Fresh Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

There is nothing better than a glass of Fresh, Homemade Strawberry Lemonade. This easy recipe uses frozen strawberries for a never-fail, sweet Strawberry Lemonade that you can enjoy all year round! You can also use fresh strawberries in peak season when they are perfectly sweet. It’s the perfect Summer sipper!

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Why We Love This Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Lemonade is one of those perennial beverages that is refreshing, nostalgic, and just darn good. I always associate Lemonade with good food, fun, family, and friends. Kid-friendly and adult-beverage compatible, this is one of those go-to beverages for entertaining. Besides classic lemonade, we love Lavender Lemonade with homemade Lavender Syrup and this fabulous version with strawberries. 

My recipe uses frozen strawberries mixed with sugar. I muddle them together, add ice and lemonade, and stir it up! And boom, a gorgeous two-toned Strawberry Lemonade appears. Unlike Pink Lemonade, which has food coloring, this Lemonade gets its blush color naturally from the strawberries.

Ingredients for this recipe

Sometimes, simple is the best way to go. This classic Strawberry Lemonade recipe is easy and has the sweetness and tart flavors we love. You can easily add more or less simple syrup to suit your taste. 

• 2 cups of frozen strawberries, thawed or 2 cups of fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and chopped.
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of white granulated sugar. Divided.
• 9 cups of fresh cold water divided. (1 cup for simple syrup and 8 cups for lemonade)
• 2 cups of fresh lemon juice (about 8-9 large ripe lemons)
• Garnishes (more on that below!)

The best way to juice fresh lemons

A good Citrus juicer comes in handy when making a recipe that requires a fair amount of fresh-juiced fruit. I use a standard electric citrus juicer. It’s the most practical method, and they are reasonably inexpensive. You can also opt for a fancy juice press or a simple, old-school citrus reamer.

Step-by-step directions

Simple syrup

Using a small saucepan, add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Stir over low-medium heat until the sugar has completely melted. Don’t allow the mixture to simmer or boil. Once the sugar has melted, remove it from heat and allow it to cool. This will yield 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup. The recipe calls for one cup; however, you will have enough syrup to adjust the sweetness of the strawberry lemonade.

Strawberry puree

Non-blender directions:

Add the sugar to the thawed frozen strawberries. Using a cocktail muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, crush the strawberries until they are completely broken down. The mixture might still be a little chunky (I don’t mind it, but you can muddle the strawberries until the fruit pulp is small) 

Blender directions:

Add thawed strawberries and sugar to a blender cup or bowl. Blend on low speed for 10-15 seconds or until the fruit completely breaks down and forms a thick liquid.

If the liquid is too thick, use a mesh strainer to remove some of the fruit pulp. I prefer both lemon pulp and strawberry pulp in my strawberry lemonade. 

Lemonade

Use a pitcher that is 3 quarts or has a minimum of 96-ounce capacity. Add 8 cups of cold water, stir in 1 cup of simple syrup, and then pour 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add the strawberry puree and stir until the lemonade is dark pink. Adjust sweetness by adding more simple syrup if desired.

Pro-tips

• Make strawberry lemonade ice cubes to serve so the lemonade doesn’t get watered down. 
• Use white granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Use fresh, ripe lemons. Don’t use lemons that have passed their prime. They will be juicy, but they will be bitter.
• I highly recommend frozen strawberries for the puree and garnish with fresh strawberries. 
• Very ripe strawberries are perfect for this recipe if you use fresh fruit. 

Variations

How to make layered Strawberry Lemonade 

This is my favorite way of serving Strawberry Lemonade! Add two tablespoons of the strawberry puree to a 10-ounce glass. Add ice cubes, and then slowly pour lemonade into the glass. Garnish with herbs, lemon slices, strawberries, and a straw, and enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail

If you prefer to make this a refreshing Summer cocktail, a splash of vodka works best due to its mild flavor. White rum and white tequila also work well. Finally, a lovely botanical gin like Empress 1908 works deliciously in this recipe!

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

This delightful fresh basil version highlights the flavor of the strawberries, and it’s divine! It’s a feast for the senses and perfect to add a little something extra special.

Using a 16-ounce glass, add two large Basil leaves and muddle or crush them at the bottom of the glass. Add ice and strawberry lemonade. Stir well and garnish with fresh strawberries and more fresh basil. (And yes, you can opt to make this boozy!)

My favorite way to serve this delicious Lemonade

I love to serve this refreshing lemonade or my Lavender Lemonade in wide, 16-ounce glasses. I also recommend wide straws so any fruit pulp can be sipped easily. The glasses pictured were a gift from my sister from Anthropologie, but fun Summer glasses can be found in many stores as the warmer months start. A nice pitcher is always lovely to see, the beautiful dark pink hue of the lemonade.

Garnishes

Garnishes are a must for Strawberry Lemonade! I often use fresh mint, rosemary sprigs, basil, lemon slices, strawberry slices, and large pieces of lemon zest.  

If you tried this recipe, please help other readers by commenting below and sharing some stars! We 🫶🏼 appreciate you!

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