The Simple Way To Turn Powdered Drink Mixes Into Delicious Frozen Treats

Nothing says summer more than delicious frozen treats (even if fall is right around the corner, according to the calendar and the availability of Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes currently). One of the easiest ways to hold on to that summer feeling, no matter what the weather is like outside, is to make and enjoy some frozen treats. If you're worried about the effort that might involve, like whether certain fruits are still in season and if you have the appropriate juices or other ingredients, don't — all you have to do is take advantage of a staple that many of us have in the pantry, a powdered drink mix. And if you don't have any powdered drink mixes on hand, consider this your sign to grab some the next time you're at the grocery store.

The beauty of powdered drink mixes is how easy they are to make. Simply mix the powder with water, and you're done. Those packets of powder don't take up a lot of space and they come in a variety of flavors, from different fruits, teas, coffee, and more, which really expands the possibilities of the frozen treats you can make. For an easy frozen treat for kids, try mixing Kool-Aid, Tang, or Country Time Lemonade with water, pour into a popsicle mold, freeze, and serve.

For something a bit fancier, you can make granita with a fruity flavored powdered drink mix. Mix the powder with water, freeze the mixture in a shallow tray, and scrape the frozen mixture with a fork or spoon into a bowl and serve. Snow cones are another fun option, and one with nearly endless varieties. Add powdered drink mix to simple syrup to make snow cone syrup and pour over shaved or crushed ice — feel free to use different flavors for a rainbow-colored multi-flavored snow cone. To really up your snow cone game, you can even use powdered drink mix to make your ice and then top it with different flavors of powdered drink mix snow cone syrup for a customized mix-and-match treat. Have an ice cream maker? Make your own sorbet using powdered drink mix.

And don't forget the ultimate adult frozen treat, a frozen cocktail. Your existing powdered drink mix can be used to create a variety of frozen cocktails, but the availability in recent years of powdered cocktail mixers has really taken the guesswork out of making truly tasty cocktails, from margaritas to martinis to mojitos, frozen or otherwise.