Yes, summer’s here and it’s time to use all your free time to try new things. But perhaps what you should be doing is trying old things in a new way—by freezing them. Having your favorite food or drink last longer than usual is a win-win situation right? Right. Some of the items in this list may bring out skepticism, but fear not because it’s guaranteed that after reading this article you’ll be using your freezer a lot more often.
1. Jelly
The amount of time you leave jelly in the freezer is crucial. Too long and you’ll have to use your molars like a dog to bite it. Try two hours; it’ll be soft enough to use a spoon to scoop it up almost as if it was ice-cream 2.0, but hard enough to enjoy a different twist on an old favorite.
2. Milky Ways
When we say Milky Ways we really mean any chocolate bar, so pick your favorite. Unless you have too many favorites in which case, take this quiz and find out just which candy bar you should freeze.
3. Chocolate Chip Cookies
This item is definitely one to try. Yes, a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie is delicious and irresistible, but that’s actually part of the secret. Once you have a hot chocolate cookie right out from the oven, pop it in your freezer. Use a resealable bag and store it until it’s frozen so that when you do get ’round to eating it, the chocolate chip core will still be soft and gooey but the outside is harder to bite on.
4. Lemon Bars
Honestly, does this really need to be explained? Lemon bars are next to if not equal to brownies in the bar-related goodies that we-snack-on-but-shouldn’t category. Stick a bar or two into the freezer and wait for the magic to happen. Then eat the magic.
5. Bananas
Fruits are generally good frozen, but bananas are on top. Chop up the banana into little slices, stick ’em into a re-sealable bag, and when they’re frozen you can just eat them like any ordinary snack. Pro tip: they’re especially good when dipped in peanut butter.
6. Banana Bread
Bananas are pretty awesome, but what’s even better is sticking them in some bread. Banana bread tastes amazing on its own, but for those of you who like something a little harder, then this is the perfect compromise.
7. Grapes
Another snacking option, frozen grapes are healthy, and all you need to do is wash them before you freeze them for a few hours before snacking.
8. Frozen Hot Chocolate
You may have heard of the bestselling frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity, but why go out when you can stay in? Homemade is one of the best options. All you have to do is make your regular, delicious cup of hot chocolate, maybe forego the marshmallows in this case, and freeze for 2-3 hours. Don’t leave it in there for too long otherwise it’ll be extremely hard to scoop up and you want there to be a flaky texture while you’re eating it.
9. Yogurt
If you’re going for this option, definitely freeze it over night. Add a few flavorful fruits as toppings, like berries or citrus fruits. Hello, healthy ice cream!
10. Watermelon Slices
Cut up the watermelon into slices and use popsicle sticks to make them into your own DIY, hand-held ice cream.