Cucumber Mint Slushie - This grown-up green slushie is the perfect refreshing and nourishing drink for hot weather. Cucumber, mint, and lime are blended together with just a touch of honey and lots of ice, making this cucumber drink the ultimate refreshing summer drink.
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I used to be straight up addicted to slushies. I mean, what's not to love about an icy cold slushie on a hot day? Rootbeer was my flavour of choice, and brain freeze was frequent.
I still treat myself to a proper slushie once in a while because what fun is life if you can't have the occasional rootbeer slushie on a hot day? But in general, sweet sugary drinks aren't my thing (and artificially sweetened drinks *definitely* aren't my thing). Related: 10 Simple Ways to Stay Hydrated This Summer.
Want a slushie that's naturally sweetened, and actually good for you? This green slushie is a sophisticated cucumber drink that's incredibly hydrating, delicious, and refreshing. Hello, Cucumber Mint Slushie!
Cucumbers are sooooo nourishing, and they're totally in season at this time of year. They've got a range of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, and their phytonutrients are linked to anti-cancer benefits.
What's in this recipe?
Just a handful of good-for-you ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Cucumbers --> I use long English cukes, but whatever you have on hand is fine.
- Mint --> Lots and lots of refreshing mint.
- Lime --> We're juicing up some limes for that citrus zing.
- Honey --> Or another liquid sweetener.
- Salt --> Just a pinch. I just pink Himalayan salt here.
- Ice --> Can't make a slushie without ice!
Equipment:
You're going to need a blender to whizz up this homemade slushie. The blender in these photos is my old workhorse of a Kitchen Aid Blender, which served me well for many years.
I've since upgraded to a Vitamix, which is the love of my life, and blends up a smooth, delicious slushie in no time.
How do you make this recipe?
It's as easy as putting stuff into your blender and blending it on up!
There are a few tips for a better blending experience though:
1. Put the liquid into your blender first, followed by the cucumbers, mint, honey, and salt. Then, put the ice on top. This will help the blades perform optimally, and result in a smoother slushie made faster.
2. You may want to drizzle the honey in as the blender is running, to prevent it from clumping at the bottom.
3. Enjoy these green slushies immediately - they won't stay slushie forever.
Tips for making awesome cucumber mint slushies:
- This recipe is all about the cucumber, so choose a nice firm ripe one with bright green skin.
- I leave the skin on my cucumber because lots of valuable nutrients are concentrated in the skin. Just give it a good scrub before using.
- Want to make a vegan slushie? Swap out the honey for a touch of maple syrup or another liquid sweetener of your choice.
- Don't skip the salt! I use pink Himalayan salt to bump up those trace minerals, and because for many of us a drink with a bit of salt in it is actually more hydrating than without.
Feel free to switch up the herbs depending on your tastes or what you have on hand. I've also made this Cucumber Mint Slushie with cilantro or Thai basil in place of the mint, both of which are delicious.
Pro tip: for a grown-up cucumber drink, a bit of gin blended in is just right.
Hey Nutrition Lady, I tell us more about cucumbers!
Alrighty then! Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamin K, which helps your blood clot when you need it to! They are also a good source of copper, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, biotin, and vitamin B1.
The phytonutrients found in cucumbers (cucurbitacins, lignans, and flavonoids) provide us with valuable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits. Cucumbers also contain the mineral silica, which is important for nail and hair health.
Did you know that cucumbers are technically a fruit? They're in the same family as melons, summer squash, and winter squash.
Other refreshing drinks you might enjoy:
Chia Fresca
Pear Ginger Springtime Smoothie
Berry Fennel Smoothie
Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie
Mango Matcha Green Tea Smoothie
Cucumber Mint Slushie
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium long English cucumber about 10oz / 300g
- 1 large lime juiced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon honey or other liquid sweetener
- pinch sea salt I like pink Himalayan salt
- 3-4 cups ice cubes
- ½ cup cold water
Instructions
- Place everything in the jug of a blender, starting with the water and finishing with the ice cubes.
- Pulse a few times to get things going, then blend until smooth.
- Add a bit more water to loosen it up if necessary.
- Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
Nutrition
Originally published July 2014. Updated, edited, re-photographed, and last re-published June 2, 2020.
Jan
I enjoyed this! So refreshing! I also added my daily flax & spirulina.
Katie Trant
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this one as much as we do 🙂
Sandra Lea
Perfect timing, my mint is growing like crazy. I have tried your recipe before and love it, so refreshing.
Sariah
Do you chop up the cucumber at all before placing it in the blender?
Katie Trant
I roughly chop it into chunks as in pictured here, but I don't find a lot of chopping is necessary.
Sandra
On our first hot day of the year I decided to make this because it sounded so refreshing and it was. Although I didn't miss the sweetener I found that all of my honey was stuck to the bottom of the blender, it didn't mix in because if the ice. Any suggestions?
Katie Trant
Hey Sandra! Oh, that's annoying when that happens. I have two suggestions for you: try adding the ice first and the honey into the blender last, so it's sitting on top of the other ingredients when you start bending. I think when it is added sooner it has an opportunity to sink down and can get stuck beneath the ice if you don't have a super powerful blender. Or, try blending everything without the honey, and then drizzling it in at the end with the blender running.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
this is definitely the perfect light drink i will be making in summer.. thanks for the recipe - love the flavour combinations too! i wonder if it would taste any good with alcohol?!
themuffinmyth
It sure would! As I said, a bit of gin blended in place of some of the water would turn this into a fine adult drink. Try it out!
Kathryn
This sounds so wonderfully refreshing (with or without the gin!)
themuffinmyth
With or without, but being that it's the weekend and my last day of work, I'm leaning towards with 😉
Eileen
This sounds like the most refreshing drink possible! So perfect for a long, lazy afternoon lounging in the backyard. 🙂
themuffinmyth
You know, you may just be right. Possibly the most refreshing drink of all time! And yes, perfect in the back yard (if only I had one!).
ptang0114
Great for summer!!!
themuffinmyth
Yup! It's perfect for summer!
kellie anderson
Love, love this. I am totally crushing on cucumber and mint in my G&Ts anyway, but this gives it all a fun, summer twist.
themuffinmyth
I will admit to having taste tested the gin addition and can highly recommend! I also love a slice of cucumber with my gin drinks (not a tonic girl, I find it too sweet). If you like that, you'll love this!
kellie anderson
I will indeed. I might have to make one up tomorrow! I always have all of the ingredients and MIL just brought back some Dutch jevenver from their holiday in The Netherlands x
Heather
And I thought cucumbers were just water! Thanks for the info and recipe. I'll tend my garden 's cukes more carefully now.
themuffinmyth
They're so much more than just water! Definitely tend that cucumber patch!
Christine
This sounds great! I make a really similar one, with the addition of avocado and coconut water (no honey) but I like the idea of this lighter, slushier version. Avocado makes it creamier, more like a smoothie, but this sounds so refreshing. Yum!
themuffinmyth
Oooh, avocado sounds good. I've done that in a smoothie before and it did indeed make it extra creamy. This version definitely does the trick for a slushie fix, though!
theveganmuffinwoman
Sounds so refreshing!
themuffinmyth
It really is!
Deena Kakaya
I have to admit to being a bit of slushie addict myself, only now I use my toddler as an excuse (he won't touch them) to indulge. I've never tried a cucumber veion, but now that you mention it, of course they are going to be utterly quenching, cooling and refreshing x
themuffinmyth
I love blended cucumber in drinks. It's got such a delicate and refreshing flavour!
Sandra
Sound so refreshing! This year the cucumbers are on a rampage. What a great way to get using them 🙂
themuffinmyth
Cucumber rampage! Sounds intense 🙂
This is definitely a good way to use your cucumbers, rampage or not!