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Home » drinks

Blood Orange Flavored Ice Cubes

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Blood orange flavored ice cubes add a refreshing, energizing boost to your drinks. All you need are two ingredients: oranges and blood oranges. Reduce waste by making these ice cubes when you have an abundance of oranges to use up. They're easy to make and can keep in your freezer for months, adding color and flavor to your drinks well past citrus season.

Top down view of three glasses filled with water, mint, and blood orange ice cubes.

This recipe came about when it became clear we weren't going to be able to eat all of our beautiful blood oranges and oranges before they went bad. We'd gotten them at a good price, but were now running out of time to use them. Getting fruit at a good price isn't really a good price if you don't eat them all, right? So I needed to figure out how to get the most out of them.

What we appreciate about these ice cubes

Prolonging the enjoyment of blood oranges beyond their season

Adding a controllable amount of flavor to water, sparkling water, mocktails, or cocktails

Little time investment required to squeeze the oranges and fill the ice tray

Adding something special to a drink can happen at any moment, since they last a long time in the freezer, especially if the tray is sealed

A lovely color is added to drinks

Saving money by using less expensive oranges for part of the juice in place of blood oranges, since blood oranges are colorful and flavorful enough to still shine

Avoiding tossing out oranges we might not eat in time also saves us money, by "saving them" as ice cubes.

These beautiful ice cubes would be delicious in one of my flavored waters or cocktails/mocktails.

Jump to:
  • What we appreciate about these ice cubes
  • Ingredients
  • Additions (optional)
  • Equipment
  • Instructions
  • Storage
  • FAQ
  • Water flavors
  • Mocktails and cocktails to pair with
  • The Recipe
  • Food safety
  • Comments

Ingredients

You only need oranges and blood oranges for this recipe.

Three oranges and two blood oranges used to make blood orange ice cubes.

Blood oranges: Because blood oranges tend to be more expensive, we are only using a couple and using less expensive oranges to fill the rest.

If you'd prefer to use only blood oranges, of course that works, too. The color and flavor will be stronger.

Oranges: Use a good juicing orange to combine with the blood oranges, or simply the least expensive orange available.

See recipe card for quantities.

Additions (optional)

To make these ice cubes even more wonderful, it's fun to add small bits of orange peel or fruit, such as sliced kumquats, to the juice in your ice tray. Kumquats are often available around the same time blood oranges are.

Fresh herbs, such as mint, are another nice addition.

Equipment

Here's what you will need to make these flavored ice cubes:

Cutting board and knife for slicing the citrus

Juicer of some sort (I just use a little hand juicer, as pictured)

Liquid measuring cup to collect and measure the juice (optional but helpful

Spoon and prep bowl to clear the pulp from your juicer (optional but helpful, depending on your juicing method)

Ice cube tray (the kind with a lid, preferably, for long-lasting freezer storage)

Instructions

This recipe is very basic, yet the results are fantastic!

Sliced oranges and blood oranges next to an ice cube tray.

Slice the oranges and blood oranges, then juice them with whichever juicer you have.

A stainless steel juice reamer next to a sliced orange, a blood orange and orange. and a measuring cup filled part way with fresh squeezed orange juice.

Then, pour the juice into the ice tray and place the tray in the freezer.

Juicing Tip

A liquid measuring cup can help you collect the juice as you juice the oranges, rather than pouring the juice directly into the ice tray from your juicer. That way, the colors of the oranges and blood oranges combine to make a pretty pink-red-orange color - plus there's less mess.

Seven orange-red blood orange ice cubes.ice cubes

Storage

The ice cubes are best used within a month or two; however, they can last in your freezer for months, especially if sealed.

Storage Tip

An ice tray with a cover to seal will help keep these flavored ice cubes from absorbing other flavors from the freezer. They'll also have less of a chance to evaporate or become contaminated.

Also, be sure to use clean, filtered water to make the ice, if possible.

A closeup of a blood orange red ice cube in a glass of sparkling water.

FAQ

What are the drinks pictured with the blood orange ice cubes and fresh mint?

Nothing but water. The image immediately above shows a closeup of a cube in sparkling water. One ice cube will turn a glass of plain water to a beautiful shade of pink-red-orange. The color can vary, since each fruit varies in color - and depending on your orange/blood orange ratio.

Could I make popsicles instead of ice cubes with this juice?

Absolutely! The recipe uses one cup of juice, so ice cubes are sized well for that amount. 3-6 oranges, depending on size and quantity of juice each, are typically used to make one cup of juice. You may be able to make a couple popsicles with that amount, depending on your popsicle molds.

A cocktail glass filled with pink-orange water, a blood orange ice cube, and mint leaves.

Water flavors

Try pairing these ice cubes with a flavored water:

  • A glass pitcher filling with water, with kiwi and strawberry slices floating in it.
    Strawberry Kiwi Flavored Water
  • A glass pitcher of lemon mint water on a marble surface.
    Lemon Mint Flavored Water
  • Cherries dancing in a stream of water pouring into a pitcher.
    Cherry Vanilla Flavored Water
  • Lilac and lemons flavoring water in a pitcher
    Lilac Flavored Water

Mocktails and cocktails to pair with

Enhance these drinks even more by adding blood orange ice cubes!:

  • Rosemary Gin Fizz Cocktails
  • Fresh-made orange-carrot juice in a glass.
    Sunshine Orange Blender Juice
  • Two blueberry peach amaretto sour cocktails and two mocktails on a white tray.
    Blueberry Peach Amaretto Sours
  • Two Piña Coladas with foamy tops.
    Easy Vegan Pina Coladas

The Recipe

Several blood orange ice cubes next to each other.

Blood Orange Flavored Ice Cubes

Blood orange flavored ice cubes add a refreshing, energizing boost to your drinks. Reduce waste by making these ice cubes when you have an abundance of oranges to use up. They're easy to make and can keep in your freezer for months, adding color and flavor to your drinks well past citrus season.
_________________________________________________
Plant Diversity: Striving for 30 different plants per week
The number of plants in this recipe: 1-2 plants
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Course: Drinks
Lifestyle: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 9
Fiber: 1.12g
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Equipment

  • 1 cutting board and knife for slicing the oranges
  • 1 juicer (manual, electric, cold press - whatever you have)
  • 1 liquid measuring cup to collect and measure the juice
  • 1 spoon and prep bowl to collect pulp from juicer, if necessary
  • 1 ice cube tray (standard size, any shape, preferably with a lid)

Ingredients

  • 2 blood oranges the blood orange/orange ratio is up to you
  • 3 oranges or more to make one cup total juice.

Additions (optional)

  • orange peel or fruit such as sliced kumquats
  • fresh herb leaves such as mint, basil

Instructions

  • Slice the oranges and blood oranges, then juice them with whichever juicer you have.
    Tip: Using a liquid measuring cup to collect the juice as you juice the oranges can help combine the color, let you know when you have a cup, and reduce mess.
  • Pour the juice into the ice tray.
    If you are using any additions such as orange peel, sliced kumquats, or fresh mint leaves, add them to the top of the filled cubes.
    Place the tray in the freezer.
  • Freeze at least a few hours. The cubes should be solid before use.
  • Enjoy as many as you'd like in a glass or pitcher of water, sparkling water, contrasting juice, or mocktail/cocktail.

Notes

Two blood oranges to three oranges is what I typically like to use. Change up the ratio of blood oranges to oranges if you'd prefer, as long as you end up with about one cup of juice to fill your ice tray. This amount fills a standard ice tray; adjust if you have a non-standard sized ice tray.
The number of oranges needed will vary. Typically, it can take 3-6 oranges to make one cup of juice, depending on the fruit size and juice level.
The ice trays I used here make 18 one-inch square ice cubes. One cup of juice fills all the cubes.
Use an ice tray with a cover to seal, so that the blood orange ice cubes don't absorb flavors from the freezer. They'll also have less of a chance to evaporate or become contaminated.
Serving size is based on two one-inch ice cubes per serving; use as many as you'd like.
The time estimate is for prep, not including chilling the ice cubes for a few hours to freeze solid.

Rough Nutrition Estimate provided by WPRM (based on generic ingredients and limited specification options)

Nutrition Facts
Blood Orange Flavored Ice Cubes
Amount per Serving
Calories
21.88
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0.06
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.01
g
0
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.01
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.01
g
Potassium
 
84.27
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
5.49
g
2
%
Fiber
 
1.12
g
5
%
Sugar
 
4.35
g
5
%
Protein
 
0.44
g
1
%
Vitamin A
 
104.75
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
24.77
mg
30
%
Calcium
 
18.62
mg
2
%
Iron
 
0.05
mg
0
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

Food safety

See food safety guidelines at USDA.gov.

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Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, cooked without the need for oil, mostly refined sugar-free and gluten-free. And so delicious!


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