Strawberry Lemonade

collage of photos of strawberry lemonade - 3

Strawberry Lemonade is a summertime favorite that your family will love! With just three ingredients, you will love our spin on class homemade lemonade . This delicious kid friendly drink couldn’t be easier.

large mason jar glass of strawberry lemonade with lemon slides inside the drink and served with paper straws - 5

With wonderful sunny weather becoming a daily reality, I am itching for all things summer. I want sandy toes, sun kissed kid cheeks, and long walks in the grass. And then I want to come home and have a great BBQ on the patio with my favorite people.

My kids love having dinner outside in the summer. We often make pizza on the grill, and give them a fun drink to make it extra special. This Strawberry Lemonade is one of their favorites, with my Cherry Limeade as a close second.

Delicious strawberry lemonade. Not to sweet or to tart. Just perfect.

Ingredients for Strawberry Lemonade

You read that right, my friends. This recipe only has three ingredients. As always, make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the full measurements, instructions, and printable recipe.

Strawberries: You can use either fresh or frozen in this recipe.
Lemon Juice: You can’t have lemonade without lemon juice!
Granulated Sugar: Read more about why we add sugar, and why we add so much below.

With a little bit of water this is an easy recipe that even the kids can help you with.

pitcher pouring strawberry lemonade recipe into a large glass mug - 6

I’ve made this drink recipe both ways: with fresh and with frozen strawberries. Honestly, it tastes the same either way.

The pros to using frozen strawberries are:

you can keep them on hand all of the time.
they are picked at peek ripeness, so you know you will get good taste.
they are a more affordable option.

If you use frozen strawberries, thaw them first and make sure to include all their juice when you go to blend them.

But, if your family just went strawberry picking and you are itching for a recipe to make with them, you have come to the right place!

Getting the Most Juice out of your Lemons

I always use fresh lemons when I make this recipe. There are two tricks to getting more juice out of them. Doing these can make a big difference when juicing.

Trick 1: Roll the lemons between the palm of your hand and the counter top.

Trick 2: Pop the lemons (one at a time) in the microwave for 30 seconds. This is the method I always use.

After doing one (or both) of those tricks, I use this type of tool to juice my lemons. It seems to allow me to get the most juice out of them. Then I strain the juice to make sure no seeds get in before moving on to the next step.

Homemade Lemonade Recipe

large glass pitcher of strawberry lemonade - 7

Let’s Talk About Sugar

Yes! There is a whole cup of sugar in this recipe. It is part of what makes this drink a summery treat. In our house we do treats in moderation, but we truly enjoy what we make.

I would not suggest that you cut back on the sugar. Lemons are incredibly acidic and tart. As you know from my spaghetti sauce , we want to balance acid with a little sugar so it isn’t overwhelming. In this recipe, the drink is meant to be sweet, so we are balancing with a lot of sugar. If you were to cut back, I don’t think you will be satisfied with the results.

Though we haven’t tested this with a sugar replacement, there are some great ones on the market. Monkfruit would be the first one that I would reach for to make this recipe, being very careful that I check the bag for how much I should use to replace the sugar. The ratios aren’t always one for one.

overhead view of a food processor with strawberries (that were frozen and now thawed) and liquid - 8

How to Make Strawberry Lemonade

Blend the strawberries with lemon juice. In a food processor or blender combine the strawberries and the lemon juice. (Include the juice if you used frozen strawberries.)
Heat the juice with water and sugar. Pour the mixture from the food processor into a medium sauce pan. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, and bring to a simmer. It is like we are making a lemon strawberry simple syrup .
Simmer the mixture. Continue stirring the mixture while bringing it to a simmer. Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Strain out the leftover strawberry. Strain the liquid into a large pitcher and allow it to cool completely. There will be some strawberry flesh left that you will want strained out of your drink.
Add more water. What you have made is basically a concentrate. Once cool, add in 3 cups of cold water. Stir to combine and serve!

overhead view of food processor after strawberries and lemon juice have been pureed; liquid is frothy - 9

Kid Friend Summer Dinners

As I mentioned, our favorite summer dinner is pizza on the grill with my fool proof pizza dough . But here are some other great summer recipes my kids love.

My kids are obsessed with this Hamburger Seasoning right now. We make burgers with it all.the.time.
Our kids love these Steak Fajita Kabobs ! And not just because they are eating something off a big skewer.
Everyone in my family loves these Grilled Chicken Legs !

If you make any of my recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

large glass of strawberry lemonade with a strawberry sliced and on the glass as a garnish - 10

Instagram
Facebook
Youtube
Newsletter

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries fresh or frozen (see note)
1 cup freshly sqeezed lemon juice 4 to 6 medium lemons
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups water divided

Instructions

Combine the strawberries and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and puree.
Add the puree to a medium sauce pan. Add the sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a light simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 8 minutes.
Strain into a large pitcher and chill. Once cooled, add three cups of water, stir, and serve over ice.

Recipe Video

Notes

did you make this