DIY Easy Flavored Ice Cubes

In the age of kitchen hacks and #PinterestFails, there's a lot of noise out there when it comes to genius trends you should try in the kitchen. But one idea that's worth trying: using your ice cube tray for more than just water. Flavored ice cubes can jazz up everything from a cocktail to iced tea or coffee. The concept is simple: make ice cubes with flavorful liquids and add-ins to chill down your libations. As these creative ice cubes melt, another layer of flavor gets added to your drink. Genius!

Not only will they make your drinks taste better, but they look gorgeous too. (You'll definitely want to snap some pics to make all your Insta-peeps thirsty.) And the best part? Flavored ice cubes look impressive, but are they're deceptively easy to make. Here's how:

Step 1: Choose Your Add-Ins

Try fresh herbs, berries and edible flowers (small flowers look great, or tear off a few petals). Place your add-ins in an ice cube tray.

• Thyme
• Tarragon
• Basil
• Mint
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberry slices
• Edible flowers or petals

Step 2: Add Liquid

Top off the ice cube tray with some liquid to cover. It can be as simple as water, or try juices like cranberry, grapefruit, orange, lemon and lime, coconut milk (we found that full-fat worked better than "lite"), and summer favorites like lemonade and limeade. Just don't try anything alcoholic, as it won't freeze.

• Water
• Cranberry juice
• Grapefruit juice
• Orange juice
• Coconut milk
• Lemon juice
• Lime juice
• Lemonade/limeade
• Blue pea flower tea
• Green tea
• Coffee

Step 3: Freeze & Serve

Pictured: Magical Color-Changing Margaritas

Freeze until solid. That's it, you're done. You can pop the cubes out of the tray and store them in a sealable bag until you're ready to use them, so you can use the tray for a batch of, you know, just plain ice.

Cool Combos

Want some ideas? Here are a few mixes to try:

• Thyme + grapefruit juice ice cubes in a vodka tonic
• Marigold petals + coconut milk ice cubes in iced black tea
• Blueberries + water ice cubes in lemonade
• Raspberries + cranberry juice ice cubes in sparkling water
• Blue pea flower tea ice cubes in lemonade or limeade (the acid turns the tea pink!)

Watch: How to Make Color-Changing Margaritas