Easy Cherry Lemonade

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Craving a refreshing sip of lemonade, but want the delicious flavor of summer cherries?  Pour yourself a glass of this easy cherry lemonade, and you'll be enjoying the best of both worlds.  There's no need to make simple syrup or even pit cherries in this recipe.

Questions

What is cherry lemonade?

It's a combination of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 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.

What are black cherries?

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.

Is this drink healthy?

When enjoyed in moderation, this is healthy.  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.

How many calories are in this?

A serving size of 10 fluid ounces (1 ¼ cups) is 336 calories.  Check out the nutrition facts at the end of the recipe card below for all of the nutrition information.

Can this drink be made into a slushie?

Yes, this definitely can be made into a slushie!  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.

How to Make

Gather the ingredients.  You'll need cherry juice, lemon juice, sugar, and water. The fresh cherries are just for the photo shoot.

Mix the sugar, water, and lemon juice together until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour in the cherry juice.

Stir until all the ingredients are mixed.

Pour the cherry lemonade into glasses of ice.

Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint and a lemon wheel.

Enjoy immediately!

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 the juice.

Other Lemonade/Limeades You'll Love

• Frozen Cherry Limeade
• Mango Lemonade
• Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Arnold Palmer Drink

Other Fruity Summer Drinks

• Ginger Peach Tea
• Lime and Mint Refresher
• Watermelon Slushie Mocktail
• Raspberry Cordial
• Agua de Guayaba

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Recipe

Easy Cherry Lemonade

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 2 ½ cups 1x

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Description

Easy cherry lemonade is a delicious summer drink that the whole family will enjoy.  Use black cherry juice, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and water to make this refreshing treat.  No simple syrup needed!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (160 ml)
• ¼ cup water (60 ml)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 1 ¼ cups dark cherry juice (280 ml)

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Instructions

1. Squeeze the lemon juice from about 5 medium lemons using a citrus reamer.  You'll get more juice from each lemon if you firmly roll the fruit on the counter before squeezing it.
2. Stir the lemon juice, water, and sugar together in a measuring cup or pitcher until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Mix in the cherry juice until blended.
4. Pour over ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.  Enjoy immediately.

• Category: Beverages
• Method: Stirred
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: black cherry, lemonade