This strawberry lemonade recipe tastes like summer in a glass! It's sweet, tart, and easy to make with 4 fresh ingredients. My whole family loves it!
When I made this strawberry lemonade recipe for the first time, my son Ollie gave it a thumbs up after just one sip. Easy to make with four ingredients—strawberries, lemon juice, water, and sugar—it’s sweet, tart, and incredibly refreshing. Around here, it’s becoming our go-to summer drink.
Ice-cold, bright pink, and packed with fresh flavor, this strawberry lemonade is everything I crave on a hot day. I’ll be making it for cookouts, BBQs, and gatherings all summer long. I hope you will be too!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
- It’s better than a store-bought mix. Who else grew up drinking powdered pink lemonade? This homemade strawberry lemonade is so much better. Instead of dyes or additives, blended fresh strawberries give it its vibrant color and fruity flavor. Kids and adults go nuts over it!
- It’s quick and easy. You can mix it up in under 15 minutes.
- You can make it ahead so that it’s easy to pull out of the fridge at the start of a cookout or BBQ. No need to fuss over this recipe at the last minute!
Strawberry Lemonade Ingredients
This strawberry lemonade recipe calls for four basic ingredients:
- Strawberries, of course! If strawberries are in season, fresh berries are amazing here. Otherwise, I recommend subbing frozen ones. Thaw them completely before blending and using in the recipe.
- Fresh lemon juice – Squeeze it yourself for the best bright flavor! You’ll need 1 cup for this recipe, from about 6 to 8 lemons. For a fun variation, replace the lemon juice with fresh lime juice to make strawberry limeade!
- Sugar – You’ll use it to make a simple syrup to sweeten the strawberry lemonade. Tip: Add extra depth to this recipe by making an infused simple syrup. See this simple syrup recipe to learn how!
- Water – It gives the lemonade body and balances the sweet-tart flavor. Filtered water is best because it has a more neutral flavor than water straight from the tap.
And because I like my strawberry lemonade as cold as possible, I always recommend ice for serving!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade
This recipe has three main steps:
- Making the strawberry puree
- Making the simple syrup
- Mixing the lemonade
Start by making the strawberry puree. Hull the strawberries and place them in a blender with 1 cup water. Blend until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove the foam and seeds.
Tip: Don’t skip the straining step! It gives the lemonade a perfect smooth texture. Without straining, the blended seeds would make the lemonade gritty.
Next, make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool while you squeeze the lemons.
Finally, mix it all together. Combine the strawberry puree, simple syrup, lemon juice, and remaining water in a large pitcher. Taste and adjust, adding more fresh squeezed lemon juice if you prefer a tangier flavor. Want more sweetness? Add more simple syrup or another liquid sweetener like maple or agave. You can also add more water for a less sweet or tangy flavor.
Chill until ready to serve, then pour into glasses with ice. I love adding more sliced strawberries and lemon rounds for garnish. A little fresh mint is also delicious. Cheers!
Make-Ahead Tips
This homemade strawberry lemonade recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. I store it in a pitcher covered with foil or a clean kitchen towel.
If you’re making it ahead, wait to add ice to the pitcher until you serve. If you add it too early, it will melt and dilute the lemonade over time.
Would you rather break up the prep? Make the simple syrup up to 1 week ahead and the strawberry puree up to 2 days in advance. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to make the lemonade.
More Summer Drinks to Try
If you love this easy strawberry lemonade recipe, try one of these refreshing summer drinks next:
Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled, plus more for garnish
- 7 cups cold water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice, plus lemon slices for garnish
- Ice, for serving
Instructions
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. In a blender, combine the strawberries and 1 cup of the water. Blend until smooth, then pass through the strainer to remove the seeds and foam.
- Combine the sugar and another 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large pitcher, stir together the lemon juice, strawberry puree, sugar syrup, and the remaining 5 cups water. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To serve, stir a few handfuls of ice into the pitcher. Pour into glasses with ice and garnish with strawberries and lemon slices.
