This easy berry lemonade recipe is made with only 3 basic ingredients (not counting water)! You can use almost any type of berry, including fresh or frozen.
Note: this recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2022 with improved instructions. The recipe was updated again in 2025 with new photos and improved instructions.
Homemade lemonade is an absolute favorite for summer cookouts, barbecues and picnics. If you want to make classic lemonade even more exciting, try this easy recipe for berry lemonade!
A puree of berries is added to the classic lemonade ingredients of fresh lemon juice, water and cane sugar to create an extra-special and refreshing homemade berry drink.
You can make this easy, fruity lemonade recipe with any single type of berry, or a combo of berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries. And, the recipe works just as well using either fresh, or frozen, berries.
Squeeze the day!
If you love lemons as much as I do, try one of these delicious recipes featuring fresh lemons or lemon juice: lemon popsicles, raspberry lemon loaf cake, lemon orzo with feta, or lemon butter chicken.
Jump to:
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Lemons: because the lemon juice is a main feature of this delicious lemonade, I highly recommend freshly squeezing the juice from lemons rather than using bottled lemon juice.
- Sugar: you just need regular granulated sugar to make this recipe. You could also use an equal amount of superfine sugar.
- Berries: feel free to mix and match different berries, or use just one type of berry, to make this berry lemonade. Fresh or frozen will work equally as well.
Equipment
In addition to the recipe ingredients listed above, you will also need the following tools:
- fine mesh strainer
- stick (immersion) blender, or potato masher
- citrus juicer (optional)
Step by step photos
- Step 1: Place the berries and sugar into a medium saucepan.
- Step 2: Cook the berries and sugar together until the berries are juicy and start to break down.
- Step 3: Puree the berries with a stick (immersion) blender. Or, mash the berries very thoroughly with a potato masher.
- Step 4: Place the berry juice into a fine mesh strainer resting over a large bowl.
- Step 5: Press on the berry juice with a wooden spoon to help the juice drain out of the strainer. You're done when you have mostly seeds and pulp left.
- Step 6: Combine the berry and lemon juices together in a pitcher. Add the water, and mix together. Store in the fridge until chilled.
Substitution ideas
- Berry Limeade: replace some or all of the fresh lemon juice with lime juice for a different flavor - berries and lime also pair really well together!
- Sparkling berry lemonade: use sparkling water instead of regular water for a more effervescent treat! Just chill the lemon/berry juices first, then add the cold sparkling water right before serving the lemonade.
- Berry lemonade cocktail: replace some of the water in the lemonade recipe with your favorite spirit of choice and serve over lots of ice. Vodka or white rum would be great options. The amount is up to you, depending on how strong you like it!
Tips and tricks
- This recipe makes a total volume of approximately 5 ½ - 6 cups, depending on how much water you add. If you need a larger batch of lemonade, this recipe is easy to double, or even triple! If making a large volume, you may need to strain the berry mixture in two batches.
- The recipe calls for adding between 2 ½ - 3 cups water to suit your personal tastes. If you want a more intense flavor, use the lesser amount of water. This may also be a good idea if you're planning on serving the berry lemonade over lots of ice on a hot day! That way, the melting ice won't dilute it too much.
- As I mentioned in the Step by step photos section, you can use either a stick blender or a potato masher to break down the berries before straining. I tried both methods, and I got the same amount of juice both times. You can also use a regular blender, but I try to avoid cleaning my big blender whenever possible 🙂
- If using the potato masher, don't worry if there are still some chunks left. (The blueberries are especially hard to smush!) Pressing the fruit through the strainer will help extract all the juice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! In fact, if you want the lemonade to be cold, you will need to make it at least a couple hours ahead of time, to give it time to chill in the fridge. (Total chilling time will depend on how cold the water was that you added, as well as how cold your fridge is.)
This homemade lemonade will keep in the fridge (covered) for 3 - 4 days. If needed, give the lemonade a quick shake or stir before serving.
While not absolutely necessary, I like cooking the berries because it's an easy way to dissolve the sugar fully. Cooking also helps break down and concentrate the berry juices a bit. (This is especially important if you're using blueberries, as they're not as naturally juicy as other berries.)
And, if you're using frozen berries, you don't have to worry about thawing the berries first before making the lemonade.
The beauty of this berry lemonade is that you can customize it however you want. This recipe works well with any type of berry, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries. You can also use a combination of those berries in whatever ratio you want. Just make sure the amount of berries you are using equals 20 ounces (567 grams). If using mixed frozen berries, this will equal about 4 cups in volume.
Related recipes
If you've tried this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And sign up for my weekly newsletter to get recipes delivered straight to you!
Print📖 Recipe
Berry Lemonade
Berry lemonade is a fruity twist on the classic lemonade! You can make this easy lemonade recipe with either fresh or frozen berries.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: drinks
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 20 ounces (567 g) frozen or fresh berries (note 1)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 - 5 large lemons)
- 2 ½ - 3 cups (591 - 710 ml) cold water , or to taste (note 2)
Instructions
- For fresh berries only: rinse all the berries and remove the stems from the strawberries (if using).
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the berries and sugar. If using frozen berries, also add in a splash of water (about 2 tablespoons).
- Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very juicy and starting to soften. For fresh berries, this will take about 4 - 5 minutes. For frozen, this will take about 8 - 9 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Use an immersion ("stick") blender to blend the berries in the saucepan. Alternatively, mash the berries very well using a potato masher (the berries don't need to be perfectly smooth, some chunks are ok).
- Pour the berry mixture into a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to press the berry mixture into the mesh to help it strain faster. Stop once most of the liquid has been removed and you can see mostly berry seeds and pulp. You should have about 1 ⅔ cups liquid.
- Place the berry juice in the fridge to begin cooling. Meanwhile, juice the lemons.
- Add the lemon juice, berry juice, and water (to taste) to a pitcher (or you can use the berry juice bowl).
- Place the lemonade in the fridge until chilled. The lemonade will keep well in the fridge, covered, for 3 - 4 days.
Notes
1. You can use any one of these berries, or a combination: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. The berries can be either fresh or frozen (unsweetened). If using frozen mixed berries, 20 ounces equals about 4 cups.
2. The amount of water you wish to add will depend on your personal taste and how you want to serve the lemonade. Adding the lesser amount of water will result in a more concentrated lemonade with a stronger flavor. This is a good option if you want to serve the lemonade on a hot day with lots of ice, as the ice will dilute the lemonade as it melts. Alternatively, if you want a less sweet, more mild flavor, you may want to add extra water.
3. This recipe makes about 5 ½ - 6 cups, depending on how much water you use. If you need a larger amount, you can easily double or triple the recipe! Depending on the size of your strainer and how much you are making, you may need to strain the berry puree in two batches.
The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator; the nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition estimate should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ recipe
- Calories: 174
- Sugar: 38.7 g
- Sodium: 9 mg
- Fat: 0.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.2 g
- Fiber: 4.3 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Leave a Reply