One of the best ways to save money while relaxing at home this summer is to skip a few refreshment runs and indulge in something homemade instead. So join us as we borrow from the cold drink menus of Canadian drive-thru favourites and Disney vacation hotspots.
Tim Hortons Ice Capp
Timmies has been serving up this Canadian staple since 1999, and there are always new flavours to try. This copycat Tim Hortons Iced Cappuccino captures the classic Iced Capp flavour with a few easy steps:
- Freeze coffee, milk and chocolate milk in icecube trays.
- Blend your desired amount of each with cold water and sugar when you’re ready to enjoy.
Starbucks Ultra Caramel Frappuccino
By far the most decadent dessert drink option on this menu, the Ultra Caramel Frappuccino will be irresistible to anyone who wants to max out the flavour of their frappuccino with white chocolate mocha whipped cream and caramel sauce. It’s pretty much impossible not to impress your coffee-loving, sweet tooth having friends with this beauty!
Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte & Mango Dragonfruit Refresher
If you love your summer Starbucks but feel like something less caffeinated or more fruity than a frappuccino, you’ll want to try these copycat recipes designed by The Girl on Bloor.
- Bursting with exotic fruit flavour, the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher is surprisingly easy to make once you get your hands on the star ingredients: fresh or freeze-dried red dragon fruit and dragon fruit powder.
- Iced Matcha Lattes are a long-loved staple of the Starbucks menu. This version is lightly sweetened with homemade simple syrup, while the star of the flavour show is high-quality ceremonial grade matcha.
Disney’s Dole Whip
Dole whip is likely the most popular and easy to DIY Disney-inspired drink. Introduced to Disneyland’s Tiki Bar in 1986, you only need three ingredients and a blender to recreate this tropical sensation:
- Your favourite brand of vanilla ice cream (coconut milk is a good lower-sugar, dairy-free alternative)
- Frozen pineapple chunks
- Pineapple juice
As optional mix-ins, Jill from The Carefree Kitchen recommends powdered sugar and lime juice if you want to add extra sweetness or brightness to your Dole Whip.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Blue Milk
According to Wookiepedia, in the Star Wars universe, blue milk is produced by female banthas. In the real world, you can order this iconic beverage at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attractions in both Disneyland and Disney World.
The commercial version of blue milk comes from a dry blend that includes oils, sugars and preservative ingredients; it’s also:
- Plant-based
- Dairy-free
- Naturally flavoured with pineapple and dragonfruit
- Naturally dyed with spirulina extract
There are lots of blue milk recipes floating around the internet. So we picked two that we feel best capture the spirit, taste and look of Disney’s formula.
How to Drink’s Greg Titian pulls out all the stops for his blue milk masterpiece, blending orange blossom water, citric acid and “a scant amount of blue spirulina” with rice milk, sugar and coconut oil.
Using liquid nitrogen to freeze your milk will add to the sci-fi mixology experience. Still, you can use a slushie machine, ice cream maker, or old-fashioned ice cube trays and a blender to get this drink to the perfect milkshake consistency.
If you’re short on fancy ingredients like spirulina, Creme de la Crumb’s blue milk recipe creates a similar colour and flavour profile with a whole milk base, blue fruit punch powder and regular blue food colouring.
Ready to bask in the cool comfort of a home-brewed and blended iced cappuccino? Pretend you’re on a Disney cruise with a luxury tropical refreshment, or sample an out of this galaxy treat during a backyard movie night? No matter what you drink to cool down this summer, mastering a signature version of your favourite beverage is summertime well spent!