Kool-Aid pickles, anyone? We love pickles of all shapes and sizes, and Kool-Aid is a nostalgic treat from our childhood. Combine the two, and you get vibrant, fruity Kool-Aid pickles—or Koolickles! Kool-Aid pickles are sure to surprise your taste buds, and will most likely turn some heads in your kitchen too.
What are Kool-Aid pickles?
The colorful, crunchy products are a combination of dill pickles and Kool-Aid powder. At first glance, the combination may sound like a recipe for disaster. But people in the South have been soaking pickles in Kool-Aid for quite some time.
This recipe fits the pickling culture of the American South quite well. (Even if you aren’t from the area, we can teach you how to pickle produce like a pro.) Convenience stores make and sell Koolickles, sometimes called Pickoolas, by the dozen. One brand, named SnoCo Pickles, uses snow cone syrup.
Ingredients for Kool-Aid Pickles
- Pickles: Lots of different types of pickles are available at the grocery store, but keep your eyes focused on regular dill pickles. Their mildly sour taste is best with a Kool-Aid packet.
- Sugar: Avoid using confectioners’ sugar or liquid sweeteners. The best sugar to use for a Kool-Aid pickles recipe is granulated sugar.
- Kool-Aid mix: Make sure to pick up a packet of Kool-Aid mix and not a premade jug of Kool-Aid. You’ll be whisking the Kool-Aid mix with reserved pickle juice.
Directions
Step 1: Separate the pickles and the juice
Drain the jar of pickles, and reserve the pickle juice.
Editor’s Tip: Place a colander on top of a small bowl. Twist open the jar of pickles, then dump the pickles and their juice in the colander. The pickles should remain sitting in the colander, and the pickle juice should flow into the small bowl.
Step 2: Make the Kool-Aid pickle juice mixture
Add the granulated sugar and the Kool-Aid mix to the small bowl with the reserved pickle juice. Stir the juice mixture until the sugar is dissolved, and set aside.
Step 3: Combine the pickles and juice mixture
Slice the pickles into chips, and return them to the pickle jar. Pour the Kool-Aid pickle juice mixture over the pickles. Discard any remaining juice mixture.
Screw the lid back on the jar, and refrigerate the pickles in the juice mixture for one week before serving. Store any remaining pickles in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Recipe Variations
- Use all your favorite Kool-Aid flavors: You can use more than one flavor for this recipe. Simply split up the pickles into separate jars, one jar for each flavor you use. For example, if you want to use three Kool-Aid flavors, split the pickle juice into three separate jars and flavor each jar with a different Kool-Aid mix (and the sugar). Cut up your pickles, and add an equal amount of the pickle chips to each jar of the Kool-Aid pickle juice.
- Cut the pickles to your preference: The pickles can be sliced into chips, spears or simple halves. Or, save on cutting time and use hamburger dill chips.
- Try your favorite pickles: Big dill pickles are great, but you can just as easily use smaller-sized gherkins or cornichons instead. Slice them in half or into spears (they might be too small for a chip size), and follow this recipe’s directions. How fun would these smaller Kool-Aid pickles be on a charcuterie board?
How to Store Kool-Aid Pickles
After enjoying a slice or two of the finished Kool-Aid pickles, tightly reseal the lid and stick the pickles back in the fridge. After curing, they can last for up to two more months.
Kool-Aid Pickle Tips
What do Kool-Aid pickles taste like?
Kool-Aid pickles, aka Koolickles, have a sweet and tart flavor, and some people even say these pickles taste like candy. Depending on how long they cure, the flavor of the drink mix you choose will become prominent and the pickles will take on a vibrant color. We recommend learning how to make Kool-Aid pickles and tasting them for yourself!
What are the most popular flavors of Kool-Aid pickles?
Cherry, tropical punch, grape, blue raspberry, lime and orange are among the most popular flavors of Kool-Aid, but any flavor you prefer or have on hand is fair game for these pickles.
Where did Kool-Aid pickles originate?
There’s not one specific place formally credited with this recipe’s origin; however, history has it that Koolickles originated in the South, in the Mississippi Delta region. They are a beloved, colorful snack treasured by adults and kids alike. Find out more things you can do with Kool-Aid packets, or try other adventurous pickle recipes like spicy taco pickles and ranch pickles.
Can you make Kool-Aid pickles with whole pickles?
You can use whole, uncut pickles to make Kool-Aid pickles, but whole pickles most likely won’t absorb much of the Kool-Aid pickle juice mixture because it’s hard for the juice mixture to penetrate a pickle’s thick skin.
