One of my fondest childhood memories is enjoying orange creamsicles after soccer games during the summer. It was always hard to resist the temptation to bite straight into the popsicle before letting it thaw and soften up a bit. Eeeevery body knows the best time to eat a creamsicle is just before it begins dripping all over the place.
While I’m not much of a popsicle eater any more, I enjoy sipping on cool, crisp, flavorful beverages during hot summer days. It shouldn’t come as a shocker that my drink of choice is usually kombucha. I love the flavor, the fizz, and also the fact that I’m taking in all sorts of probiotics, vitamins, and minerals while I’m enjoying a nice bevvy.
If you are familiar with kombucha, you know it has a somewhat vinegar-y flavor, and that flavor can be stronger when it’s brewed at home. This is where the creamsicle comes into play. I made a batch of orange-flavored kombucha and thought adding full-fat coconut milk before drinking it would be a nice balance to the acidity. I loved the way it turned out, and the zesty creamy flavor was quite the treat! You get all the spunk of a creamsicle without getting your mouth stuck to a popsicle, or having creamsicle drips all over your hands/face/car/pets.
If you’ve never made kombucha, you can read my post on How to Make Homemade Kombucha. This recipe begins after you have already brewed a batch of kombucha and are ready to bottle it and put it through secondary fermentation. The whole process is easy, and the drink will bring you back to the creamsicle days of yore.
Orange Creamsicle Kombucha
Ingredients
For Orange-Flavored Kombucha:
- 1 gallon homemade kombucha
- 3 cups extra pulp orange juice*
For Orange Creamsicle Kombucha:
- 16 ounces homemade orange-flavored kombucha
- 3 tablespoons to 4 full-fat canned coconut milk
Instructions
- Transfer half of the homemade kombucha and half of the orange juice to a ½-gallon pitcher and stir.
- Pour the orange kombucha into 16-ounce sanitized glass bottles and seal.
- Leave the bottles in a warm, dark spot in your house (a pantry or a closet works great) for 3 days to allow for secondary fermentation.
- Transfer bottles to the refrigerator and refrigerate until chilled.
Make Orange Creamsicle Kombucha:
- Carefully open one of the bottles of orange kombucha (note that pressure will build during secondary fermentation, so be careful to point the bottle away from your face when opening).
- Using a strainer, strain the kombucha into a glass. This will remove the orange pulp and any small SCOBYs that have formed during secondary fermentation.
- Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of full-fat canned coconut milk. Mix and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you’re looking for more tips or recipes for brewing homemade kombucha, check out my cookbook, Delicious Probiotic Drinks.
My scoby is on the way; I found a huge jug at TJ Maxx to brew it in, now I am wondering about bottles… Are dark best? What size? What about lids? Are they reusable? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Also, must the entire jar be flavored the same or can it be split up?
Thanks so much! I am drooling on my keyboard because Orange Creamsicles were my FAVORITE growing up!!!
Margot
Hi Margot! Congrats on beginning your own kombucha brew!
I recommend using dark bottles because probiotics don’t like to be exposed to sunlight. Use glass bottles with plastic or rubber lids, and make sure they’re well sanitized before you bottle the kombucha. And yes, you can reuse the bottles. I’ve used these amber flip cap bottles for the last three years and they work great.
For the primary brew, don’t add any flavors – simply brew the scoby in sugar tea. For the secondary fermentation, you can flavor the kombucha any way you would like, and yup, you can split it up, since it’s just going in bottles. I recommend reading my How to Brew Kombucha post before starting your first batch 🙂
Let me know if you have any other questions and congrats again!
I’ve recently discovered kombucha and love it! Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Wahoo!! Kombucha for life! SO glad you’ve been welcomed into the wonderful world of kombucha. Let me know if you have any questions about brewing it at home!
YOU are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Who doesn’t love creamsicles, or at least have great memories of them? And now we get to have one in our kombucha. Love it.
Aww, thanks Elaine!! I have to admit, it took me 3 years of kombucha brewing to come up with the creamsicle idea, haha! Pretty amazing what you can do with the stuff! So happy you’re a fellow brewer and let me know how you like the recipe if you try it!! xoxo
I haven’t had a creamsicle in ages, but at this point in my life…I’ll concede all the artifical color and make this kombucha instead!
Love the way you think! Couldn’t they just make creamsicles without artificial colors and all the crappola? I mean, seriously. 🙂
How genius is this?! I used to lurveeeee creamiscles when I was little. And fudgesicles. I love how you used full fat coconut milk–I bet it’s UBER creamy!
Full-fat coconut milk and I are in a serious relationship. I feel like Lite coconut milk is the version that has no motion of the ocean, if you know what I’m saying. 😉
so, i had to google kombucha. then I scooted to your ‘how to’ post. I like alllll the things (!) this stuff does for you. super intrigued !
Oh girl, if you want to know more about kombucha, allz you gots to do is email me 😀 Also, if you want a copy of Delicious Probiotic Drinks, let me know! Brewing this stuff’s lots of fun!
What a perfect summer drink, love this one!
Thanks, Matt!
yes, please!!
I’ve always been a sucker for orange creamisicles!! I was just thinking about those orange push pops the other day! That is so awesome that you made an orange creamsicle kombucha drink! I’ve never made my own kombucha, but I think it is about time I do 🙂
Kombucha brewing is so much fun, Isadora! Let me know if you want a copy of my first cookbook – I’d be happy to send you one – it has all the info you need to start your homebrew!
OMG, Julia, I would absolutely love a copy of your book! I don’t even know the first thing about making my own kombucha, but it has always been something I’ve been really interested in! 🙂
Whoa. This is like, too good to be true. Orange creamsicles are just about the best thing ever and thinking about a kombucha version is blowing my mind right now.
I’m currently hunting for somewhere in the east bay or SF to get SCOBY but if that doesn’t work out then I’m going to order one immediately. There is just too much goodness waiting to be made!
I can’t wait to hear how all your kombucha brews go! Seriously, I wish I could just set you up with a starter kit right now. Do you think SCOBYs teleport well? hmmm…. anyhoo, I hope you find your culture soon!!
orange flavor kombucha sounds pretty good..now we need to add vodka to that 🙂
Oof…not gonna lie – kombucha cocktails are next on my To Kombucha list! Kombucha creamsicle screwdriver has a good ring to it, right? 😉
There’s no resisting the sweet fizz of kombucha. Love this refreshing beverage!
#kombuchafordayz! 😉
What a pretty shade of orange – looks very summery!
OH MY GOSH. Next batch will be this!
YES! Let me know how you like it!
Juliaaaa. What a cool take on the creamsicle. Adding coconut milk would be such a delightful contrast to the sharp acidity. Nice one!
Thanks, my dear! I absolutely love the way it turned out! Makes me wonder why I haven’t been adding coconut milk this entire ‘bucha-drinking time!