This easy to make Berry Lemonade recipe is a refreshing summer must-have. Classic homemade lemonade is made even better with the addition of strawberry, blackberry and raspberry!
Note: this recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2022 with 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 strawberries, raspberries and blackberries is added to the classic lemonade ingredients of fresh lemon juice, water and cane sugar to create an extra special and refreshing homemade drink.
This berry lemonade recipe is also a beautiful deep ruby color, so it will be sure to make a "splash" at any summer get-together!
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Lemons: because the lemon juice is a main feature of this delicious lemonade, I recommend freshly squeezing the juice from lemons. If you don't have fresh lemons and really want to make this lemonade, you can use bottled lemon juice instead.
- Sugar: you just need regular granulated sugar to make this recipe. If you don't have regular granulated sugar, you can use superfine sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
- Berries: this recipe calls for three types of berries: strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. But, you can easily make substitutions for one or more of these berries. For more info on substitutions, see the Tips and tricks section below!
Tools needed:
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
1. The first step is to place the berries and sugar into a medium saucepan.
2. Then, cook the berries and sugar together until the berries are juicy and start to break down.
3. Next, puree the berries with a stick (immersion) blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can mash the berries very thoroughly with a potato masher.
4. Now place the berry juice into a fine mesh strainer that is resting over a large bowl.
5. Press on the berry juice with a wooden spoon to help the juice drain out of the strainer. Keep going until you are left with mostly just berry seeds and pulp!
6. Now it's time to squeeze those lemons! I like to use a hand-held citrus juicer, but you can just squeeze the lemons by hand if you don't have one.
7. Next, combine the berry and lemon juices together. You can do this in a pitcher, large bottle, or large bowl.
8. Finally, mix in the water. Place the berry lemonade in the fridge until it's cold, and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
Ingredient substitution ideas
- If you want, you could replace one type of berry with an equal proportion of another - for example, double up on the raspberries if you can't find blackberries.
- You could also try replacing some or all of the fresh lemon juice with lime juice for a different flavor - berries and lime also pair really well together!
- You could also 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. Or for a fun adult beverage, use champagne or sparkling wine instead!
- Do you want to know how to make a delicious berry lemonade cocktail? It's easy! Just 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!
Other 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. (Or, if you are planning on serving with lots of ice in the hot sun!)
- As I mentioned in the Step by step photos section, I recommend using a stick (aka immersion) blender to easily break up the berries before straining. I like this better than a regular blender because there is way less cleanup. But, you could also use a potato masher! I tried both methods, and I got the same amount of juice both times.
- Got leftover lemonade or you want an even cooler treat? This berry lemonade makes truly awesome popsicles! (They were slightly on the icy side, but my kids went wild for them!)
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can easily use unsweetened frozen berries instead of fresh for this lemonade recipe. Because you will be cooking the berries together with the sugar, you don't even need to thaw them first. Just add them to the pot with the sugar and a small splash of water (about 1 - 2 tablespoons) and cook as directed.
However, you will need to cook the berries for about 8 - 9 minutes, rather than the 5 minutes called for in the recipe, to reach the desired consistency (juicy and starting to break down).
No, you don't have to use all three types of berries to make berry lemonade! As I mentioned in the Ingredient substitution ideas section, you could replace one type of berry with an equal proportion of another, for example, using 12 ounces of blackberries instead of 6 ounces of raspberries and 6 ounces of blackberries.
Or, you could even just use one type of berry, as long as you have the same total amount of berries called for in the recipe (20 ounces).
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, you can give the lemonade a quick shake or stir before serving.
Lemonade is such a classic summer drink, it pairs perfectly with other quintessential summer or picnic foods. For example, you can serve lemonade with: hamburgers and hotdogs, grilled chicken, pasta or potato salad, or sandwiches!
Homemade lemonade would also be a great drink option for brunch, as an alternative to the more standard orange juice. Try it with my recipe for vanilla muffins! Other great pairings for brunch include scones, quiche, fruit salad, bagels, or avocado toast.
Related recipes
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Berry Lemonade
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: drinks
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy to make homemade lemonade with a beautiful berry twist!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227 g) strawberries
- 6 ounces (170 g) blackberries
- 6 ounces (170 g) raspberries
- 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
Instructions
- Rinse all the berries. Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut them into large chunks.
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and sugar.
- Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very juicy and starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Use an immersion ("stick") blender to blend the berries in the saucepan. The berries do not need to be perfectly smooth, just broken down into very small pieces. Alternatively, mash the berries very well using a potato masher.
- 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 mixture into the fridge to begin cooling. Meanwhile, juice the lemons and pour the 1 cup lemon juice into a pitcher.
- Remove the berry mixture from the fridge. (It does not need to be perfectly chilled at this point, just no longer hot). Add it to the pitcher with the lemon juice.
- Stir in 2 ½ - 3 cups of water, to taste (see note 3). Place lemonade in the fridge until chilled. The lemonade will keep well in the fridge, covered, for 3 - 4 days.
Notes
Feel free to use different proportions for the berries listed, or use only one or two types of berries instead of three. Just make sure you are using a total of 20 ounces (567 g) of berries in the recipe.
You can also substitute unsweetened frozen berries for fresh berries. Because you will be cooking the berries together with the sugar, there is no need to thaw them first. Just add them to the pot with the sugar and about 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium high heat for 8 - 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the desired consistency is reached (juicy and starting to break down).
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.
The total volume of lemonade this recipe makes is approximately 5 ½ - 6 cups, depending on how much water you use in the recipe. 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
Keywords: lemonade, berry lemonade
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