Nothing beats the refreshing taste of homemade strawberry lemonade on a hot summer day! If you haven’t tried making lemonade from scratch, you’re missing out.
The fresh fruit flavors just can’t be beat. I love how easy it is to make a big pitcher. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill in the fridge before diving in!
Trust me, it’s worth the wait. Served over ice with a strawberry and lemon slice garnish, it’s as pretty as it is delicious.
Get ready to wow your friends and family with this crowd-pleasing beverage.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Lemonade
Refreshing Taste: The combination of sweet strawberries and tart lemon juice creates a perfectly balanced, thirst-quenching beverage.
Crowd-Pleaser: This easy-to-make recipe yields a large pitcher. It’s perfect for backyard barbecues, picnics, or any gathering.
Stunning Presentation: The vibrant pink color of the strawberry puree combined with the lemon slices is so pretty.
Simple Ingredients: With just a few basic ingredients, this recipe is easy to make and doesn’t require any hard-to-find items.
Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries: The star of the show! Ripe, juicy strawberries add natural sweetness and a gorgeous pink hue.
- Freshly-Squeezed Lemon Juice: Bright, zesty lemon juice brings a refreshing pucker to the lemonade. Always use freshly squeezed for the best flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: It dissolves into a simple syrup to perfectly balance the tartness of the lemon juice.
- Cold Water: It chills the lemonade and dilutes it to a perfectly sippable consistency. Ice cold is a must!
- Ice for Serving: No lemonade is complete without a generous scoop of ice to keep it frosty cold. Use large cubes that melt slowly.
- Additional Strawberries and Lemon Slices for Garnish: Garnishes elevate a simple lemonade to a stunning summer sipper.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade
This lemonade is almost as easy as opening a bottle of store-bought!
1. Puree the strawberries. In a blender, puree the strawberries with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher to remove the seeds.
2. Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.
3. Combine the ingredients. Pour the cooled simple syrup into the pitcher with the strawberry puree. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 6 cups of cold water. Stir well to combine.
4. Adjust the sweetness. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed by adding a little more simple syrup or water. The flavor will depend on the ripeness and sweetness of your strawberries and lemons.
5. Chill the lemonade. Chill the lemonade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until very cold. The colder the better!
6. Serve over ice. When ready to serve, give the lemonade a good stir. Pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with sliced strawberries and lemon slices if desired.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Lemonade
Make your lemonade the best you’ve ever had by following these tips.
- The riper, the better. Use the ripest, sweetest strawberries you can find for the best flavor and color.
- Fresh is best. Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a big difference. Avoid bottled juice which can taste stale.
- Give it a boozy twist. For an adult version, add a shot of vodka, rum, or tequila to each glass.
- Try fun variations. Try it with other berries or mix in some fresh herbs like basil or mint. For an extra special touch, add a splash of sparkling water to each glass right before serving for a bubbly strawberry lemonade.
- Double your pleasure. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. Make a big pitcher or dispenser.
- Get a step ahead. The lemonade base can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
Strawberry Lemonade
8
servings10
minutes10
minutes170
kcalThis homemade strawberry lemonade is too good to pass up! It’s fruity, refreshing, and guaranteed to please a crowd!
Ingredients
1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 10-12 lemons)
8 cups cold water, divided
Ice, for serving
Additional strawberries and lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, puree the strawberries with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher to remove the seeds.
- In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.
- Pour the cooled simple syrup into the pitcher with the strawberry puree. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 6 cups of cold water. Stir well to combine.
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed by adding a little more simple syrup or water. The flavor will depend on the ripeness and sweetness of your strawberries and lemons.
- Chill the lemonade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until very cold. The colder the better!
- When ready to serve, give the lemonade a good stir. Pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with sliced strawberries and lemon slices if desired.
