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17 creative lemonade recipes to sweeten up summer, one glass at a time. Whether you take yours classically fruity, herbal, floral, or spiked, I’ve got your back.
lemonade is the ultimate refresher
And there’s science to back that up ~ tart, acidic drinks stimulate salivation and make us feel more hydrated. Sweet drinks like soda do just the opposite! Those powdered mixes ruined its reputation, and that’s such a shame because lemonade is epic when you do it right. And lemons pair so well with such an endless variety of fruits, herbs, and other flavors that you can sip your way through an entire summer and never repeat yourself. I’ve gathered a colorful lineup of creative lemonade recipes to get you started (you’ll find the recipe for my strawberry lemonade, above, at the end of the post.)
Floral lemonade recipes
Adding floral notes to your lemonade is easy, sophisticated, and undeniably pretty! Take inspiration from your garden and make plain old lemonade dinner party or fancy brunch worthy. Wondering which of the blooms in your back yard might be edible? Check out the list of common edible flowers in my Spring Salad with Edible Flowers post.
Recipes clockwise from top left:
- Wild violet lemonade
- Lavender Lemonade ~ How Sweet Eats
- Elderflower Lemonade ~ Vegetarian Ventures
- Spiked Blackberry Lilac Lemonade ~ Jillian Harris
Spiked lemonade recipes
Lemonade becomes an instant summer-ready co*cktail with the addition of a bit of booze. Try vodka for a flavor that won’t compete with your fabulous lemonade, or bourbon or whiskey for a sophisticated spin that also tones down the sweetness of a simple lemonade.
Recipes clockwise from top left:
- Sweet Bourbon Peach Lemonade ~ Half Baked Harvest
- Honeysuckle Vodka Lemonade
- Lemonade Frosé ~ How Sweet Eats
- Whiskey Lemonade co*cktails with Mint Lemonade Ice Cubes ~ Midweek Minimalist
Fruity lemonade recipes
Just about everything from berries to stone-fruit can make a great addition to lemonade. As different fruits come into season, consider making a quick syrup or puree to add to drinks like lemonade or co*cktails. I like to freeze fruits like rhubarb or cherries so I can use them later in the summer when it’s really hot!
Recipes clockwise from top left:
- Homemade Raspberry Peach Lemonade ~ Joyful Healthy Eats
- Blackberry Lemonade ~ Pastry Affair
- Apricot Rosemary Lemonade ~ The Almond Eater
- Blueberry Lemonade
Herbal lemonade recipes
Like any good marriage, lemon and herbs bring out the best in each other. Just about any herb you can think of would make a lovely and easy addition to a basic lemonade. It’s also a perfect way to use up handfuls of herbs that grow like gangbusters in your summer garden, like mint or thyme.
Recipes clockwise from top left:
- Rosemary Lemonade
- Frozen Mint Lemonade
- Thyme Lemonade ~ Oh the Lovely Things
- Mint and Basil Lemonade ~ Our Salty Kitchen
Strawberry Lemonade
4.25 from 12 votes
A classic lemonade recipe sweetened up with fresh strawberries!
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Prep Time:10 minutes minutes
Total Time:10 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 Tbsp sugar, go ahead, add more if you need to
- 1/2 cup strawberry puree, or more or less to taste (instructions below)
Instructions
Mix the lemon juice, water, and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Chill.
To make the strawberry puree, wash and hull about 5 ounces of fresh strawberries and puree them in a small food processor until completely smooth.’
Push the puree through a strainer to remove any seeds and solids. You want to end up with about 1/2 cup of smooth puree.
Add the strawberry puree to the lemonade, tasting as you go to get it just the way you like it.
Serve over ice.
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Course: beverage
Cuisine: American
Author: Sue Moran
Keyword: beverage, citrus, lemonade, summer
Nutrition
Calories: 34 kcal · Carbohydrates: 9 g · Protein: 0.4 g · Fat: 0.2 g · Saturated Fat: 0.03 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02 g · Sodium: 13 mg · Potassium: 107 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 7 IU · Vitamin C: 41 mg · Calcium: 15 mg · Iron: 0.2 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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