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This orange creamsicle cocktail is a boozy, grown-up version of the summertime ice cream treat that’s for adults only. Treat yourself to one before it’s suddenly autumn.
Few of our childhood experiences beat the ones involving hot summer days and the magical sound of an ice cream truck approaching. Back then, our only stress was deciding among flavors like creamsicles, push-up pops and rocket popsicles. More often than not, we both chose creamsicles.
While it’s been years since we’ve heard those distinctive music box chords, we get a thrill every time we create an orange creamsicle cocktail at home. Not only does this adult beverage bring back happy memories, but the creamy, dreamy drink also tastes great.
History of the Creamsicle
It would be easy to confuse creamsicles with popsicles since both frozen treats have wooden stick handles… but that would be wrong. Popsicles are frozen juice bars while creamsicles are made with vanilla ice cream and fruit-flavored sherbet.
The history of both ‘sicles’ goes back to 1905 when 11-year old Frank Epperson accidentally invented the iconic summertime frozen treat on a cold night. While Epperson’s Epsicle eventually got renamed to popsicle, he didn’t invent the creamsicle. That honor goes to the Good Humor Company who cornered the market on square-shaped, bright orange and white ice cream treats during the early 20th century.
After competing for decades, Good Humor and Popsicle joined forces after Unilever purchased the former in 1961 and the latter in 1989. The British-based company has become an ice cream juggernaut with additional brands that include Ben and Jerry’s, Cornetto, Magnum and Solero.
Fun Fact
Brits call their frozen treats Ice Lollies.
This orange creamsicle cocktail is a boozy, grown up version of the ice cream treat. Unlike the original creamsicle which married vanilla ice cream with orange sherbet and put the combination on a stick, the cocktail version doesn’t typically contain either ice cream or sherbet.
Instead, most orange creamsicle cocktail recipes include ingredients like vodka, vanilla vodka, whipped cream vodka, orange soda, heavy cream and whipped cream. Some are served on the rocks while others come frozen or in shot glasses.
This orange creamsicle cocktail recipe is different from any that we’ve seen online. It doesn’t have any of the ingredients mentioned above and it’s not frozen. To be honest, we tried using some of those ingredients but didn’t love the results.
Once we got creative, we crafted a uniquecCreamsicle drink recipe that we love and are proud to share not just during the summer but all year long.
Fun Fact
Popsicle fans celebrate National Creamsicle Day on August 14th each year. However, any day is a good day for a creamsicle drink.
After experimenting with various ingredients, we like these ingredients best for our super-tasty adult version of the famous ice cream treat. As a bonus, we almost always have them in our kitchen and home bar.
Unlike other orange creamsicle cocktail recipes, our recipe doesn’t include vodka. The only two required liquors are orange triple sec liqueur and white chocolate vanilla cream liqueur. Here’s everything you need to craft this cocktail:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
Crafting an orange creamsicle cocktail is as easy as drinking one. If you can pour and shake, then you can make this dessert-worthy drink!
The first step is to measure each liquid in a jigger.
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As you measure each liquid, you’ll want to pour it directly into a shaker.
Once all four liquids are in the shaker, add ice cubes and shake until the liquids are combined and chilled.
We shake our cocktails with a Boston shaker. We previously alternated between a classic metal shaker and a pretty glass shaker, but they leaked which was both messy and annoying. Acquiring a Boston shaker has been nothing short of a mixology game-changer.
You’ll want to use a cocktail strainer when you pour the drink from the shaker into a martini glass. It will be frothy, creamy and ready to drink with one exception…
The last step is to grate some fresh orange zest directly over the cocktail. We use a microplane to get a fine result.
Orange zest adds an appealing texture that enhances the drink’s appearance and taste. You can skip this step if you don’t have a fresh orange on hand.
That’s it. You’ll be surprised how quick and easy this drink is to craft at home. You’ll be even more surprised by how much this modern cocktail channels the spirit of an old-school Creamsicle.
We love this orange creamsicle cocktail recipe; however, you may want to tweak it to make it your new favorite cocktail. If so, we suggest the following potential modifications:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Orange Creamsicle Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces orange juice
- 2 ounces orange triple sec
- 1 ounce low-fat milk
- 1 ounce Godiva white chocolate liqueur
- orange zest garnish
- ice cubes for shaking
Instructions
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Pour orange juice, orange triple sec, white chocolate liqueur and low-fat milk into a shaker.
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Add ice and shake vigorously until ingredients are mixed and chilled.
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Strain into a martini glass.
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Garnish with orange zest.
Notes
- We use 2% low-fat milk but you can use skim or whole milk instead.
- We use Cointreau but you can use a different orange triple sec instead.
- You can use a lowball or coupe glass if you don’t have a martini glass.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
The orange creamsicle cocktail is a boozy, grown up version of the frozen ice cream treat
There is no definitive orange creamsicle cocktail recipe. We use the following ingredients in our Orange Creamsicle cocktail recipe: Low-Fat Milk, Orange Juice, Orange Liqueur, Orange Zest, White Chocolate Vanilla Cream Liqueur and Ice Cubes (for shaking). We do not use vodka in our orange creamsicle cocktail recipe!
The orange creamsicle is shaken, not stirred.
We like to sip this cocktail in a small martini glass but you could use a coupe glass instead.
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