This kid-friendly Sunset Slushie recipe is a perfect summer beverage. You can also make it as a layered sunrise drink for breakfast!
Sunrises and sunsets are one of life’s little pleasures. I have hundreds of sunrise/sunset pictures. I’m not sure what I am ever going to do with them, but the gorgeous colors in the sky compel me to take pictures.
So, today I am sharing a recipe for a Sunset Slushie that captures some of those beautiful colors of the setting sun.
There are a couple of reasons this drink works. First, the blended ice helps keep the layers separate, and second, each layer has a different sugar content.
The layer with the least amount of sugar is on top and the one with the most is on the bottom. To get the soft colors and creamy flavor, I used vanilla coffee creamer.
Start with the blue slushie layer. Blend together ice, diet citrus soda, vanilla creamer, and powdered, unsweetened blue Kool-Aid drink mix.
Next, blend the pulp-free frozen orange juice concentrate, water, ice, and vanilla creamer.
Put the orange slushie in cups. Tilt the cups and slowly pour cherry grenadine syrup down the side of the cup.
Since the cherry grenadine syrup has the most sugar, so it will slowly settle on the bottom of the cup.
Carefully spoon the blue slushie on top of the orange slushie.
I made a double batch of these sunset slushies to share at my sister’s birthday party. Everyone thought they were so pretty and so delicious! This kid-friendly Sunset Slushie recipe is perfect for sharing with family and friends on hot, summer evenings.
More Drink Recipes
Sunset Slushie Recipe
Ingredients
Blue Slushie
- 2 cups ice
- 2 cups diet citrus soda
- ¼ cup vanilla creamer or use half-n-half
- ½ teaspoon powdered, unsweetened blue Kool-Aid drink mix
Orange Slushie:
- 6 ounces pulp-free frozen orange juice concentrate
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups ice
- ¾ cup vanilla creamer or use half-n-half
Pink Layer:
- 8 tablespoon grenadine syrup
Instructions
Blue Slushie Layer
- Blend together ice, diet citrus soda, creamer, and powdered, unsweetened blue Kool-Aid drink mix.
- Pour into a container and set it in freezer while making the next layer.
Orange Slushie Layer
- Blend the pulp-free frozen orange juice concentrate, water, ice, and creamer.
Assembly
- Put the orange slushie in cups.
- Tilt the cups and slowly pour cherry grenadine syrup down the inside of the cup.
- Since the grenadine syrup has the most sugar, it will slowly settle on the bottom of the cup.
- Use the end of a straw to gently stir the cherry grenadine into the bottom of orange slushie to turn it pink.
- Carefully spoon the blue slushie on top of the orange slushie.
Elwyn says
This drink looks great.
Is there a reason for using the diet citrus soda in the blue layer?
I couldn’t find blue powdered milk. Will white powdered milk and blue food dye work?
Tonia says
Hi Elwyn,
The reason for the diet citrus soda (aka diet 7Up or diet Sprite) is so that it has less sugar. The varying sugar content helps keep the layers separate. The layer with the most sugar goes on the bottom and the one with the least sugar on the top. As far as the powdered, unsweetened blue drink mix goes, I used a blue raspberry Kool-Aid packet. I did not use any powdered milk in the recipe.
Enjoy,
~Tonia
Elwyn says
Thanks.
I was also assuming diet citrus soda meant Fanta or Sunkist. Diet Sprite is readily available.
Is orange juice a good substitute for orange concentrate?
Tonia says
Orange juice concentrate is the frozen orange juice in comes in a cardboard or plastic can. It it concentrated until you add the water to it to make orange juice. So if you want to use ready made orange juice, skip adding the water.
Janette says
For some reason this also reminds me of a unicorn! Looks awesome!
Tonia says
And probably tastes better than the Starbucks unicorn drink too! Hehehe
Stephanie D. says
Very pretty! Will try. Where did you find those glasses?
Tonia says
Thanks Stephanie! I found the at Target. You can see more in this post: http://www.thegunnysack.com/2015/05/very-berry-pretzel-salad-and-lemonade.html
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
I loved that you used creamer in this drink!! Perfection!
Justine | Cooking and Beer says
I have seriously been ooohhhhing and ahhhhing over these all day! Seriously gorgeous!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This slushie is so pretty Tonia! I love all the fun layers and such a great idea to use the coffee creamers!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Tonia this is the prettiest drink EVER. And to use the creamers??? GENIUS!!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel says
These are so pretty and totally fun!!
Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me says
This is such a pretty slushie! Perfect for summer cool down!
Kathleen | HapaNomNom says
Super cute and festive drink – perfect for the summer! Gotta love the Bailey’s too! 😉
Michelle @ Blackberry Babe says
This is so very beautiful, and much easier to make than I originally thought! Thanks for sharing!
Sara @ Bitz & Giggles says
What a BEAUTIFUL drink, Tonia! I would love to serve this to my family this summer. They would be so impressed!