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Frozen Daiquiri

Rum lime juice sugar and crushed ice with slices of lime in coupes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
  • Active Time

    3 minutes

  • Total Time

    3 minutes

The only frozen daiquiri recipe you’ll ever need has just four ingredients and endless possibilities. Bonus: You won’t even need to bother making simple syrup for this easy drink since regular old granulated sugar will dissolve right in the blender.

As with a classic daiquiri or mojito, fresh lime juice is essential; it brings out the best in the rum and balances the drink’s sweetness. Ice is similarly important. The largest ingredient by volume, ice gives the rum cocktail its slushy texture and smooths the bite of the citrus and spirit. Using crushed ice instead of cubes will put less strain on your blender, preventing it from heating up and melting your drink. (Read more in our guide to making the best frozen cocktails.)

The best rum to use is up to you. Choose white rum for a frozen daiquiri with a cool, fresh flavor profile, or swap in an equal amount of aged rum to give your drink a warmer character. Or go half and half with a crisp white rum and richer dark rum. We don’t recommend spiced rum here because its added flavor can overwhelm the cocktail’s citrus-forward tang.

Flavor variations abound. Toss in a handful of frozen or fresh strawberries to make a frozen strawberry daiquiri, or experiment with other fruit and whip up a peach daiquiri, banana daiquiri, mango daiquiri, and so on. Different fruits have varying amounts of sugar, so adjust your lime juice and sweetener to keep flavors balanced.

Serve your frozen daiquiris in a classic coupe, or use a margarita glass or any other fun drinking vessel you’ve got on hand. A garnish isn’t totally necessary, but you can add a lime slice or cocktail umbrella if you’re feeling festive.

Ingredients

2 servings

4 oz. light rum
1½ oz. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar
2 cups crushed ice
2 lime wheels for serving

Preparation

  1. Combine 4 oz light rum, 1½ oz. fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar, and 2 cups crushed ice in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and has the consistency of snow. Divide between two large coupes or cocktail glasses. Garnish with a lime wheel and a short straw if desired. 

    Editor’s note: This cocktail recipe was first printed in the September 1962 issue of ‘House & Garden.’ Head this way for our favorite piña colada and more of our best frozen drinks →

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