Ninja Slushi Recipes for Kids (That the Adults Will Also Steal)

My nephew visited for a weekend and I made him a Harry Potter Butterbeer Slushie. He stared at it for a second, took one sip, and then asked if we could make another one before he even finished the first. He is nine years old and he is my harshest critic.

The non-alcoholic side of the Ninja Slushi gets overlooked because most of what you see online is frozen cocktails. But this machine makes exceptional kid drinks -- no ABV math, no freeze-point worries from alcohol, just cold and delicious and easy. Here are the ones that go over best.

Harry Potter Butterbeer Slushie

I already told you this one is elite. My Harry Potter Butterbeer Slushie is a butterscotch cream soda slush that tastes genuinely close to the Universal Studios version, made at home for a fraction of what you'd pay in a theme park. The color is pale cream-gold, it has this soft butterscotch warmth, and it's not overwhelmingly sweet. Kids lose their minds over it. So do adults, honestly -- I've served it at events where half the adults snuck a cup.

Tropical Pineapple Mango Dole Whip

My Tropical Pineapple Mango Dole Whip is the Slushi version of the thing Disney charges eight dollars for. It's lighter and icier than the original soft-serve but the pineapple-mango flavor is all the way there. Kids who are into tropical stuff or who've been to Disney and want to recreate the experience at home respond to this one immediately.

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

My Frozen Strawberry Lemonade Slush is the universal crowd-pleaser. Bright pink, sharp and sweet, freezes consistently, and works for literally every age including the picky ones. If you're making slushies for a group of kids and you don't know their preferences, this is the one to lead with.

The soda classics

My Classic Cola Slush is exactly what it sounds like and it's always a hit. Full-sugar cola, cold, with a touch of lemon juice that helps the freeze, and it churns into a dark sweet ice that tastes like a frozen fountain drink. There is nothing complicated about this one and it doesn't need to be.

My Grape Soda Slush is the same idea with grape soda, and the color alone sells it to every kid who sees it. If a kid has a favorite soda that has enough sugar (above about 8g per 8 oz), there's a good chance it'll work in the Slushi. The machine isn't picky about flavor -- just sugar content.

Blue Raspberry Lemonade

My Blue Raspberry Lemonade Slush is the snow-cone-in-a-cup option. Aggressively blue, tastes like candy, looks like it came from a carnival stand. If you want a drink that will make a nine-year-old immediately tell their friends about it, this is it.

Watermelon Mint and Orange Julius

My Watermelon Mint Cooler Slush is the fruit-forward option for kids who don't love super-sweet drinks. Real watermelon with a faint mint finish -- it tastes like summer in a cup, and it tends to go over well with kids who are into actual fruit rather than artificial flavors.

My Orange Julius Slushi is a creamy orange slush that tastes exactly like the mall version. Slightly thicker than the others because of the cream, with a vanilla-citrus combination that's hard not to like. One of those drinks where adults claim it's for the kids and then drink most of it themselves.

One practical note

Serve these faster than you think you need to. Slushies are best in the first few minutes out of the machine and start separating quickly at room temperature. If you're serving a group, keep the machine running on Low and scoop in batches.

All the non-alcoholic Slushi recipes are here.