Can we make frozen treats like this an every day thing?

Gosh, do I have an affinity for frozen desserts. I get it from my dad. He is the ice cream king and when it comes to sugar, it’s almost exclusively his only intake.

For instance, for Thanksgiving dinner, I made a huge pan of apple pie bars and salted caramel sauce. My dad kept forgetting that I was bringing dessert and suggested that we all just have bowls of ice cream for dessert. Like, three times that day.

He clearly had ice cream on the brain.

Luckily for him, I served the apple pie bars a la mode. His dessert plate involved a very small slice of apple pie bar, a huge (!!!) scoop of vanilla ice cream, and teensiest drizzle of salted caramel. I think he was just being polite. He really would have preferred to just have the ice cream.

I have to say, I can’t really blame him. Ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies, frosties, popsicles…you name it, I love it.

These frosties are kind of like a slightly icier version of a milkshake. They’re a LITTLE bit slushier than a slushy and not quite as creamy/thick as a milkshake. Texturally, they are very reminiscent of the fast-food frosty we probably all know. And love? I know I love a frosty.

Where they differ from that drive-thru staple is in flavor. We’ve got tons of lemony brightness and creamy coconut flavor. They’re also vegan! Which is obviously much different than anything you’d get at a drive-thru.

To keep these frosties from getting too watered down, I froze coconut milk in an ice cube tray and used them in place of regular ice when blending these up. It worked like a charm. Because these are accidentally vegan, I wanted to ensure that the consistency and flavor were still rich and yummy. I think the coconut milk ice cubes played a big part in my success.

They turned out so cute and festive! Perfect for the holidays!

If you’re a fan of lemon desserts, then you have to try this. The lemon simple syrup is a genius addition to so many things, especially cocktails. Whenever I make a lemon batch, I almost always double it. I have yet to throw out unused lemon simple syrup.

The reason? I adore anything lemon. I am a huge lemon freak. So, as you can probably tell, these frosties were a dream come true for me. While these should definitely be considered a dessert, they quell my sweet tooth quickly and also my cravings for junk food. The lemon is so bright and light and lovely. The last thing you’ll want is a bag of potato chips alongside.

Well, maybe. I guess I can never completely dismiss that as a possibility.

Lemon Coconut Frosties

Yield: 4 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Scale

Ingredients

For the Lemon Syrup:

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
Zest of 2 lemons

For the Frosties:

2 (15-oz) cans lite coconut milk
⅓ cup of the lemon syrup (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 2 lemons (use the same ones you zested for the syrup)

Optional Coconut Rims:

3 oz white chocolate, melted
½ cup flaked coconut, lightly toasted

Instructions

Do Ahead:

Make the lemon syrup:

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the zest and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the zest to steep in the syrup until it is completely cooled.
Strain out the zest and place the syrup in an airtight container. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Make Coconut Milk Ice Cubes:

Shake one of the cans of coconut milk well and then pour it into an ice cube tray. Freeze until firm, at least a couple hours.

To Make the Frosties:

Dip the rims of your serving glasses in the melted white chocolate and then in a shallow dish of flaked coconut.
To a blender, add the remaining can of coconut milk, syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice. Blend and then add in the frozen coconut milk cubes.
Blend until smooth, thick, and frothy. Pour the mixture into the prepared glasses, add straws, and enjoy immediately.