Made with strawberries and freshly squeezed lemon juice, this Strawberry Lemonade is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Perfect for hot summer days relaxing by the pool and you can easily make a pitcher for a crowd!
Looking for more refreshing drinks? Try this Sweet Tea, Peach Lemonade Cooler, or Sea Breeze Cocktail.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
Summer is our favorite forever and ever. Having lived in both crazy heat and arctic cold, I’ll take the heat..especially sitting at the pool when I’ve got something delicious and refreshing by my side.
This Homemade Strawberry Lemonade, from scratch, is one of my go-to drinks all summer long. It’s way more exciting than water and quenches my thirst like soda can’t. Easy to make and adjust for a group of people, plus you can keep it kid-friendly or add booze for those grown-up backyard get togethers.
Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
There are only 4 ingredients in this homemade Strawberry Lemonade! This recipe is made completely from scratch, no frozen lemonade mixes necessary.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Granulated sugar – This adds sweetness, of course. It gets boiled into a liquid sugar, similar to simple syrup used in cocktails.
- Water – Water gets combined with both the sugar and the strawberries, at different steps of the recipe.
- Strawberries – Be sure to use fresh strawberries with the stems removed.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed is a must!
How To Make Strawberry Lemonade
This homemade lemonade is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Just be sure to leave some time for the sugar water to cool before consuming. Here’s a brief summary of how to make it:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Make the sugar water. Sugar and water are combined in a saucepan over heat until the sugar has dissolved, then it cools to room temperature.
- Prepare the strawberry mixture. Strawberries are blended with water until smooth. (If you want, you can strain it through a fine-mesh colander to remove the strawberry pulp. I like the pulp, so I leave it. Plus, one less step.)
- Combine all ingredients. Lemon juice, the sugar water, and strawberry juice get added to a large pitcher and stirred until combined, then served over ice.
Easy Recipe Variations
Here are some ways to change things up with this lemonade:
- Can I cut back on the sugar? If you prefer drinks with less sugar, you can reduce the amount used in this recipe, although keep in mind since lemon juice is tart and we’re not adding any kind of sweet soda to this lemonade, we don’t recommend cutting back drastically. However, you can start by only adding half of the sugar water and taste-testing from there.
- Can I add alcohol? Yes! Vodka works well with this strawberry lemonade recipe. White rum is also an option. A coconut rum would give a refreshing twist to the flavor, too.
- Switch up the berries. You can easily make a raspberry lemonade or even a blueberry lemonade, just by switching the strawberries for another berry of your choice.
Tips for Success
Strawberry Lemonade is super simple to make. Just be sure to keep these few things in mind for optimal results:
- Make sure the sugar fully dissolves. When making the sugar water, be sure to continue whisking until the liquid is completely clear. Otherwise, you will end up with a slightly grainy taste and texture.
- Strain the strawberry mixture for a smoother texture. If you want a completely smooth drink with no texture, run the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh colander before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Personally, I don’t mind the pulp so I usually skip this extra step.
- Freeze extra fruit in place of ice cubes. One of my secrets to keeping the lemonade cold and not watered down is to freeze strawberries and add them to the pitcher as both a garnish and “ice cubes”. You can also freeze lemon slices or wedges for the same effect.
How to Store & Making Ahead
Store your Strawberry Lemonade in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it. It will last for 2 to 3 days. Just give it a stir each time before pouring. I’ll often make it the night before so it’s already cold and ready to enjoy at lunch.
I like to garnish both the pitcher and individual glasses with extra strawberry and lemon slices. If I’ll be serving the pitcher outside on a hot day, I’ll freeze the extra fruit to keep the entire pitcher cold.
More Summer Drink Recipes
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 cups water , divided
- 1/2 pound fresh strawberries , stems removed (halved or quartered if very large)
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (10-12 lemons)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan add the sugar and 4 cups of the water, whisk to combine. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved. (You will know it’s dissolved when the liquid becomes clear, about 5 minutes.) Take off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- While the sugar water is cooling, place the strawberries in a blender. Add the remaining 1 cup of water and blend until smooth. (You can either leave this mixture as is with some of the strawberry pulp, or you can strain it through a fine-mesh colander for a smoother texture.)
- Add the lemon juice, sugar water, and strawberry juice to a large pitcher. Stir to combine.
- Serve over ice with lemon, strawberries, and mint garnish, optional.
- {See full article for helpful tips and recipe variations.}
- NOTES ABOUT SUGAR: Since the natural sweetness from strawberries can vary, lemon juice is tart, and we’re not adding any kind of sweet soda to this lemonade, we don’t recommend cutting back drastically on the sugar. However, you can start by only adding half of the sugar water and taste-testing from there.
Nutrition
Other Notes
Delicious! i followed the recipe exactly, and it came out perfect!
Can you use Stevia, instead of sugar
Hi there, Lori! I don’t use sugar substitutes, so I can’t vouch for the results, but I’m guessing it would be ok? Try it!
This is wonderful in the summer and anytime you want something refreshing