Strawberry Vodka Slush - The Hottest Cocktail of The Summer!

Deliciously sweet and wonderfully refreshing, this strawberry vodka slush is the best way in the world to say TGIF! After a long, hard week at work (or at home if you're a suffering stay-at-home parent!) you deserve something icy, yummy and alcoholic to cool you off and chill you out. Especially during the boiling hot summer months when the sky-high temperatures threaten to burst your thermometer.

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Strawberry Vodka Slush Cocktail in half a lemon

I get that you don't want to spend forever in the kitchen to make yourself an icy cool cocktail. Which is why this strawberry vodka slush takes just minutes to make! Throw some ingredients into a pan and let them cook. Give them a bit of a mash then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Put it all in the freezer and wait for the magic to happen. Think you can handle that? Great!

If you make a giant batch of this strawberry vodka slush (like I always do) you'll have enough to last you the entire summer! Just 20 minutes of prep in exchange for a summer full of tasty, slushy goodness sounds like a pretty good deal, right?

When you're sitting in your garden (or balcony, or just leaning out the window!) with your eyes closed, sipping this summer drink, you'll be transported to a tropical Caribbean beach, the soft sand between your toes and the gentle breeze blowing against your cheek and the sea laps on the shore. Okay, not quite. But you can pretend!

Lemonade being poured into Strawberry Vodka Slush Cocktail

How to make healthy strawberry vodka slush

If you make the strawberry vodka slush by following the recipe below, each glass will be around 100 calories. Which is pretty awesome for a cocktail as sweet and delicious as this! If you want to cut the calorie count down to just 65 calories per glass  without sacrificing the taste or the alcohol, listen up.

  • Replace the sugar with artificial sweetener. I can't tell you how much sweetener you need to replace the sugar, because different sweeteners have different sweetness levels. One of the pill-type sweeteners I use is the equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. There are 24 teaspoons in ½ cup, so that makes 24 individual sweeteners for this recipe. The strawberry flavour in this cocktail is really strong and totally masks the taste of most artificial sweeteners. This makes using a zero-calorie sweetener a great way to hugely cut down on calories.
  • Use Sprite Zero, Diet 7Up or sparkling water. Another great way to lower the calorie count is to switch ordinary Sprite/7Up for the zero-calorie diet versions. They give you the same taste without the calories. Strawberries are really sweet anyway, especially when combined with sugar or artificial sweetener. So it's worth giving sparkling water a try. But if you're really into sweet cocktails, try one of the diet sodas instead.
  • Avoid Stevia. Stevia's got a very strong taste that overpowers the strawberries in this summer cocktail. So unless you love the taste of Stevia, use a mild-flavoured artificial sweetener instead.

A metal spoon stirring Strawberry Vodka Slush Cocktail

Essentials to make strawberry vodka slush

You don't need any strange ingredients to make this slushy cocktail. But you will need a pretty large freezer-safe plastic container to store it in. Sure, you could make a fraction of the recipe and pour it into a small Tupperware box, but where's the fun in that? You'd only have to make another batch the next day.

Plastic containers get really brittle when you keep them in the freezer and snap easily. That's why you need a strong and sturdy container that will stand up to the challenge. I use this 6 quart container. It's large enough to fit all the cocktail inside and is really strong so it won't break. If you're going to double (or triple, or quadruple!) the recipe, you'll need a 29-cup container. Containers this large and sturdy are super hard to find in stores, but you can easily pick one up online from Amazon.

To scoop the strawberry vodka slush into glasses, you'll also need a quality ice cream scoop. This cocktail can be quite hard when it freezes and you don't want to end up bending all your spoons!

A margarita glass filled with Strawberry Vodka Slush Cocktail

More frozen vodka slush recipes

If you're all about delicious frozen summer cocktails like this strawberry vodka slush, you need to check out my lemon vodka slush! It's really similar to this recipe, but loaded with fruity tropical flavours. Oh, and while you're at it, save this vodka cranberry slush in your bookmarks or on Pinterest, so you can enjoy festive slushy cocktails when Christmas comes around, too.

📖 Recipe

Closeup image of Strawberry Vodka Slush Cocktail

Strawberry Vodka Slush

Sweet, fruity and loaded with alcohol, this strawberry vodka slush is one of the best cocktails for a crowd you'll enjoy sipping all summer long! 
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Strawberry vodka slush
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Freezing time: 23 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 day
Servings: 16 glasses
Calories: 100kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup sugar you can substitute an artificial sweetener
  • 8 cups fresh or frozen strawberries that's around 60 large strawberries
  • 1 cup vodka
  • 1 cup lemon juice from 4 large lemons
  • 3 cups Sprite / 7Up + extra for mixing before serving you can substitute Sprite/7Up Zero or sparkling water

Instructions

  • Place the water and sugar/sweetener into a saucepan over a high heat. Bring to a boil and add in the strawberries.
  • Reduce the heat so the water is simmering and leave to cook for 15 minutes, until the strawberries are completely soft. Use a hand-held blender to totally break down the fruit.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, pour into a large freezer-safe container and leave to cool to room temperature. When cooled, stir in the vodka, lemon juice and Sprite/7UP/sparkling water. Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours to set.
  • To serve, use an ice cream scoop to fill a glass with the frozen slush. Top with extra Sprite/7UP/sparkling water until it reaches the rim, mix everything together so the drink is slushy and enjoy!

Notes

1 glass is 65 calories if you use zero-calorie artificial sweetener and zero-calorie Sprite/7Up/sparkling water.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal

About Nicola

I’m Nicola, the face behind Happy Healthy Motivated – your go-to guide to becoming your best you!
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg

    Nicola - This would be dangerous in my house, but a perfect poolside drink. 🙂

    • Nicola Quinn

      Haha! I only made a batch a few days ago, Erin, and it's already 'disappeared' from the freezer!

  2. Brianna

    Looks delicious and refreshing! Glad I have a partner who also DIY's. Having had the other I know how long a project can drag on.... BUT Yea! for new kitchen even if it takes a bit.

    • Nicola Quinn

      Thanks so much Briana! This whole kitchen thing has been dragging on for about a month now. I feel like I'm missing summer!

  3. Suzy

    Nicola, I was so excited when I found the strawberry slush recipe on Pinterest. My grandmother used to make this same recipe many, many years ago. She would allow my sister and I to put a little bit of slush in our glasses of 7up. We were never allowed more than 2 and she always controlled the amount of slush that went in our glasses so we wouldn't over indulge. I'm so glad that you shared this recipe. I can't wait to make up a batch for my sister and I to enjoy and reminisce about our grandma! ☺

    • Nicola Quinn

      I'm so glad I brought you back some happy memories, Suzy! And I really hope my recipe lives up to your grandma's standards!

  4. Teri

    How much does it serve?

    • Nicola Quinn

      It makes 6-8 servings, Teri.

  5. Tom

    Thinking of trying this. What do you think of using rhubarb, or watermelon?

    • Nicola

      Hi Tom! I've only ever made this recipe with strawberries, so I can't say for sure, but I don't see why strawberries or rhubarb wouldn't work! Rhubarb is a bit bitter, so you'll probably have to add in some extra sugar to counteract the bitterness.

  6. Angela

    Hello there, I'm dying to make the drink but I was wondering what or where to find the lemon-fizzy drink?

    • Nicola

      Hey Angela! The lemon-lime fizzy drink is just Sprite or 7Up. 🙂

  7. maria closetohome

    this looks so refreshing and perfect for summer. I love the color as well.

    • Nicola

      Thanks so much, Maria. It looks as good as it tastes!

  8. Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry

    Now this looks amazing. Refreshing and fruity and perfect for summer

    • Nicola

      Thanks, Bintu. You're exactly right!

  9. Felesha Bell

    I would love to try this without the vodka!! Looks so refreshing!

    • Nicola

      It totally works out the vodka, too, Felesha!

  10. Cricket Plunkett

    This sounds incredible! I also love the photo on the beach, makes me wish I was on vacation!

    • Nicola

      I get the same feeling every time I look at it! 🙂

  11. Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy

    I'd love to try this in a non-alcoholic version! Sounds perfectly refreshing! And that photo is taking me to a wonderfully tropical place in my mind, and I could use a trip!

    • Nicola

      You can totally make an non-alcoholic version, Tina 🙂

  12. Jenni

    What a perfect summer cocktail!! So perfect for on the beach or beside the pool!

    • Nicola

      Thanks so much, Jenni!

  13. Beth

    30 strawberries is puzzling, I have some average size and some huge ones in my container from the store, is about 16 oz the right amount?

    • Nicola

      Hey Beth! I think 16oz might be a bit much. Try 12oz of strawberries. That should be about right 🙂

  14. Jennifer Beard

    Could you use frozen strawberries?

    • Nicola

      Definitely! That's what I always use, Jennifer 🙂

  15. Pam S

    This looks delicious! I was wondering about making it and subbing limoncello for half of the vodka, for more of a strawberry lemonade flavor. Do you think that would work, or would it need something more to give it more of a lemonade flavor?

  16. Mary Cerda

    First off this recipe is Excellant. Second...I love you're humor!! I was cracking up reading the recipe. I do believe if we ever met in real life we'd get along great!! Thanks for sharing.

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