This mint lemon slushy blends fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, fresh mint leaves, sugar, and ice into a bright, icy, subtly sweet drink. It takes just 10 minutes from start to finish, needs nothing but a blender, and works as a refreshing non-alcoholic mocktail or an easy summer cocktail if you want to spike it.
What is better to have on a really hot summer day than a really refreshing drink? Like, seriously, nothing! I am going to tell you how to make something so incredibly fresh that it will literally save your summer. You are going to use all fresh mint, fresh lemon, and a little bit of sugar. I am going to tell you how to do it, and oh my gosh, it is absolutely fabulous.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Mint Lemon Slushy
- It is Green Goddess Goodness: It is incredibly refreshing, very subtly sweet, and packed with bright and fresh ingredients.
- Totally Customizable: You could make a basil slushy, or combine thyme, basil, and mint to make a fun herb slushy!
- The Ultimate Refresher: The citrus and the lemon, it literally just makes the little hairs on my neck tingle back there! It is that good. This is hands down the drink of choice on a hot summer day.
If you love an easy, homemade blender drink like this one, you are also going to want to try my Homemade Orange Julius Copycat, another quick, refreshing drink that comes together in minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
What You Will Need
Special Equipment
- High speed blender (crucial for getting that perfect slushy texture!)
- Citrus juicer
- Microplane or zester
The Ingredients
- 1 medium lemon, zested (always zest before you slice and squeeze, and wash and dry the lemon well first since you are blending in the peel!)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 3 to 4 medium lemons)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, packed, washed and dried (spearmint, Kentucky Colonel, or whatever you have growing!)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar, adjust to your sweetness preference
- 1 1/2 cups ice cold water
- 4 cups ice cubes
- Optional: a pinch of salt for flavor balance
- Optional garnish: extra fresh mint sprigs and lemon wheels
Let us Get Blending!
1. Prep That Citrus and Mint!
First up, wash your lemon well under running water and dry it, since you are going to zest and blend in the peel. Then zest a lemon. You want all that amazing and bright flavor from the skin! Once you have got that zest, just slice the lemon and squeeze it. Get all that fresh juice out of there. You will need about a half cup total.
Now, let us prep the mint. Rinse the fresh mint leaves gently and pat them dry. For this, I am using spearmint, and then another one called Kentucky Colonel mint. It is actually a variety they use for mint juleps, which is so cool!
2. Blend the Base First
Add your lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, sugar, cold water, mint leaves, and a tiny pinch of salt to your high speed blender. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds. You want the sugar to completely dissolve and the mint leaves to turn into beautiful and tiny green flecks.
3. Make it a Slushy
Toss your ice cubes right into the blender. Blend on medium high until the mixture is thick, smooth, and perfectly icy.
4. Taste and Adjust
Give it a quick sip! If you want it sweeter, add a tiny bit more sugar. If it needs more zip, squeeze in a little more lemon.
5. Mocktail or Cocktail? You Choose!
You want to be sure and make this. It is the perfect mocktail! But hey, you can totally make it a cocktail if you wanted to, and you can find how to do exactly that in the FAQ below. Pour this green goddess goodness immediately into glasses. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a lemon slice, grab a straw, and say cheers!
Life is about sharing the good. If you like this recipe, be sure to pass it on to your peeps, friends, and family!
Great For Backyard Get-Togethers
This slushy is the kind of drink that disappears fast at a summer cookout. If you are building out a full spread, my German Potato Salad is a fantastic savory pairing that always earns a place on the same picnic table.
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FAQs
Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemons?
I mean, you can use it in a pinch, but I highly and truly recommend using freshly squeezed lemons! Zesting that beautiful lemon and using the fresh juice gives you those bright and happy flavors. Bottled juice just does not have that same green goodness and can sometimes taste a little bitter.
How do I stop my slushy from separating?
It happens to the best of us! To keep it perfectly icy, make sure you blend your water, sugar, lemon juice, and mint first so the sugar totally dissolves. Then add your ice and use a really good high speed blender to get a texture exactly like snow. And honestly? Just drink it immediately! If it does separate a little, just give it a vigorous stir with your straw.
Can I make this an alcoholic cocktail?
Absolutely, if that is what you are looking for! It is the perfect mocktail as written, but you can turn it into a cocktail by adding a splash, about 1.5 to 2 oz per serving, of white rum, vodka, or gin to the blender. Because alcohol melts ice faster, just throw in an extra handful of ice cubes to keep it nice and slushy! If you choose to add alcohol, please enjoy responsibly and only if you are of legal drinking age in your area.
Can I make this a mojito-style drink?
Yes, this recipe already has the exact flavor foundation of a mojito (mint, lime or lemon, and sugar), so it is a natural fit! Add white rum as described in the cocktail variation above, and if you want that classic mojito fizz, top each glass with a splash of club soda or sparkling water right before serving instead of blending it in.
Is this drink good for kids?
As written without alcohol, yes! This is a naturally kid-friendly mocktail with fresh, simple ingredients. You can also reduce the sugar slightly for younger palates, since kids’ taste preferences vary, and taste as you go to find the right sweetness level for your family.
What is the difference between this and mint lemon water?
Mint lemon water is typically just still or sparkling water infused with lemon slices and mint leaves, served cold or over ice, without blending or added sugar. This mint lemon slushy is a fully blended, icy, sweetened drink with a much thicker, dessert-like texture. Both are refreshing ways to enjoy the same bright lemon and mint combination, just in very different forms.
Refreshing Mint Lemon Slushy
Course: DrinksCuisine: Middle EasternDifficulty: easy4
drinks10
minutes70
kcal10
minutesLiterally summer in a glass! This subtly sweet, green goddess slushy uses all fresh mint and lemon to create the ultimate hot-weather refresher. Drink it as a healthy mocktail, or spike it for a fun summer cocktail.
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
High-speed blender
Citrus juicer
Zester
- Ingredients:
15ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon zest, about 1 medium lemon, washed before zesting
120ml (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 3 to 4 lemons
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, packed and rinsed, spearmint or Kentucky Colonel
65g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
350ml (1 1/2 cups) ice-cold water
4 cups ice cubes
Pinch of salt, optional
Directions
- Wash and dry the lemon before zesting, since the peel goes directly into the drink. Zest one lemon, then slice and juice enough lemons to yield 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice.
- Rinse the mint leaves and pat dry.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cold water, fresh mint leaves, and an optional pinch of salt. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds until the sugar dissolves and the mint is pulverized.
- Add the 4 cups of ice cubes to the blender. Blend on medium-high until thick, smooth, and slushy.
- Taste the slushy and adjust the sweetness or tartness if necessary.
- Pour immediately into glasses, garnish with fresh mint and a lemon wheel, and serve.
Notes
- Grow Your Own: Mint is very hardy and forgiving and grows well in small containers, so it is easy to keep fresh mint on hand.
- Herb Swaps: Try basil for a basil slushy, or combine thyme, basil, and mint for a mixed-herb version.
- Make it a Cocktail: Add 1.5 to 2 oz of white rum, vodka, or gin per serving before blending, with a bit of extra ice since alcohol melts it faster. Please enjoy responsibly and only if of legal drinking age.
- Wash Your Produce: Since the lemon zest and mint go directly into the drink, wash both well before use.
- Don’t Let it Sit: This is an ice-blended drink best enjoyed immediately before it separates.
- Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on the amount of sugar used.
