Homemade Snow Cones: 3 Ingredient Syrup Recipe
Summer is here! The heat is on! The kids are running around like crazy and begging for something to do! Sound familiar? Well I have the perfect solution for you…Homemade Snow Cones!
Why in the world would you want to make your own snow cones? Well, of course it’s fun…and it’s easy…and it only takes 4 ingredients, all of which you probably already have on hand, 3 ingredients for the syrup plus ice!
These were truly a blast to make, even my teenagers had fun, not to mention the fun Doug and I had as well!
We are always up for a challenge, so when Kool Aid asked me to share a recipe using their drink mix, we knew it was going to be fun! Last year I spotted the recipe for Snow Cone Syrup on Pinterest from Southern Mom Cooks, I thought I had remembered the recipe using Kool Aid, so I searched through my Pinterest boards and found it.
Kool Aid has been around for as long as I can remember, and it’s still going strong.
So with that in mind, we wanted these Snow Cones to be extra special!
And what we found worked perfectly! The Snow Cone Maker and Snow Cone Cups were right in the seasonal dishes area, near housewares.
The Snow Cone Maker was under $17 and the cups were under $3, so for right around $20 this little gem makes a fun treat. You could also give them as a birthday gift, I bet any kiddo would love it!
As I mentioned earlier, the Snow Cone Syrup has only 3 ingredients…sugar, water, and Kool Aid. Bring the sugar and water to a boil, then after letting it simmer for a few minutes, mix in the Kool Aid flavor of your choice.
I put the syrup in bottles that I found at Walmart in the housewares department, they were only $3. You could also use squeeze bottles too.
Here are a few tips we found when making the Snow Cones…
- Make the syrup ahead of time to it has time to chill, it will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month
- Fill the cups with ice first, then set them in the freezer. Then fill a large bowl with more ice and using a large spoon add more ice to the top to make the Snow Cones rounded.
- Use an ice cream cone holder to serve them and keep them upright.
We used a couple new flavors of Kool Aid; Mixed Berry, Cherry Limeade and also Grape. I think using the blue and red flavors for a fun Fourth of July treat would be a hit with the kids!
Homemade Snow Cones: 3 Ingredient Syrup Recipe
Simple 3 ingredient Snow Cone Syrup makes a fun treat for the kids and adults alike. Recipe from HoosierHomemade.com
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 packet (0.16 oz) Kool Aid
- Ice
Tools
- Snow Cone Maker or Food Processor
- Bottles for Syrup
- Funnel
- Snow Cone Cups
Instructions
- In a medium pan, combine sugar and water, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
- Reduce heat and let simmer 3 minutes
- Remove from heat and sprinkle Kool Aid packet in - be sure to sprinkle and not dump, it will combine better
- Stir for 1-2 minutes to dissolve completely
- Using a funnel, VERY carefully pour the syrup into a bottle - depending on the size of the bottle, you made need 2 batches to fill the bottle
- Place in fridge to chill
Snow Cones
- Crush ice in Snow Cone Maker or Food Processor
- Fill snow cone cups, add syrup
Notes
Store in fridge up to 1 month
Where can you buy the ice for the snow cones.or are people using a blender,
Hi Theresa, the ice goes into the snow cone maker and that is how you make it. You could also use a blender, but it would have to be a very strong one, and the ice won’t be the same consistency as with the snow cone maker.
~Liz
What do call the bottle with the pourer spout?
Hi Laurie, these are the bottles we used – https://amzn.to/3UarKls
They are salad dressing bottles.
-Liz
Does it have to be in the fridge for a month, because I only have like 2 weeks until the party
Hi Nayah, no, it’s “up to” 1 month in the fridge.
You could easily quadruple the sugar and water and use the same amount of koolaid
I have a question im gonna havw a snow ball stand does it have to go in the fridge after or can it sit out
Hi, sure the snow cone syrup can set out, there is not anything in it that will go bad. If you want it chilled, you could fill a bucket or big bowl with ice and put the bottles in it.
Have fun!
~Liz
How many snow cones does this recipe provided make?
Hi Emily. each recipe makes 1 1/2 cups. The amount of syrup you add to each snow cone, will depend on how many snow cones you get from it. But it does go a long way.
~Liz
Could you use a blender to crush the ice? Just asking so if you can’t, I don’t break it
Hi Sarah, yes a blender would work. The size of the crushed ice would depend on how strong the blender is.
~Liz
This syrup was way too thin and runny for snow cones. Had to add more sugar.
More like 1 cup sugar – 1/2 cup h2o
Hi Tina, sorry you found the syrup too line. We enjoyed it.
~Liz
There are actually 3 well used recipes for simple syrup. The ratios are starting with sugar to water, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. They have different uses. You can play around with them. Make the 3:1 ratio syrup and if it’s not to your liking , just add more water and you’ll get it thinned down towards the other end til you are at a stage you are satisfied with. Keep in mind Liz’s ratio of 3/4 cups of syrup to 1 pkt of Kool Aid to help you with flavor density. Hope this helps!
Lena
Thanks for all your advice Lena!
Nice
How much ammout of syrup do you need if you are only making for a dozen sno cones only also what if you dont have containers?
Hi Melanie, it totally depends on how much syrup you want on each snow cone. I would think about 1/4 cup each should be enough.
~Liz
Hi Melanie, we use any kind of styrofoam, paper, or plastic cups just like the sno cone wagons do. I really like the cups because of their flat bottoms so they can be sat down for convenience. You can easily find really great supplies in the $1 type stores or the party supply theme stores in your area. The sky is the limit! Have fun!
Lena
Super excited!! We are going to have a Mardi Gras parade and I am going to have yellow, green and purple flavored snow cones..thanks to you!!
Yay!
What a fun idea Amber! Have fun!
~Liz
How long does the syrup stay good for?
Hi Jennifer, the syrup last at least 2 weeks in the fridge. Thanks for stopping by!
~Liz
I just came across this when someone shared your post of Facebook. I’ve never thought of using Kool Aid to make the syrups. We’ve had an ice shaver for years, just don’t use it too much because I don’t keep the syrups on hand. Great idea!
Thanks so much Janel, so glad you like the Snow Cones!
~Liz
Where did you get the ice cream holder??? Thanks for sharing:)
Hi Michianlass, the ice cream holder is from Walmart, as well. I bought it a couple years ago.
~Liz