18 Creative Ways To Use An Ice Cube Tray

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When you think of the most utilitarian kitchen tools, what comes to mind? Is it the trusty wooden spoon, spatula, or one of our personal favorites, the ice cube tray? Ice cube trays come in a range of sizes, shapes, and materials, and it turns out that they can be used for more than just ice. Their deep wells and sturdy construction make them an essential item to keep in the kitchen — you just have to think a little outside of the box (err ... tray) to maximize their utility. 

We created a list of some of the best uses for an ice cube tray, both inside the kitchen and out. While many of these hacks can be used for both silicone and hard plastic trays, some only work with one or the other, so be sure to take this into account when deciding which tray to add to your Amazon cart. 

Tomato paste is an incredibly versatile ingredient packed with sweetness, savoriness, and umami. It's the base of many classic Italian sauces, like marinara, and it can be used to create tasty condiments like homemade ketchup. Many brands of tomato paste come in a multi-serving can, and unfortunately, many recipes call for a small portion. This can leave you wondering what to do with the rest before it spoils — and may have you considering buying tubed tomato paste going forward. 

Luckily, an ice cube tray can come to the rescue. The small wells allow you to portion out your tomato paste into smaller servings and freeze it. That way, when you need to grab a couple of tablespoons for your tasty homemade pasta sauce, all you have to do is plop a section in — straight from frozen. Obviously, if you're not cooking the sauce — like for ketchup — you'll want to defrost it in your microwave or fridge before using.

There's no classic cocktail quite like a dirty martini. The combination of vodka (or gin), olives, and vermouth is delectable and is at its best when it's ice cold. However, you don't want to use regular ice cubes for your drink, as this can dilute its boozy flavor. Instead, reach for that ice cube tray and a bottle of olives. Frozen olive brine can keep dirty martinis cold without altering their flavor profile. 

You can even add a piece of olive right to the tray before topping it off with the brine and freezing it. This will give your cocktail an extra olive-y flavor and sophisticated garnish. If you go this route, be sure to choose firm olives — rather than turn soft and mushy — that will hold their shape after freezing. It also pays to use silicone trays rather than plastic ones, as it's easier to extract the whole cubes and the olives frozen inside. 

If you have a green thumb, you may find yourself with tons of fresh herbs. You can only make so many pestos and chimichurris — so you're better off saving the rest for future dishes that need a little herby pop. The easiest way to do this is to grab an ice cube tray, your herbs, and some liquid. The freezing process will ensure that your herbs stay at peak freshness, while the individual pockets in the tray will offer the perfect pinch of them for your dish. 

You can keep cilantro fresh and slime-free by blending some of the leaves with oil, then transferring the mixture to your ice cube tray. You can use these little cubes to add brightness to your steak sauce or in a batch of homemade pico de gallo. On the other hand, you may want to try freezing herbs like basil or mint in water so you can add them to beverages like lemonade. 

Breakfast burritos are an excellent option for busy mornings, and you can use an ice cube tray to make them even easier. You'll want to use a silicone tray for this, as the entire tray will be submerged and cooked in an Instant Pot. It's generally recommended to use a rectangular ice cube tray – like the kind used for water bottles — so that you can use one egg "stick" per burrito.

Fill the individual wells with eggs and whatever ingredients you like to include in your wraps, like cheese, bacon, and sausage. Then, you can cover the tray with foil and cook it in your Instant Pot until the eggs set. Reheat these egg sticks in a matter of minutes, then assemble them inside your tortilla with the sauce of your choice. 

Cooking with wine can be a bit of a hassle — especially when the recipe calls for a couple of tablespoons, leaving you with practically a whole open bottle. If you crack open a bottle of wine for a pasta dish or a pan sauce for steak, you can always store the rest in an ice cube tray. That way, you can pull out a cube or two when you need to cook with it. 

The important thing to note is that wine's flavor will change after it's frozen, so you may not want to drink a glass of pre-frozen merlot with your meal. But if you're just adding it to a sauce along with aromatics, seasonings, and flavorful proteins, it should suffice. Wine also doesn't freeze at the same temperature as water because it contains alcohol, so it may take some trial and error to freeze your cubes to perfection. 

One of the most time-consuming tasks in the kitchen is peeling, crushing, and slicing garlic. If you're making a big batch of pasta sauce or extra-garlicky recipe, you could be spending a ton of time trying to peel the papery skin off your cloves. That said, it's easier to prep a few heads of garlic and freeze the extra so that you have fresh-ish garlic at the ready for all your culinary needs. 

Your ice cube tray is a great way to store surplus pre-minced garlic. That way, when you're in need of a hint of allium flavor, all you need to do is pop the cube into your pot and get cooking. If you want to reduce the amount of work you need to do later on, try pureeing your cloves in a food processor before spooning the paste into the tray. The fine texture of the paste will allow it to smoothly integrate into your recipe. The paste will last a couple of months in the freezer and is best used for cooked dishes, as the texture and flavor of the raw garlic will change the longer it's frozen. 

The kitchen junk drawer can be a bit of a scary place, especially for small objects. Batteries, Command hooks, screws, and more can get lost amid larger tools, like hammers, scissors, and thingamajigs you use once in a blue moon but can't justify throwing away. Luckily, your ice cube tray can make the process of organizing these small kitchen items easier. 

You can fit small bits and bolts into a standard plastic ice cube tray to keep them organized and ensure that you can always find the item that you need. Plus, ice cube trays are usually small enough that they can fit in the drawer without clunking on the top of the sides. Besides the odds-and-ends drawer, you can also use an ice cube tray to store jewelry, small tools, drill bits, and more. 

A cold glass of soda is the perfect remedy for a hot day. But the ice always tends to melt faster than you can drink your beverage. In order to keep your drink chilled without diluting the flavor, try Martha Stewart's clever ice cube hack. In a YouTube video, Stewart shows how she makes a Coca-Cola float with frozen Coke cubes, which she combines with a bottle of chilled soda and a "generous dollop" of whipped cream topping. 

This handy hack isn't exclusive to Coke; you can use it to chill root beer for a root beer float or ginger ale for a simple summer cocktail. You can also use it for non-carbonated drinks, including lemonade and iced tea. While it does require some foresight to implement at home, since ice doesn't freeze instantly, it can be handy to batch-make your cubes for cocktails or hot days ahead. 

Ice cubes don't just have to be functional; they can also add a decorative touch to your beverage or cocktail. And the best part is that all you need to make gorgeous garnishes for your drinks are an ice cube tray, some liquid, and your imagination. For example, if you want to give your beverage a floral garnish, consider adding some edible flowers. If you're opting for cubes to use in a fruity drink, try using fruit juice, like apple or orange, instead of the usual water to give them interesting color and lend extra flavor to your drink. Whole fruits, including berries, are also an option; they are especially tasty in lemonade or summery iced tea. 

If you're tight on time and want to make flavorful (yet still decorative) cubes, you can also try freezing canned fruit cocktail in your molds. This common canned pantry staple often comes in light or heavy syrup, which will not freeze like regular water. This is important to note, as you may face some difficulty taking the cubes out of your tray and the ice might turn into slush in your drink. 

If you are a big hot coffee drinker, you may not have a problem downing a whole carafe of coffee over the course of a few hours. However, there are plenty of occasions when the coffee gets seemingly forgotten on the counter. You can easily save your coffee for later by freezing it in your ice cube tray. 

Besides reducing the amount of perfectly good coffee you're pouring down the drain, freezing coffee cubes also comes in handy when you're craving iced coffee or cold brew, but don't want to dilute your drink when the ice inevitably melts. You'll want to make sure your coffee is at room temperature before you pour it into your mold to make it easier to handle. You should also only use coffee from a pot or carafe — not a half-empty cup of hot coffee that's been sitting on your desk — to reduce the risk of contamination. You can even add sweeteners or creamer to the coffee before you pop the tray into your freezer. 

Your cubes will last for a couple of weeks before needing to be tossed. Just be sure to transfer them into a separate airtight container once they're solid so they don't absorb all those pesky freezer smells. 

Cookie dough is one of the easiest foods to freeze. It's especially handy if you're making a batch of your special chocolate chip cookies and want to freeze some gobs for future batches (or snacking straight from the freezer — we won't judge). Instead of pulling out a cookie scoop or trying to cram a whole baking sheet into the oven to freeze your cookie dough hunks, grab an ice cube tray. While you can buy specially made, freezer-safe molds for your cookie dough, a standard-size ice cube tray will work just as well. 

We recommend using a flexible silicone mold for your dough so it will be easier to pop out the pieces once they're frozen. To cut down on space and ensure your cookie dough stays as fresh as possible, transfer the dough to an airtight freezer bag after the pieces have hardened. 

Stock is a vital ingredient to have in the kitchen. Some people choose to make their own broth or stock by boiling bones, aromatics, and veggies until deeply flavorful — though it's a time-consuming process. That means it would be silly to make just enough stock for a single recipe. You can use an ice cube tray to easily freeze your leftovers. Just make sure your stock has cooled down to room temperature before transferring it to the tray. Besides making small servings perfect for plopping into sauces and risotto, freezing your broth or stock can extend its shelf life. 

You can also use this handy hack for store-bought stock and broth — you know, those massive cartons that are always relegated to the back of your fridge? Just pour what you don't use into your tray and freeze it until you need it. 

One of the best uses for an ice cube tray isn't in the kitchen. When it comes time to plant your seedlings, don't go to the garden store to pick up a tray that you're just going to throw away. Use an ice cube tray instead! You'll want to first start by drilling small holes in the bottom of the tray, which will allow for proper drainage and prevent the roots from rotting. Then, add in your potting soil and seeds, and leave the cubes in a sunny spot to germinate. 

Some seeds benefit from a "greenhouse effect," which means trapping the heat and moisture by covering your seeds as they sprout. Normally, this would be done with the cover of your seed-starting tray, but you can make a makeshift cover for your ice cube tray by covering it with plastic wrap or inverting a larger container, like a metal cooking tray, on top of it. Once your seeds have sprouted, follow the directions for transplanting on the seed packet or harvest the microgreens for your salad or sandwich. 

A roux is an essential ingredient for thickening sauces. The combination of fat and flour can help thicken a variety of dishes, from traditional Louisiana gumbo to mac and cheese. You can prep an easy, make-ahead roux by freezing these ingredients into cubes. Roux should be made using a 1-to-1 ratio of fat (butter) and flour, cooked until well combined. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, prepare a blonde roux by not letting the flour get too dark. If you let the flour cook for too long, its flavor changes — meaning you can't use it for lightly flavored foods and sauces (like mac and cheese). 

Once the mixture has cooled slightly, place it in your tray and transfer it to the freezer. You can then store the cubes in a freezer bag and add them to your recipe when you need to thicken it up. 

Chocolate lava cake is like a sensory roller coaster thanks to that divine, molten filling. Although it might seem like a mystery how to get that molten filling inside your cake, it all becomes simpler when you realize that you can use an ice cube tray. 

The key is to mix your chocolate filling ingredients together, like melted chocolate, cream, and booze. Then, freeze it for several hours in a plastic-lined ice cube tray (the plastic makes it easier to remove them). When you're ready to assemble, tuck the cubes into the batter and bake your cakes. You can also use this ice cube trick for other stuffed desserts, including stuffed cookies.

Jell-O shots: but make them eco-friendly. If you're making these tasty libations for a crowd, turn to a silicone ice cube tray instead of little plastic cups. Not only will you curb the amount of plastic you use, but you can also use differently shaped trays to give your shots a personal twist. You can even try adding herbs like mint and basil, or fruit to dress your shots up or down, depending on the occasion. 

You won't need to transfer your trays to the freezer; just pour the hot gelatin mixture into the trays and let them sit in the fridge until jiggly. The silicone makes for easy removal. 

Bacon grease ... you mean liquid gold? Throwing out this fat is a huge mistake, especially when there are so many delicious ways to use it — and easy ways to store it. You can pour the liquid fat (cooled slightly) into an ice cube tray and place it in the freezer. 

If you opt for a silicone tray, you can easily pop out those cubes and put them in an airtight bag. When you need to add some flavor to your recipe, you can just pop a cube into your pan. It's a handy hack for an array of recipes, including for extra flavorful fried eggs, gravy, or cooking grilled cheese sandwiches.

One of the biggest mistakes people make with smoothies is using ice, which can dilute the flavor of your drink. Instead, grab an ice cube tray and chill some of your ingredients. For example, you can freeze juice or yogurt for the base of your smoothies and add in frozen berries or veggies when it's time to blend. 

What's nice about this hack is that you can freeze smoothie cubes ahead of time, then toss them into a blender with a little bit of liquid. Mix and match different fruits, juices, and fats to find a tasty and refreshing combination that works for you.