This Easy Strawberry Lemonade is made using fresh fruit and lemon juice. This is a refreshing drink that combines the sweet, juicy flavor of strawberries with the tartness of lemonade. It’s a perfect summer drink to cool down on a hot day, and it can be served over ice. Love the Starbucks beverage? You will love this homemade version.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.
Table of Contents
How to Select the Strawberries
It's best to use fresh, ripe strawberries that are sweet and juicy. You can use any type of strawberry you like, but some varieties are sweeter and more flavorful than others. When choosing strawberries, look for berries that are plump, bright red, and have a sweet smell. Avoid berries that are bruised, soft, or have mold.
Fresh or Frozen Fruit
Fresh strawberries are ideal for making strawberry lemonade because they have a better texture and flavor than frozen strawberries. Fresh strawberries have a higher water content, which means they release more juice when blended, resulting in a smoother and more refreshing strawberry lemonade.
However, if fresh strawberries are not in season or available, you can use frozen strawberries as a substitute. Frozen strawberries are picked at their peak and are typically flash-frozen to preserve their flavor and nutritional value. They also work well in strawberry lemonade because they are already chilled and can help keep the lemonade cold without diluting it.
When using frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw them before blending them with the other ingredients. This will help them blend more easily and result in a smoother texture. Additionally, keep in mind that frozen may require a bit more sweetener than fresh, as they tend to be slightly less sweet.
Key Ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Lemons
- Water
- Sweetener or Sugar
What Type of Sweetener to Use
You can use standard regular table sugar or any sugar-free alternative you want.
I use organic monkfruit in this recipe to keep it sugar-free. It measures 1:1 like regular table sugar. It has zero calories, no carbs, and won’t spike your blood sugar.
Feel free to use your preferred sweetener. If you use stevia, maple syrup, or artificial sweeteners, you will have to convert the servings. Since monkfruit measures 1:1 you can follow your standard method for calculating it.
How to Make Easy Strawberry Lemonade
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pour 2 cups of water into a pan on medium-high heat. Add in the sweetener and stir.
- This will create a simple syrup. Continue to stir until the mixture is clear. Set the simple syrup aside.
- Add the strawberries to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Use a strainer to strain the pureed strawberries and extract the juice into a bowl.
- Add the strained strawberry juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup from the pan to the blender. Blend until combined.
- Taste the lemonade repeatedly and make adjustments as needed.
Simple Syrup
This recipe includes instructions on how to make simple syrup from a combination of water and sweetener that you heat on the stove.
It is made by dissolving granulated sugar or sweetener in an equal amount of water over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved. This creates a syrupy liquid that is sweeter than regular sugar and dissolves easily in cold liquids, making it perfect for sweetening iced drinks like lemonade.
Can You Use Bottled Lemon Juice
Sure, you can if you want. I’m not a fan of the taste, so I don’t buy it. Bottled lemon juice is a product made from freshly squeezed lemon juice that has been pasteurized and packaged in bottles for convenience and extended shelf life.
How to Store it/How Long it Will Last
- Refrigerate lemonade as soon as possible after making it. This will help to prevent the growth of bacteria.
- Store lemonade in an airtight container. This will help to keep the lemonade fresh and prevent it from absorbing other flavors from the fridge.
- Label the container with the date you made the lemonade. This will help you to keep track of how long it has been stored.
- Lemonade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. Note, after 3 days, the quality of the lemonade will start to decline.
Freezer Tips
To freeze lemonade, pour it into freezable trays and freeze. Once the lemonade is frozen, transfer the ice cubes to a freezer-safe bag or container. Frozen lemonade can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pair With These Recipes
How to Grill Burgers
How to Grill Chicken Wings
Traeger Smoked Ribs
Smoked Crab Legs
More Lemonade Recipes
Watermelon Lemonade
Sugar Free Lemonade
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
Chick-fil-A Frosted Lemonade
Easy Strawberry Lemonade
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sweetener or sugar
- 5 cups strawberries See notes.
- 1-1 ½ cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice This was 4-5 lemons for me.
- additional water to adjust to taste I added 5-6 cups.
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of water into a pan on medium-high heat. Add in the sweetener and stir.
- This will create a simple syrup. Continue to stir until the mixture is clear. Set the simple syrup aside.
- Add the strawberries to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Use a strainer to strain the pureed strawberries and extract the juice into a bowl. (You can use the pulp for smoothies!)
- Add the strained strawberry juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup from the pan to the blender. Blend until combined.
- Here is where you taste the lemonade repeatedly and make adjustments as needed. It should be super sweet at first. Start with 1 cup and add additional water until the lemonade suits your taste. If you like more lemon flavor, add additional lemon juice. If you like it sweet, make it sweeter.
Notes
- The number of lemons you will need will vary based on the size of the lemons you use and how much juice you can get from each.
- You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If using frozen, thaw them first.
- Adjust this recipe to suit your taste and needs. If you like really sweet lemonade, add more sweetener. The overall taste will vary greatly because some strawberries are sweeter than others, some lemons are more tart than others. It's up to you to taste the lemonade and adjust to suit what you like. Add more lemon, strawberries, and sweetener as necessary.
- You can use bottled lemon juice if you want. I do not like the taste, so I don’t use it.
- If you are having trouble juicing the lemons, place them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. This will help soften them up.
- You can heat the simple syrup in the microwave if you wish. Heat it until the mixture turns clear, timing will vary.
- The macro nutrients noted assume zero calorie monkfruit is used. If you’re using table sugar feel free to calculate the nutrition using the calculator of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
JL says
Fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!
staysnatched says
You're welcome!
Dana says
I couldn't believe how easy it was to make this at home! I won't be purchasing any powdered strawberry lemonade mixes again.
staysnatched says
Yay! So glad to hear it.
Kasey says
This sooo good!! Definitely worth a try! My strainer wasn’t very good, so it had the texture of a melted smoothie. It’s still a 10/10. Thanks for the recipe.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Monica O says
I had strawberries I needed to use up, and this was great! I made vodka strawberry lemonades, and they were perfect for the hot weather. This recipe isn't overly sweet, and it's lightyears better than the premade stuff at the store. I'll def be making this over and over again!
staysnatched says
Glad to hear you will make it again!