Purple and Pink Lemonade Slushies and Popsicles, that kids would absolutely go nuts for! I know I would’ve gone crazy for ’em when I was a kid. Heck, I still do. We’ve been drinking this pink lemonade for a whole month now, and it never ceases to excite me every time I pour in the lemonade syrup and see that color change. 🙂 These purple and pink lemonade slushies are SO EASY to make, because they both use the same lemonade syrup! The colors are all natural too (ZERO ARTIFICIAL COLORING). How did I get that color changing effect? With a neat little trick that I’m very very fond of. 🙂
Pink lemonade slushies
I use raspberry flavored water. Traditionally, pink lemonade is made with grenadine, but I like using raspberry because of that delightfully tangy, fruity raspberry flavor that it adds, and plus it’s au naturel.
Purple lemonade slushies
I use blue pea flower tea (also known as butterfly pea flower), and that’s where the magic happens! 🙂 As the name suggests the beautiful blue pea flower water starts off bright blue. And then you add the lemonade, and with the help of a little bit of basic science, it immediately turns purple. Blue pea tea is what’s known as a natural color indicator.
Recipe tips
Here are some of the pointers that I have picked up in the process of making this color changing lemonade on a daily basis over the last month! So as you might know there aren’t any naturally blue-colored fruits. Blueberry (despite its name), turns dark purple when mashed and mixed. Ever wondered why that happens? All the “blue fruits” and “blue vegetables” like blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry, eggplant, purple cauliflower, red cabbage, and blue pea flowers (butterfly pea flower) etc. all contain a water-soluble pigment called Anthocyanin – which is responsible for that purple to blue color. Out of all those things that I listed above, blue pea flowers are the only flowers that can be used to extract a natural blue color that’s soluble in water (the flower itself is dark purple/blue). What’s interesting however is that anthocyanin changes its color depending on the pH level of the solvent it’s in! So it can change from orange to pink to purple to yellow depending on whether it’s in an acidic or basic solution. I remember back in middle school, we used these blue pea flowers as a pH/color indicator to test common solutions in science class. 🙂 I remember it turning yellow(ish) when baking soda (basic – high pH) is added, and a beautiful purple/pink when lemon or vinegar (acidic – low pH) was added! That latter color change in a low pH solution is what’s taking place here in these pink lemonade slushies! I’ve shared several recipes where I use this nifty trick for some fun color changing wizardry, like this color changing lemonade recipe, how to make color changing alcohol, color changing cocktails, galaxy ice cream, color changing phoenix cocktail, no bake coconut cheesecake jars, witches brew drink etc. Make sure you brew a very strong tea from those blue pea flowers (with a deep, dark blue color). A lighter blue will produce a less prominent and less impressive color change – not as fun and satisfying. If you’re mixing liquid (and not ice), you need to add the blue liquid TO the lemon juice (instead of the other way around) to clearly see that color change. Adding lemonade or lemon juice to the blue liquid (which is already dark blue in color) will not yield a drastic color change. However if you are using blue ice, you can do it both ways! The crushed ice will be lighter in color and you can see the color change clearly. And less importantly – I used 1 cup capacity glasses to serve these pink lemonade slushies in. If you add 1:1 ratio of blue and pink ice, there is more of a contrast between the purple and pink layers. But if you add more blue ice and less pink ice, purple will become the predominant color of your lemonade slushie (for the purpose of the video, I used more blue ice to show the color change, but I prefer the effect of using equal amounts of colored ice). Aaaannd, because I love you guys, here’s a bonus recipe idea – you can enjoy these delicious purple and pink lemonade slushies as beautiful pastel ombre purple and pink lemonade popsicles as well! There’s no color change here of course, but they still look mighty pretty. So slushies or popsicles? Or both? Which one will you be making this summer? They are both oh-so easy to make, and your kids are going to love ’em! 🙂
How to make pink lemonade slushy
Make ice cubes with the blue pea flower tea and with raspberry water. Crush the ice separately to get colored icy snow (shaved ice), or if you don’t have an ice crushing blender, simply use your regular blender with some sparkling water (or vodka or tequila for the adults) to make the blending easier. Layer the crushed blue ice at the bottom, and then the crushed pink ice on top, and pour in the lemonade syrup to fill the glass. Watch as your blue and pink “snow” turns into purple and pink lemonade slushies! 🙂 Ooooh yea, baby!
How to make pink lemonade popsicles
These are easy too. Just mix the liquids separately to get purple and pink lemonade (1:2 ratio of lemonade syrup to liquid), layer the purple lemonade and pink lemonade in popsicles molds and freeze until completely set. 2 fantastic lemonades.2 delicious ways to enjoy.1 magical color changing experience that kids will LOVE! Make this fun, summer treat for your kids and enjoy some refreshingly delicious pink lemonade slushies and popsicles in the process!
More delicious popsicle recipes
Mango coconut popsicles Peach melba popsicles Easy creamy vanilla popsicles Oreo popsicles Red velvet pudding popsicles Vanilla and chocolate protein popsicles Lychee cantaloupe popsicles Spicy pineapple popsicles Iced coffee popsicles
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