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A rainbow of fruit ice cubes laid on a white rectangular plate, ready for making into smoothies

Fruit Ice Cubes: Freezing Fruit for Smoothies or Baby Food

Last Modified: January 28, 2021 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // July 24, 2013 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

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Making fruit ice cubes for smoothies and homemade baby food is the best way to freeze excess fruit so it doesn't take up excess room in your freezer!
Making fruit ice cubes for smoothies and homemade baby food is the best way to freeze excess fruit so it doesn't take up excess room in your freezer!

Making fruit ice cubes for smoothies and homemade baby food is the best way to freeze excess fruit so it doesn’t take up excess room in your freezer! 

A rainbow of fruit ice cubes laid on a white rectangular plate, ready for making into smoothies
Pin this post for later!

I love smoothies for both me and for my son. I’ve found that one of the best ways to easily get him to eat some fruit, veggies, and healthy proteins, is with a fruit smoothie! One of his favorites is a smoothie that I like to call the Popeye smoothie for kids.

I’ll give you my tips for making the perfect smoothie below the recipe!

Conserving Fruits in Season

Not all of our favorite fruits are available at all times of the year, so I like to take advantage of when fruits are in season, and buying in bulk. I then freeze them to have the fruits available all year. Not only is a great way to always have your favorite fruits available, but it helps save a lot of money. Fruits are always a lot more expensive when they aren’t in season.

Making Fruit ice cubes for smoothies or homemade baby food

When you need to freeze a lot of fruit, but don’t have a lot of free space in your freezer, it’s important to find the best ways to maximize your space. I think I’ve found the best way to effectively freeze fruit so that it doesn’t waste space, and keeps really well.

This all began after I had a bunch of leftover homemade baby food in my freezer. I never bought my son canned baby food. Well, actually I did a couple of times in “emergency” situations, but he refused to eat them. Comparing the homemade food with the canned stuff, I have to say that I don’t blame him.

To always have a supply of baby food available, I ended up pureeing fruits in large batches, and then freezing it in ice cube trays to have convenient amounts ready to defrost and serve as needed. Eventually my son stopped eating pureed foods, but I still had a stash in the freezer that I didn’t want going to waste.

A rainbow of frozen ice cubes on a white rectangular plate over a blue wood surface.
I decided that fruit ice cubes are perfect for making smoothies!

Freezing fruit in a way that saves space

To begin the process, all you have to do is to throw in your peeled and pitted fruits into a blender, puree, and pour into ice cube trays for freezing.

At first, I used the ice cube trays that I already had sitting around, and even used silicone muffin tins for freezing the purees into serving size amounts. They all worked well enough, but I was sick of all of the baby food taking over my entire freezer! I bagged up the food cubes in bags, but the irregular shape of the cubes didn’t help save any space in the freezer.

I was excited to find some perfectly cube-shaped ice cube trays!

2 blue ice cube trays

Why was I so excited about it? They were exactly what I needed to be able to neatly store away all of my frozen purees!

With perfectly cube-shaped ice cubes, you can line your cubes up in a ziplock bag, and then throw a bunch of different bags together in your freezer drawer.

If you label them well, it is easy to flip through to get to the bag you are looking for. The bags line up perfectly, meaning no wasted space in your freezer!

Top view of a freezer drawer full of ziplock bags filled with different fruit ice cubes
You can easily flip through and find the bag of frozen fruit or frozen sauce that you need.

What fruits can be frozen in this way?

I’ve tried freezing everything from bananas to avocados and mangos to cherries in this way. They’ve all turned out well. The only reason you wouldn’t want to freeze certain fruits is because many of them will change in texture when frozen.

Here, though, we are using purees that are intended to be eaten as such, or put into a smoothie to be further blended. I have never found a fruit that wasn’t fine when used in this way.

How long does this frozen fruit last in the freezer?

I usually try to use up all of the fruit within a year. That way, when the fruit comes in season again, I can make a new, big batch of frozen fruit cubes for that fruit. That said, I have found slightly older bags of frozen fruit, and have used them without any problems. Because, again, we aren’t having to worry about the texture being off because this is a puree, as long as you keep the fruit consistently frozen, I don’t see why you can’t keep it up to 12-18 months.

The only possible exception may be citrus fruits. I’ve often read that citrus fruits shouldn’t be frozen for as long as other fruits, but I’m not exactly sure why. I haven’t personally tried freezing citrus fruits for longer than 6 months, so I can’t vouch for the flavor.

Fruit Ice Cubes “Recipe”

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a rainbow of different colored frozen fruit ice cubes

A Rainbow of Fruit Ice Cubes

The best way to conserve fruit for smoothies or homemade baby food, maximizing space in your freezer.
4.34 from 3 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 hours hours
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • strawberries and other berries remove stem
  • cantaloupe, and other melons remove seeds and rind
  • mangoes and avocados remove seed and skin
  • figs remove stem
  • apples and pears remove, stem, seeds, and peel
  • cherries, peaches, and other stone fruits remove stems and pits
  • citrus fruits peel and remove seeds
  • any other fruits… prepare as needed

Instructions

  • Clean and prepare chosen fruits by removing any seeds and thicker skins. I have listed the fruits shown in the pictures above, along with some other examples, but you can freeze pretty much any fruit you choose.
  • For harder, larger fruits, cut the fruit into smaller pieces and throw them into your blender or a container suitable for using with an immersion blender. With a mango, you can use the side of the glass to help you peel it. 🙂
    peeling a mango using the side of a glass
  • Puree the fruits with your immersion blender. 
    Using an immersion blender to puree the mango
  • Pour the puree into ice cube trays. For thicker purees, like fig puree, you can use a spatula to help you press the fruit into the tray without leaving air spaces in the cubes.
    Pouring mango and strawberry purees into an ice cube tray
  • Place the trays, unstacked, in the freezer. Allow the fruits to freeze solid, for several hours, before removing the cubes from the trays.
  • Remove the cubes from the trays and store them in ziplock type baggies in the freezer.
    strawberry ice cubes stored in a freezer bag
Course DIY Pantry Foods
Cuisine American
Other Diets Candida Diet, Dairy free, Gluten free, Paleo, Vegan
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!

Making the perfect smoothie

1. Decide what fruits you want in your smoothie.

I usually just improvise and try different combinations each time, but if you’re looking for some ideas of what fruits combine well, I have compiled a list of over 100 healthy smoothie recipes to follow or inspire you.

These are some of my favorites…

Pineapple is good with banana and homemade coconut milk, for a tropical smoothie. Keep in mind that smoothies with pineapple or kiwi in them can get bitter if made with (regular) milk products, if you don’t drink them up right away.

Pumpkin puree is surprisingly good in smoothies, especially if you add some cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. It also combines really well with bananas

I usually peel, cut, and freeze browning bananas for smoothies, too, so that they don’t go to waste. Bananas are a great addition to smoothies because they make them smoother and sweeter.

2. Add a liquid of choice.

I usually use a homemade vegetable milk like almond milk or homemade coconut milk. Fruit juices, oven even just a splash of water, are also a great options, depending upon the type of smoothie you are making.

For a dairy based smoothie, you can also add yogurt or kefir. And, of course, I like to make my own.

It’s easy to make milk kefir at home, or to make yogurt in your oven. (No, you don’t even need a yogurt maker!)

3. Add sweeteners, if desired.

I don’t usually add anything to sweeten the smoothies; I prefer using the fruit sweeten it naturally. Ripe bananas with brown spots on them are perfect for sweetening smoothies naturally.

If the smoothie turns out too sour, though, or not sweet enough, I sometimes add a tiny bit of raw honey or maple syrup to the mix.

4. Add protein and/or supplements if desired.

I used to use whey protein powder in my smoothies. Then, for awhile, I started adding raw eggs to increase the protein content of my smoothies. Raw eggs sound gross, especially to somebody like me who does’t tolerate eating eggs in very many ways. (I like them omelette style, but that’s about it. Nothing is more disgusting to me than a hard boiled egg!) In the end, though, you can hardly tell they are there.

Better vegan protein options are now available like hemp or pea proteins. (In the past soy protein was really the only vegan option available.)

Smoothies are also a great place to add in collagen, healthy greens like spirulina or chlorella, or a multitude of other supplements you may be wanting to take.

A young boy drinking a smoothie through a straw

5. Sneak in some veggies!

I often sneak veggies into my son’s smoothies! You can find the recipe for his favorite smoothie, the Popeye smoothie, here on the blog.

Spinach is a great ingredient to sneak into kids’ smoothies because it doesn’t change the flavor much, and it turns them into a beautiful shade of green! For that very reason, I use raw spinach to naturally color my shamrock shake and candida diet safe shamrock shake, basically a healthy minty smoothie, in March!

If you love foraging for your greens, why not try my foraged, stinging nettle smoothie? (No, it won’t sting you!)

Close up of a rainbow of frozen ice cubes on a rectangular plate placed outside. The colors of the cubes, starting with the one in front is red, then orange, then yellow, then green, then purple, and then dark orange.

6. Add ice cubes for thickening

If you’re using fresh fruits, you’ll probably want to add some ice cubes to end up with a cold, thick, smoothie.

If you’re using your fruit ice cubes, though, you don’t really need to add more ice cubes to your smoothie unless you want to water it down somewhat.

Do you have to have ice cube trays like mine?

I’m happy to say you can find the Tovolo ice cube trays on Amazon. They measure out to be around an ounce a cube, which is good to know for when you are planning out baby food rations. There are other size trays available, but that is the size I find to be the most convenient.

Foods that store well in frozen cubes:

These are some of the frozen treats you can find in my freezer at any given moment. I’d love to hear what you freeze in this manner.

  • Frozen fruit purees (obviously)
  • Homemade pesto
  • Homemade tomato sauce and homemade tomato paste
  • Homemade coconut milk
  • Homemade pumpkin puree

They are just too convenient!

Category: frozen treats, Garden & Hens, MIY Pantry Basics, Recipes

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We’ll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Previous Post:Overhead view of a spoonful of chocolate mousse on top of a jar full of the same mousse with pieces of chocolate scattered aroundTwo Ingredient Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Next Post:How to make Sausage Patties and Homemade Sausage BiscuitsDelicious sausage patties in between homemade sausage biscuits with butter on the side.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. anuj

    July 19, 2023 at 7:09 PM

    thank you for sharing this information. this might be helpful for me.

    Reply
  2. Karan Soni

    May 13, 2017 at 9:23 PM

    Hi,
    can i get the link to buy that tray on which ice cubes are placed in first image
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      May 14, 2017 at 7:30 PM

      Hi Karan,
      I’d love to be able to give you a link, but unfortunately it’s just a tray that I bought at a local shop here, and I’m not sure if you’d be able to find the same one online. I’m sorry! 🙁

      Reply
      • Patricia

        May 23, 2017 at 4:23 AM

        Hi,
        I’ve been looking for this tray too. Would you mind sharing the name of the shop where you purchased yours? Perhaps they would consider shipping.
        Thank you.

        Reply
    • Dee

      August 4, 2019 at 9:39 AM

      Target has them

      Reply
  3. Abhijiet

    January 16, 2017 at 11:09 AM

    Happy New Year

    I loved the way fruit colors that almost popped up on my screen (monitor) will try to pair them up with some alcohol like white rum or vodka 🙂

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      January 19, 2017 at 12:19 PM

      Thanks!
      Have fun. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Raia

    May 4, 2016 at 4:14 AM

    I love this! I don’t usually have fruit last long enough to do this, cause my kids gobble it up too quickly! But I’ve done it with butternut and carrots. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Caitlin Casner

    May 2, 2016 at 7:18 PM

    Hey! Can you tell me some of your favorite smoothie combinations/recipes that you use with these cubes?
    I just wouldn’t know what all to add and how many cubes and what types! Haha!
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      May 3, 2016 at 3:22 PM

      Hi Caitlin.
      That’s a great question!
      I especially like freezing berries and peaches when they are in season. I also like to freeze avocados when they are on sale because they can get really expensive at certain times of the year. I usually just slice and freeze bananas when they are getting too black, but I love using really dark bananas in smoothies because they are great for sweetening them.
      My favorites?
      Lately I’ve been wanting more veggies, so I make cucumber smoothies with a cube or two of berries, half a banana, and half an avocado. (I add in some hemp milk, coconut milk, and some hemp protein and other stuff.)
      I also like peaches with pineapples, bananas, and coconut milk. Those tropical type smoothies are also great with papayas if you like them.
      I actually got together a post with 150 smoothie recipes from some friend bloggers if you’d like to check it out. It’s organized by categories to help you decide by the types of smoothies you like.
      I hope that helps somewhat! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Ana

    August 30, 2015 at 12:20 AM

    Hallo! I’m so excited to have found your post on pinterest. I use the same ice cube trays to make my baby food. They are seriously awesome. I though that i wouldnt buy any more of them bocause i was worried I would not have any uses for them once my little guy moved on from purees. Now I have an excuse to buy more. Thank for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      August 30, 2015 at 5:39 AM

      Hi Ana,
      Thanks for your comment!
      Yes, I love them, and use them for all sorts of things. My son is obsessed with fresh homemade pesto sauce, so that’s what they’ve been getting used for the most lately. It’s a great way to have homemade pesto sauce year round. 😉

      Reply
  7. Dasha

    April 7, 2015 at 8:37 AM

    That is simply awesome! And your photography and graphic are amazing! Do you use Picmonkey for editing photos?

    Reply
  8. Cajun

    August 31, 2014 at 2:02 AM

    Girl, you might be a genius! Found this on pinterest and I just had to click through to tell you how sharp this is-even if my comment is over a year late. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      August 31, 2014 at 12:45 PM

      Thanks so much!
      I actually just did an update on that post last week, so the pictures and pins are all very new.
      It was one of my first (and not so pretty) posts.
      I just changed my theme, and am going through some of my old posts that were hosted on Blogger way back when, and getting them up do date. I see that you have a nice blog yourself, so you probably understand my obsessive need to be constantly fixing things. 🙂

      Reply
      • Cajun

        September 2, 2014 at 3:56 AM

        Thanks so much! You’ve done a beautiful job revamping your blog, although I didn’t see it before. My blog is actually still pretty new, but there are several posts from the very beginning I want to reshoot photos for too. You’re photos are definitely what caught my attention, so I’d say you’re doing a great job. I believe I’ll subscribe so I can all the things you’ll make going forward! Lovely blog 🙂

        Reply
  9. Felecia Cofield

    April 2, 2014 at 3:37 AM

    So glad I read this! I haven’t thought much about pureeing fruit for the freezer! We have a variety of fruit trees on our homestead including a fig tree. I always have way too many figs! Pureeing them may be an answer! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      April 2, 2014 at 10:59 AM

      You’re welcome!
      I have a fig tree too, but it’s still very young, and we have only gotten 1 fig from it so far. It looks like it’s starting to fruit now, though, so I have my fingers crossed that we’ll have more this year. Fig does freeze nicely for me.

      Reply
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Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
Oh, the things we'll make!...

More about Tracy

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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