Many childhood summers here in Charleston, and back home in Puerto Rico, were filled with frozen treats, specifically limbers. Similar to the sweet and refreshing chilly bears I would get from the neighborhood candy lady (and the corner store next to my old high school on James Island), limbers are a tropical version of the frozen drinks we enjoyed in the states. Pretty dope how the two cultures I grew up in share such similarities, down to how we enjoy our frozen treats: flipped over in the plastic cup that they were made in.

Also known as limbels (since many Puerto Ricans often pronounce their R’s like L’s. I love us!), these nostalgic treats actually have an interesting history: the frozen drink was given to Charles A. Lindbergh, who was the first pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Apparently, when he landed in Puerto Rico in 1928, he was offered this frozen juice and enjoyed it so much that it was named after him. Limbers come in a variety of flavors, often chosen by the doñas making them in the neighborhood and coconut was always my favorite, followed by fruity guava and pineapple cups.

When we visited Puerto Rico as kids, my brother and I would head over to the candy lady’s house with loose change to grab limbers and other snacks while we played outside. And here in the states when we weren't enjoying chilly bears, my mom would make us limber ice cubes, pouring the coconut drink into dedicated ice cube trays and as soon as they were ready, we’d pop one right out and enjoy each cube individually on our way out the door to play.

If you’ve had my coquito recipe, you’ll find the method is just about the same (and without the alcohol), so these are definitely kid-friendly. I made this batch with plant-based milk because the lactose intolerance struggle is real sometimes. Some people eat limbers with a spoon, but I prefer running a little bit of warm water around the cup straight out of the freezer to loosen up the edges a bit and then popping the limber right out of the cup and flipping it over to eat it like a popsicle, without the mess. Spoons are for the bougie in this case, so enjoy them the way I did as a kid and avoid the utensils. Let’s get going!

Limber de Coco

Prep time: 5 minutes, freeze overnight

Yield: ~4.5 cups mix or 5 portioned 9oz cups

1 cup milk of your choice (I used plain oat milk)

1 15oz can cream of coconut (I prefer the Coco Lopez brand)

1 13oz can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Large pinch kosher salt

In a high speed blender (or large mixing bowl with a whisk), blend everything together until well combined. Pour into plastic cups or popsicle molds and freeze overnight. I used 5oz plastic cups to portion out the limbers, so your yield will depend on what size cups or popsicle molds you use. Pro tip: put the cups into an empty plastic storage container so they don’t risk tipping over on the freezer rack.

The next day once the limbers are fully frozen and ready to serve, run a little warm water around the cup to loosen the edges and pop the limber out of the cup. Then, flip it upside down in order to eat it and use the cup as the holder itself. Sprinkle with a little more ground cinnamon and enjoy!

¡Buen provecho!