But I do have the abstract memories–the way their house smelled and the steep linoleum steps (which seemed much steeper than they probably were in reality) and the graham crackers. My grandma always had a “back to school” party for each grandkid when they went to kindergarten–all the cousins and aunts and uncles would bring backpacks and school supplies for the kindergartner and we’d have a party in their backyard. Whether it was back to school parties or Thanksgiving or Easter, there were always lots of old-fashioned, incredibly delicious treats (like homemade, home-canned grape juice lemonade with real grapes in the canning jars–never seen it before or since but if it’s half as delicious as I remember it, I’d die of happiness if I ever found a recipe for it). And like Banana Slush Punch. It’s probably been, oh, 25 years since I had my grandma’s Banana Slush Punch, but I can still taste it.
With Easter coming up, I’ve been thinking a lot about food and traditions and the kinds of food memories I have and what I want to share with my own kids. We had this slushy punch at every Grandma Randle Easter party that I can remember from my early childhood and even though I don’t have tons and tons of memories of my grandparents, I want this to be one of the recipes my kids take with them in their own lives.
Ingredient Notes
- Ripe Bananas – When I say ripe, I mean it! They should look brown all over and ready for banana bread, but some good spots on the peel indicate your bananas will be nice and sweet, with a good texture for this punch.
- Juice Concentrates – This punch uses lemonade and orange juice concentrate and also calls for pineapple juice. Since the frozen pineapple juice concentrate will be right there in the freezer aisle, it’s the easiest to grab that. But if you prefer, many stores now sell fresh pineapple juice in the produce section by the fresh juices and smoothies.
- Sprite or Ginger Ale – Take your pick between the two of these. There are so many other flavors in this punch, that either one will provide a satisfying sparkle to the finished product. Diet soda is fine.
How to Make Banana Slush Punch
- First, you’ll place some ripe bananas and water in a blender and sprinkle them with some sugar. Blend until smooth and then set aside.
- Then, in a large bowl or pot, you’ll combine some pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, a can of lemonade (pink or yellow) concentrate, and some more water. Mix well. If you didn’t think ahead (like me) to thaw out the concentrates, pop an immersion blender into the mixture and mix until it’s smooth. Add the banana mixture and mix well.
- Pour the banana mixture into 3 separate freezer-safe containers or gallon-sized Ziploc bags. Freeze several hours or overnight (at least). When ready to serve, place one frozen bag of banana mixture into a punch bowl or serving jar and pour 1 liter of Sprite or ginger ale over the mixture.
- Break up with a spoon or ladle (or whip out that immersion blender again) and serve. You can garnish it with frozen raspberries or frozen sliced strawberries if you want.
This yields about 7 1/2 quarts (about 40 8-ounce servings to 60 4-ounce servings), so feel free to cut the recipe in half if you’re not interested in feeding a small army!
Serving Suggestions
This punch is great as a stand-alone refreshment on a hot day. It could also be served along side some easy desserts or a fruit or veggie platter. Its tropical flavors would pair well with other island-inspired dishes like Huli Huli Chicken, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Kalua Pork Sliders, or Hawaiian Style BBQ Ribs with Grilled Pineapple.
If you’re interested in other beverages, consider some of these:
FAQs
- How far in advance can I make this Banana Slush Punch? This is one drink that is perfect for prepping ahead! Those frozen bags will keep well in the freezer for several weeks. If you need to transport them to an event, pack the frozen bags in a cooler and pop your soda in there as well. They should blend up perfectly if used within a couple of hours.
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear from you! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram, and then come back and give this recipe a rating!
Banana Slush Punch
- Total Time: 4+hours
- Yield: 7.5 quarts, serves 40-60
Description
This slushy tropical punch is refreshing and beautiful. Perfect for large gatherings, as it serves a small army!
Ingredients
6 cups water, divided
4 very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups white sugar
6 cups (48 ounces) pineapple juice
2 12- ounce cans orange juice concentrate
1 12-ounce can lemonade concentrate (pink or yellow)
3 liters Sprite or ginger ale
Instructions
In the jar of a blender, combine 3 cups water, bananas, and sugar. Blend until smooth and set aside.
In a large bowl or pot, combine remaining water, pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, and lemonade concentrate and mix well or blend with an immersion blender. Add banana mixture.
Divide the mixture evenly among 3 freezer-safe containers or gallon-sized Ziploc bags and freeze for several hours or overnight (at least). When ready to serve, place 1 container of banana mixture at a time into a drink bowl or jar and pour 1 liter of chilled ginger ale or Sprite over the banana mixture. Mix with a spoon (or immersion blender) and serve immediately. If desired, you can garnish with frozen berries.
Notes
Makes about 30 8-ounce servings to 60 4-ounce servings. Feel free to cut it in half if needed, or simply prepare just one bag and 1 liter of soda and save the rest for another occasion.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Freezer time: 4+ hours
Questions & Reviews
This is a Recipe I’ve Been SEARCHING for !! My whole Childhood My Grandmother Made this Every Holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, BBQ’S!! I Am So Very Happy You Posted This ❣️❣️❣️ Thank You So Much🥰🤗 And the Memory Carries On 👵🏼💞💞💞💞💞
Made this for Easter dinner and it was a hit! Everyone loved it. Thanks for the great recipe.
I made this slush punch last weekend for a girls night. I subbed 3 cups of Malibu rum in place of the additional water. Froze everything in a gallon ice cream bucket. Instead of mixing everything in a punch bowl, we just put 2 scoops of slush (almost like the consistency of sherbet) in a glass and added gingerale. That way you can refreeze what you don’t use for next time 🙂 I found the same glass container in your post at Walmart for around $10. I will use it so much over the summer! It comes with a cool glass apothecary lid to keep all those winged critters out of it when outdoors. Thanks for an outstanding punch recipe!
In the photo of the canada dry and frozen banana mixture in the large glass container, is that your punch holder? where did you get it? We make punch during the summer, and I hate our ugly plastic punch bowl lol.
Walmart for about $7! 🙂
Kate, how long do you suppose the banana mixture would last in the refrigerator? Normally I’d think the banana would turn brown very quickly but the pineapple juice and lemonade could keep it yellow. I don’t usually have any need for large amounts of punch but I’m thinking of making a half batch and freezing it in 1 C amounts, then taking out the 1 C and keeping it in the fridge. That way we could add a bit to our glasses and top it off with ginger ale, using up the banana mixture within a couple of days.
Also I wanted to say I have the exact same immersion blender in the same color. The same day that I saw this post, I read another post on another food blog (was it Pioneer Woman?) and they have the exact same one in the same color, too. How odd! Love my immersion blender though 🙂
I bet you could keep it for up to a week if you’re brave–the acid will help keep everything on the okay side. 🙂
Tha’s hilarious about the immersion blender! I love that color; using my immersion blender just makes me happy, haha!
I am thinking of every summer baby shower I ever throw again. I LOVE bananna in this. And another way to use over ripe banannas! Yes! I sometimes wish I had a service that would drop fresh banannas off at my house like three times a week. I can only eat them if they’re still a little bit green. If I go to the store that often to buy banannas that fit my criteria I’d be broke.
My family has been making this Banana Slush forever. We got the recipe from a cookbook called “Mormon Country Cooking.” Years ago, my sister got all of us copies of this book from a used bookstore in Utah. It makes me wonder if there is an old canning recipes cookbook that would have your lemonade grape juice recipe in it. I grew up with my mom canning just grape juice, and it was heavenly. I can’t imagine how much better lemonade grape juice would be.
My mom always made grape juice and lemonaide punch for family picnics. It was a family favorite. Now when we get together we always make it so we can reminisce about the good old days! It brings back so many happy memories and is still delicious!
Would you mind sending me your recipe for the lemonade grape punch? Just so I can try it out? You’d be my hero! 🙂
Never had anything like this and it looks amazing! It’s a must try:)