There’s nothing like a big glass of thirst-quenching Cherry Lemonade on a hot summer’s day. Easy to make and so refreshing. It's so good, you’ll want to drink it all year long!
My kids go crazy over this Cherry Lemonade. It’s all natural and looks so pretty with its bright pink color. But the best part is it tastes amazing.
If you love cooling off with fruity, refreshing drinks, try my Hawaiian Pog juice, fresh strawberry juice, or peach iced tea. For something even colder, a frozen mangonada or banana milkshake will really hit the spot.
I’d say it’s restaurant quality, but it’s way better. I’ve had pink lemonade before, but it doesn’t come close to this Cherry Lemonade made with fresh cherries and lemons. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tart.
Cherry Lemonade is a big hit at summer parties and get-togethers! Dress it up with lemon slices and few fresh cherries and it’s sure to impress your guests.
This Cherry Lemonade is super easy to make and takes less than five minutes once the cherries are pitted. No cooking, no boiling, and no sugar syrup necessary. You don’t even have to strain it if you don’t want to.
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How to make Cherry Lemonade
To make the Cherry Lemonade syrup, pitted cherries are blended with fresh lemon juice and sugar. That’s it! You can strain it to remove the bits of skin if you like, but it’s not necessary.
You can make this Cherry Lemonade with still or sparkling water. When ready to serve, just pour over ice and add still or sparkling water. I like a 2 to 3 ratio (2 cups syrup to 3 cups water) of Cherry Lemonade syrup to water (especially if I’m serving it with lots of ice), but make it according to your own taste.
You can make it by the pitcher or by the glass. I like to make it by the glass if I’m using sparkling water to keep the most fizz.
My husband always manages to one-up me in the kitchen. He makes it with lime juice instead of lemon and then blitzes up the Cherry syrup in the blender with ice cubes and for a Cherry Limeade slushie. It's so good!
How long does Cherry Lemonade syrup last in the fridge?
Cherry Lemonade is great for making in advance because it can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. I love having a jar of the syrup in the fridge to make up a quick glass whenever I need a pick-me-up or the kids come in for a play break on a hot summer’s day.
Can the syrup be frozen?
Cherry Lemonade syrup can definitely be frozen. It will keep in the freezer for several months. It’s a great way to use up fresh cherries before they go bad.
Recipe
Easy Cherry Lemonade
Ingredients
For the Cherry Lemonade syrup:
- 1 lb fresh or frozen cherries pitted (3 cups, 454g)
- 1 cup sugar (7oz, 198g)
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (8oz, 227g)
For the Cherry Lemonade:
- 5 - 6 cups still or sparkling water or to taste
- Glasses of ice
Instructions
- Combine the pitted cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth and there are no bits of cherries left. Strain if desired, but it’s not really necessary.
- Combine the Cherry Lemonade syrup with still or sparkling water in a 2 to 3 ratio (2 parts syrup for 3 parts water), or to taste.
- Serve over ice.
Notes
- I like my lemonade full-flavored and served over lots of ice. Since it gets a bit diluted from the ice, I use a 2 to 3 ratio of syrup to water. If you want it less strong, use a 1 to 3 ratio of syrup to water.
- Makes 3 ½ cups of Cherry Lemonade syrup.
- For Cherry Limeade, substitute lime juice for the lemon juice.
- For a Cherry Lemonade or Limeade Slushie, blend the cherry syrup with ice in a blender.
Nutrition
Enjoy, friends!
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Cynthia says
Made this recipe a few days ago and it was great, everyone loved it! My only tiny mistake was in misreading your instructions and only blending the cherries, so I added all the other ingredients in the large container later and just mixed them together without blending. It was fine since I wasn't making extra cherry syrup to keep though.
I do however have two questions:
1) Since you don't specify the type of of cherries, which ones did you use for this recipe? I know this can affect how much sugar you might use. By their color I had assumed they were sour cherries but we had sweet cherries of the same color.
2) I followed the recipe to the letter in terms of quantities for everything but mine turned out a slightly darker red. Do you know if that has anything to do with not having blended the sugar and lemon juice with the cherries?
Kelly says
Hi Cynthia! I used sweet cherries. I can think of a few reasons for the difference in color. It could be from a difference in the color of the cherries, the amount of water added, the amount of ice used, or the lighting in the photos. Lemon does lighten things, but I'm not sure how much it would lighten the lemonade.
Thanks so much!
MIRANDA FLEEGER says
This was so good! I topped off our glasses with Cherry Bubly and it was more like a punch. My picky husband LOVED it!
Kelly says
So happy you liked it, Miranda! Thanks so much!
marie johson says
Cherry Lemonade Cocktail is A quick and easy cocktail perfect for summer or parties! thanks for sharing
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Marie!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
Loving the vibrant colour of this drink! It looks fantastic - refreshing and tasty!
Kelly says
It's so delicious and the cherries give such an intense color! Thanks so much, Alexandra!
Liz says
Ooh, I think I like this even more than regular lemonade! The color is phenomenal and it mast taste amazing, too!
Kelly says
The flavor is incredible! Thanks so much, Liz!
Valerie says
I made this and it's really tasty 🙂 The cherry-lemon syrup tends to separate, so just shake it well 🙂
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Valerie!
priya says
This is heaven. A glass of chilled lemonade in summers - pure bliss.
Kelly says
It so refreshing! Thanks so much, Priya!
sippitysup says
Oh, the wonderful partners to lemon! I love the herbal garnish here. Have you ever whirled a little herb into the lemonade? I've tried it with Pear Basil Lemonade and loved it. GREG https://www.sippitysup.com/pear-lemonade-thai-basil-fall-favorite/
Kelly says
Oh, that would be so wonderful, Greg! I have to try it! Thanks so much!
marcie says
I'm loving all of your cherry recipes Kelly! I've never thought to add fresh cherries to lemonade. Such a great idea, and I love that color!
Kelly says
The cherry flavor is amazing! Thanks so much, Marcie!
Merrynsmenu says
This is purely stunning! I have never heard of or enjoyed cherry lemonade but I will certainly be preparing this when cherries are on sale this Spring/Summer. It looks so pretty and will be amazing to drink on a hot day.
Kelly says
It's so good! It tastes like a delicious, sweet-tart cherry! Thanks so much, Merryn!
Kelly @ Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats says
This cherry lemonade looks so refreshing!! I would have never thought of combining the two. But so genius!
Kelly says
It's so easy and so delicious! Thanks so much, Kelly!
Valentina says
Wow! If this tastes even half as good as it is pretty, it must be AMAZING! I love it!
Kelly says
It's really is amazing! Thanks so much, Valentina!