The best homemade strawberry lemonade uses just four ingredients and is quick and easy to make. All you need is strawberries, lemons, sugar (or simple syrup), and water to make a delicious sweet-yet-tart classic strawberry lemonade. Like classic homemade lemonade, this pink drink is perfect for lounging by the pool, picnics, and can be made in larger batches to serve a crowd for parties and gatherings.
Related: Electric Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, Lemon Drop Shots, Lemon Drop Martini, Pink Lemonade Jello Shots, Arnold Palmer, Sweet Tea. And if you love strawberries you must try Strawberry Pretzel salad.
Ingredients
- Strawberries: You can defrost frozen strawberries for this recipe, but try using fresh berries when possible.
- Lemons: You’ll definitely want fresh lemons for your lemonade whenever possible. Use a lemon squeezer to make juicing easier.
- Sugar: The secret to the most evenly sweet flavor in your lemonade (with no grains of sugar sinking to the bottom of the pitcher) is dissolving the sugar into hot water before mixing in your lemon juice and strawberries. You can also buy a bottle of simple syrup at the store or easily make your own simple syrup to use instead.
- Water: Tap water will work fine for this but a purified or filtered water will give you a cleaner taste if you have that on hand.
Directions
Dissolve Sugar in Water: Boil 2 cups of your water on the stove, remove from heat and add in your sugar, stirring until dissolved. Allow to cool a bit.
Juice Lemons: Half your lemons widthwise with a knife and use a lemon squeezer or a juicer to extract the lemon juice.
Puree Strawberries: Remove the green hull from your strawberries and add to a food processor. Puree until smooth. You can strain your puree through a fine mesh sieve if you want to separate the seeds and pulp.
Mix Together: Add your sugar water to a pitcher and add the remaining 4 cups of chilled water and then the lemon juice and strawberries. Stir to combine.
Serve: When serving, fill a glass with ice and pour your strawberry lemonade on top. Enjoy!
Tips for Making
- Roll your lemons: It may sound odd, but rolling your lemons firmly on the counter before cutting and juicing will help release the juices and make juicing easier.
- Hold the ice: Don’t add your ice directly to your pitcher as it will dilute the liquid as it melts. Add it to each glass and then pour the strawberry lemonade on top.
- Make a frozen strawberry lemonade: To create a slushy lemonade, make a batch that is a little stronger on the sugar and lemon, then add it to a blender with some ice for a frozen treat.
Tip: Make your strawberry lemonade a sparkling version by topping off your glass with sparkling water.
Strawberry Lemonade Variations
- Strawberry Arnold Palmer: Make an easy Arnold Palmer by adding some iced tea to your lemonade.
- Mint Lemonade: Muddle some fresh mint leaves at the bottom of the pitcher before adding your ingredients for a mint twist.
- Spiked Strawberry Lemonade: Add a shot of vodka or gin to your glass for a boozy strawberry lemonade.
How do you make simple syrup?
To make your own simple syrup, combine two cups sugar and two cups water in a small pan. On medium heat, simmer together and stir until sugar is fully dissolved and there are no grains.
Do not boil simple syrup for more than the time it takes to dissolve. If you overcook your syrup, it will eventually become caramel.
Let cool and pour into a bottle in the fridge.
Can you freeze fresh strawberry lemonade?
Yes! Put your lemon juice, strawberry puree, and simple syrup into a freezer bag (or into ice cube trays and then into a bag when frozen) and simply let your frozen strawberry lemonade concentrate thaw in the fridge before adding your water.
Serving Suggestions
Try serving this refreshing strawberry lemonade with our:
- Rotel Dip
- Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Mango Salsa
- Guacamole
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to store strawberry lemonade?
Store your lemonade in the fridge in an airtight container. If you only have a pitcher without a lid, then put plastic wrap over the top to keep the container sealed.
Can I use honey instead of sugar for strawberry lemonade?
Yes, while you can use honey instead of sugar or simple syrup, it will change the taste of the lemonade from the classic version.
Can I use bottled lemons for strawberry lemonade?
While fresh is always best, bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.
Strawberry Lemonade
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Equipment
-
1 food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups chilled water
- ½ pound strawberries half of a 1 pound carton
- 1 ¼ cup lemon juice about 9 lemons
- 1 ¼ cup sugar or 1 ¾ cup simple syrup
Instructions
-
Dissolve Sugar in Water: Boil 2 cups of your water on the stove, remove from heat and add in your sugar, stirring until dissolved. Allow to cool a bit.
-
Juice Lemons: Half your lemons widthwise with a knife and use a lemon squeezer or a juicer to extract the lemon juice.
-
Puree Strawberries: Remove the green hull from your strawberries and add to a food processor. Puree until smooth. You can strain your puree through a fine mesh sieve if you want to separate the seeds and pulp.
-
Mix Together: Add your sugar water to a pitcher and add the remaining 4 cups of chilled water and then the lemon juice and strawberries. Stir to combine.
-
Serve: When serving, fill a glass with ice and pour your strawberry lemonade on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Making
- Roll your lemons: It may sound odd, but rolling your lemons firmly on the counter before cutting and juicing will help release the juices and make juicing easier.
- Hold the ice: Don’t add your ice directly to your pitcher as it will dilute the liquid as it melts. Add it to each glass and then pour the strawberry lemonade on top.
- Make a frozen strawberry lemonade: To create a slushy lemonade, make a batch that is a little stronger on the sugar and lemon, then add it to a blender with some ice for a frozen treat.
- Tip: Make your strawberry lemonade a sparkling version by topping off your glass with sparkling water.
Strawberry Lemonade Variations
- Strawberry Arnold Palmer: Make an easy Arnold Palmer by adding some iced tea to your lemonade.
- Mint Lemonade: Muddle some fresh mint leaves at the bottom of the pitcher before adding your ingredients for a mint twist.
- Spiked Strawberry Lemonade: Add a shot of vodka or gin to your glass for a boozy strawberry lemonade.