Nothing beats an ice-cold glass of homemade strawberry lemonade in the heat of the summer! This homemade version is made with freshly squeezed lemons and blended fresh strawberries.
You can easily double or triple this recipe. It is a great make-ahead summer refresher and it tastes even better the next day!
I have yet to find a store-bought strawberry lemonade that I really like. Until then, my strawberry lemonade recipe will continue to be my go-to! It’s really easy to make and tastes incredible!
It’s bright, sweet and tart, plus there are no artificial flavors here! You can also easily adjust the level of sweetness or tartness to your liking.
It’s super easy to make, so make a big batch of this strawberry lemonade and enjoy it throughout the summer! Yes, it’s freezer-friendly!
Need more summer refreshers? Try my Blackberry Iced Tea and fresh Watermelon Slushie!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Perfect for summer! It’s completely fresh, bright, and perfectly sweet and tart.
- No artificial flavors. Just fresh lemons, strawberries, and sugar. All natural.
- Quick and easy. Ready in just 15 minutes! Can be easily doubled or tripled.
- Adjust to taste the amount of sweetness, or make it more tart.
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here are a few quick ingredient notes that I hope you find helpful.
- Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemons are best for flavor and freshness. I recommend using about 6 large lemons for a large pitcher.
- Fresh strawberries: The strawberries are quickly macerated with sugar and then blended to make a puree.
- Granulated sugar: Dissolved in water to make a simple syrup, and to sweeten the strawberry puree.
- Cold water and ice cubes
- Garnish: Sliced lemons, strawberries and fresh mint
As always, quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade
Fifteen minutes is all it takes to make a really good pitcher of strawberry lemonade at home. Let’s make it!
Step 1: Dissolve 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of hot, just boiled water (use an electric kettle). Stir until dissolved and let it cool down for a few minutes.
Step 2: In a bowl, toss the diced strawberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Press them down to release the juices.
Step 3: In a blender, blend the macerated strawberries with about ½ cup of water until you get a smooth puree.
Step 4: Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
Step 5: In a large pitcher, add the cold water, freshly squeezed lemon juice, the strained strawberry mixture, and the sugar syrup (adjust to taste). Add ice and give it a good stir.
Step 6: Garnish with sliced lemons, strawberries and fresh mint leaves. Enjoy your lemonade ice cold!
Tips for Success
- Let the simple syrup cool down for a few minutes before adding to the pitcher so it stays cold.
- Use fresh ingredients. Freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh strawberries are the way to go. Avoid using any bottled lemon juice or even frozen strawberries.
- Use a mesh strainer to remove any seeds from the strawberry mixture.
- To make the sugar syrup, dissolve the sugar with very hot, just boiled water (I use an electric kettle). This way, the sugar will be fully dissolved for a smooth consistency.
- Serve the strawberry lemonade immediately, or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Make ahead and storage: You can prepare the strawberry lemonade in full and refrigerate. Alternatively, make the components separately. The freshly squeezed lemon juice and pureed strawberries will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. The sugar syrup can be made ahead and stored in a sealed container in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
Storage: The lemonade will stay fresh for 5 to 7 days in the fridge when tightly sealed. Stir well before serving over ice.
Freezing: Use freezer-safe containers, leaving a 1 inch space at the top to allow for liquid expansion. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir with ice before serving.
For a fun twist, turn your homemade strawberry lemonade into popsicles, just like my favorite Watermelon Popsicles!
Recipe FAQs
I’d highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemons for best natural flavors. Use a lemon squeezer to make it easier!
Yes, but it will taste a little different than fresh. I’d highly recommend using fresh strawberries here.
Not necessarily, but straining removes the strawberry seeds and gives the strawberry lemonade a smoother texture.
More Summer Refreshers
Big fan of all things strawberry and lemon? Try my Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes!
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar - plus 2 tablespoons
- 6 to 7 cups cold water - plus more as needed
- 1 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice - plus more to taste, about 6 large lemons
- 3 cups fresh strawberries - diced
- Ice cubes - as needed
Garnish
- Sliced lemons
- Sliced strawberries
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Make the simple sugar syrup: In a bowl, dissolve 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of hot just boiled water (I use an electric kettle to boil the water). Stir until fully dissolved. Set aside and let it cool down.
- In a bowl, toss the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar, pressing them to release the juices. Then, transfer to a blender, along with ½ cup of water. Blend until you get a puree.
- Strain the strawberry puree through a mesh strainer to get rid of the seeds. Set aside.
- Into a large pitcher, add the remaining 5 to 6 cups of cold water as needed, followed by the freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust tartness to taste), the strained strawberries, and the simple syrup to taste. Stir to combine.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. If not sweet enough, make more syrup and adjust to taste.
- Once the level of sweetness and tartness are good to go, add the ice cubes. Give it a good stir again, and garnish with sliced lemons, strawberries and fresh mint. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. Avoid bottled lemon juice.
- I’d recommend using fresh strawberries here, rather than frozen. It makes a big difference in flavor and color.
- Simple syrup: Make sure to fully dissolve the sugar. You need hot, just boiled water. After it’s dissolved, let it cool down a bit before using.
- Adjust sweetness or tartness to taste. Add more sugar syrup for sweet, or more lemon juice for tart.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily for parties or gatherings.
- Make ahead: Prepare fully and refrigerate, or keep components separate and mix before serving.
- Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
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