Learn how to make pink lemonade right in your own kitchen! This easy recipe doesn’t use any food coloring, and takes barely 10 minutes to make.
Not only is it refreshingly sweet, but it’s the perfect homemade recipe for a hot summer afternoon, birthday parties, baby showers, and any other occasion. With it’s light and refreshing taste, everyone will be asking for seconds!
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Pink Lemonade
- So simple, with 5 ingredients, you can easily find.
- It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tart
- Who can resist that pretty pink color? It’s an instant reminder of summer days from your childhood.
- Customizable. Adjust the sweetness, experiment with different juice blends, or even throw in some fresh mint leaves for added zing.
What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
- Fresh lemon juice
- Cranberry juice
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Ice
- Fresh lemon for garnish
Supplies:
- Citrus Juicer
- Pitcher
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stirring spoon
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Step-by-Step Directions:
To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Combine water, lemon juice, and cranberry juice in a small pitcher.
- Warm ½ cup water (microwave or stovetop). Add sugar to the water and stir until dissolved.
- Add the sugar water to the lemon juice mixture. Stir to combine.
- To serve, fill 4 glasses with ice, pour pink lemonade over the ice. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before starting to avoid any potential mistakes.
- Keep juicing time to a minimum and pick the right lemons for the job. (see the Frequently Asked Questions for more details)
- If you prefer low pulp juice, or think too many seeds got in your juice, you may want to use a mesh strainer when pouring the lemon juice into the pitcher.
- There’s no need to boil the water. It just needs to be warm enough to dissolve the sugar.
- Lemonade is best when it’s ice cold. You may want to refrigerate it for an hour or two before serving to make sure it’s well chilled.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar, lemon juice, and cranberry juice to suit your tastes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many lemons will it take to make 1 cup of juice?
It takes about 5-6 large lemons to make 1 cup of fresh lemon juice. I recommend you get more than you think you’ll need. Use any leftovers for garnish, or to make lemon cake mix cookies or strawberry lemon bars.
Make sure you choose good lemons for juicing. They should be bright yellow and slightly firm with a little bit of a give when you squeeze them.
Tips for getting the most juice from your lemons:
- Before cutting the lemons, roll them out on the counter, pressing down slightly as you roll. This will help to loosen up the fibers in the fruit, making them more likely to release the juice.
- Microwave your lemons for 10 seconds or so, this will also help break down some of the cell walls, making it easier to get more juice out.
- Use a good juicer. We prefer to use a citrus juicer like this. It’s much easier than a traditional reamer, and can really squeeze out most of the juice from the fruit.
Can I use a different flavor juice?
Yes, feel free to experiment with different juices. Some great options include:
- White cranberry strawberry juice cocktail for sweeter, less tart lemonade
- Raspberry juice
- Pomegranate juice
- Grenadine syrup
- Passion Fruit Juice
- Watermelon juice
Just remember to test the juice before serving it for a party so you know what you’re going to get.
How to Store Pink Lemonade
Refrigerate your homemade pink lemonade for up to 5 days. Remember to remove any ice before refrigerating so it doesn’t get watered down?
Leftover lemonade can also be frozen in ice cube trays, or even turned into popsicles!
If you liked my pink lemonade recipe, you’re going to love my watermelon lemonade. Cool, delicious, and refreshing, it’s a unique twist on classic summer lemonade recipes
Or you can check out my other drink recipes here.
Pink Lemonade
Summer is even sweeter once you learn how to make pink lemonade right at home in 10 minutes with just a few easy ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup cranberry juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups water, divided
- Ice
- Fresh lemons for garnish
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup lemon juice, and 1/2 cup cranberry juice in a small pitcher.
- Warm ½ cup water (microwave or stovetop). Add ½ cup sugar to the water and stir until dissolved.
- Add the sugar water to the lemon juice mixture. Stir to combine.
- To serve, fill 4 glasses with ice, pour pink lemonade over the ice. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.
Notes
Remember, the step-by-step photos and FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- Keep juicing time to a minimum and pick the right lemons for the job. (see the Frequently Asked Questions for more details)
- If you prefer low pulp juice, or think too many seeds got in your juice, you may want to use a mesh strainer when pouring the lemon juice into the pitcher.
- There's no need to boil the water. It just needs to be warm enough to dissolve the sugar.
- Lemonade is best when it's ice cold. You may want to refrigerate it for an hour or two before serving to make sure it's well chilled.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar, lemon juice, and cranberry juice to suit your tastes.
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Estelle Forrest says
The kids would love this! Would love to see you linking up over at the Senior Salon Pit Stop