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.
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.
Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
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.
Lemonade
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.
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!
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!
Strawberry Lemonade
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.
Notes
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Gah! NOW I WANT PIZZA AND LEMONADE. Love the pics!!
Thank you Dorothy!
Marsha says
Thank you for this recipe, I love lemonade and flavored lemonade is a bonus! I have to tell you though i was going to pin this recipe but there were so many ads loading it wouldn’t let me. I understand you have to pay the bills but sites that have so many ads, well i tend to not visit them anymore. Sorry
Thank you for your honest feedback, Marsha. In all sincerity, I wish I had zero ads on my website. But, as you said, I need to make a living, pay the bills, feed the kids, etc. We are in the constant struggle of balancing user experience with making a living. That is proving trickier these days as ad revenue has fallen dramatically – you likely are seeing more ads on every website you visit. As for the pinning, would you mind telling me what happened when you tried? I have never had that problem with pinning from our site, and haven’t gotten that complaint, so I would appreciate more information if you have a moment. I would love to solve it.
Michele Winslow says
Believe it or not, I just purchased a large container of strawberries today. And I always keep lemon juice for my tea. So you can guess what my dessert tonight will be. Looks delicious. Mom said I had a strawberry on my finger when I was born, perhaps that’s why they are my favorite fruit. Thanks for an easy recipe. Stay well and be safe.
I hope you love it Michele!
Naomi Robinson says
I love kid-friendly drinks like this and it’s the perfect summer drink!
Thank you!
Pluto says
Hi can I keep the purée in the refrigerator and use it?
Yes! It will last in the refrigerator for 3 days. You can also freeze it in an air tight container (with room for it to expand) for up to 3 months.
Deborah says
Delicious strawberry lemonade. Not to sweet or to tart. Just perfect 👌
So happy you like this, Deborah!
Karen says
Can use cherries or another fruit? My husband is allergic to strawberries
Yes! I have a Cherry Limeade that you might really like too.
Ruthann Childress says
My Daughter make this 4 both of us and we loved it
I’m so happy to hear this, Ruthann!
Robin says
This is a great summer refresher. I have made it twice already. Can it be made with limes? I see you have a cherry limeade recipe. Just wondering if strawberry limeade is possible.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Robin! You definitely can make it with limes.
Ramona says
Could I use just store bought lemon juice instead of fresh lemons?
You can. I think you will prefer it with freshly squeezed, but the bottle will work.