Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with Fresh Mint

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Well, I’m very excited to share these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas with you today. Why? Because the frozen margarita is my guilty pleasure cocktail. I don’t particularly care for the phrase “guilty pleasure” in all honesty. I don’t feel remotely guilty for loving these grown-up slushies. But it’s true, I do feel less sophisticated when I order a frozen margarita over say, an Old Fashioned or even a traditional shaken margarita. But no perceived cocktail faux pas will keep me from ordering the drink I want. The heart wants what it wants, and today my heart wants these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas.

Growing up, slushies and freezies were hands down my favorite summer treat. Their unnatural flavors and colors were my love language. It was impossible for me to say no to the. Even today when I walk by an ice cream truck, my eyes linger over the photos of those impossibly blue frosty cups. But I learned my lesson a few years ago – the palette I had at five is not the palette I have today. I learned that the hard way when I indulged in a red freezie and it made my teeth wiggle in the most uncomfortable way. Sugary treats are still a weakness of mine but that particular treat leaned a little too hard on the sugar.

It’s funny how your tastes can change but the cravings are hard to shake. I used to covet a lot of packaged foods in my youth because my mom never really bought sugary cereals and the like unless it was a special occasion, like a birthday or Christmas. And even though I know my 30-something body cannot handle the overly sweet nutritional void that is a bowl of, say, Corn Pops, I still sort of want them when I’m cruising through the grocery isles. 

So what’s the solution? Grown-up versions of slushies, freezies, and everything else your inner five-year-old wants. So I present you with these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas, a boozy alternative to the slushies of our youth with a sensible amount of sweet and a less sensible amount of tequila. I’ve got to tell you, one of these is a pretty good consolation prize if you’ve also had to part ways with the freezie. I still haven’t figured out a workaround for the Corn Pops, though. They may have to remain a relic from my youth.

So let’s talk about how these margaritas come together. Well, as with most things frozen, these drinks do require a little forethought. The whole thing starts with 2/3 of a cucumber. Give it a quick dice and pop it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze the sucker until solid. You’re going to do the same with five limes worth of juice. Just pour the lime juice into an ice cube tray and pop it in the freezer next to the cucumber. We want everything to be frozen solid. So leave the lime juice and cucumber for a good three hours.

Once the cucumber and the lime juice are frozen, it’s time to build the drink. You are going to need a high-power blender for this. I used my brand new Ninja and it made quick work of everything. I am not sponsored by Ninja, just a fan. But any blender with a “crushed ice” function should do the trick. Start by adding everything you froze to the blender. Then, to up the slush factor, add 6-10 ice cubes. How many ice cubes you add will depend on the size of your cubes. And also bear in mind you are adding water to the cocktail, so it pays to hold back a little. It’s all well and good to have that thick slushie texture, but no one wants a watered-down cocktail.

Now it’s time to add all the booze. I made four drinks in my blender and they were all doubles, which means I added eight shots of tequila. You don’t have to make them doubles, you could easily reduce the amount of liquor you use. In fact, you could make these virgins and leave the tequila and Cointreau out of the equation altogether. And speaking of Cointreau, you only need 3/4 of oz per drink. Cointreau is an orange liqueur and it can be overwhelming if you’re a little too liberal with it.

And finally, add your agave. Every one has to add this or their margarita will be unbearably sour. If you don’t have agave, you can use honey or make your own simple syrup. Just heat equal parts water and sugar over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. You can add some aromatics as well if you would like to add a little more dimension to your margarita. Now all that’s left is to blend and pour the finished margaritas into salt-rimmed, iced glasses. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a sprig of fresh mint and cocktail hour has arrived.

And that’s everything you need to know about these Cucumber Lime Frozen Margaritas. A chill, refreshing slushie any adult can get behind. Give them a shot the next time a heat wave hits.

Enjoy!