Craving a refreshing sip of lemonade, but want the delicious flavor of summer cherries? Pour yourself a glass of our cherry lemonade, and you'll be enjoying the best of both worlds.
Want more flavored lemonade ideas to stay cool this summer? Try our mango lemonade or blueberry lemonade.
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Ingredients
Wondering what you need to make this refreshing cherry lemonade at home? Here are the key ingredients that you'll need.
- Cherry Juice: I used bottled juice, but you can make your own if you prefer.
- Lemon Juice: Make sure to squeeze your own from fresh lemons for the best taste.
- Water: Filtered water dilutes the sourness from the lemon.
- Sugar: This sweetens the drink to counteract the sour lemon flavor.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for our homemade flavored lemonade recipe. You'll need cherry and lemon juice, sugar, and water. The fresh cherries are just for the photoshoot.
- Mix the sugar, water, and lemon juice together until the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour in the cherry juice.
3. Stir until all the ingredients are mixed.
4. Pour the lemonade into glasses of ice.
5. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint and a lemon wheel.
6. Enjoy immediately!
Recipe FAQs
When enjoyed in moderation, it's a healthy drink option. Although it is high in sugar from the added sweetener and the fruit, it does contain a little protein and a good dose of vitamin C. For the full nutrition facts, scroll to the bottom of the recipe card.
Yes. Freeze it into a slushie or save it for later. For slushies, simply mix up the drink in advance and pour it into a freezer-friendly container with a lid. Freeze for about 4 hours, stirring halfway through. Break up any clumps with a fork before serving, and enjoy right away.
If you want to store it for later, store it in the same type of container for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator and mix well before serving.
It's a combination of freshly squeezed lemons, water, sugar, and cherries. You can puree fresh or frozen pitted cherries, or use cherry juice. I opted for dark cherry juice since it's much faster than pitting fresh cherries and is available year-round.
Black cherries are fruits with dark red skins, dark juice, and a sweet flavor. They're most commonly grown in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and are the type of cherries used in this drink.
Variations
- Fruit: add other fruits like strawberries or blueberries.
- Mint: sweeten the drink with mint simple syrup instead of sugar.
- Sparkling: replace half of the cherry juice with sparkling water.
- Slushie: make the drink in advance and freeze it for about 4 hours. Break up any clumps with a fork and enjoy immediately.
- Can't find cherry juice? Puree 2 cups of frozen cherries or fresh pitted cherries and strain out the skins. Use that in place of it.
Expert Tips
- Tips for juicing lemons: Roll the lemons on the counter, applying pressure with the palm of your hand, to help them yield more liquid. Make sure they're at room temperature, too, as cold lemons won't release their juices as well.
- Make your own cherry juice. De-stem and pit fresh cherries, then puree them with a little water in a blender on medium-low speed. Strain out any chunks of fruit or skins.
- Make ahead. This flavored lemonade will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Recipe
Cherry Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups dark cherry juice
Equipment
Instructions
- Squeeze the lemon juice from about 5 medium lemons using a citrus reamer or press. You'll get more juice from each lemon if you firmly roll the fruit on the counter before squeezing it.
- Stir the lemon juice, water, and sugar together in a measuring cup or pitcher until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Mix in the cherry juice until blended.
- Pour over ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Tips for juicing lemons: Roll the lemons on the counter, applying pressure with the palm of your hand, to help them yield more juice. Make sure they're at room temperature, too, as cold lemons won't juice well.
- Make your own cherry juice. De-stem and pit fresh cherries, then puree them with a little water in a blender on medium-low speed. Strain out any chunks of fruit or skins.
- Make ahead. This cherry lemonade will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Alex
The sourness of the lemon and the sweetness of the cherry are a wonderful combination! Yum, yum. I love the color of this drink, too.
Emma
Glad you enjoyed the lemonade, Alex!
Beth
The sweet cherry flavor and the sour lemon juice blend into a divinely fruity lemonade. The dark color is appealing, and a sprig of mint is a delicious addition. I love this dark, smooth lemonade.
Emma
Thanks for your kind comment, Beth!