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Pink Lemonade

Time: 10 minutes
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This old fashioned Pink Lemonade is tart, sweet, and naturally colored with fresh strawberries. It makes a large pitcher of 8 servings for refreshing sips all day or all week long.

Craving more strawberry drinks? Try my strawberry daiquiri mocktail, strawberry mojito mocktail, or this strawberry simple syrup made using strawberry tops.

2 jars of lemonade with straws and a large pitcher of more in the background.

When I was younger we had two different strawberry farms just down the road from us. We would go down there in the morning, pick strawberries to the afternoon, and come back to the farm to make homemade jam, muffins, pie, and pink lemonade!

Strawberries are perfect for naturally coloring lemonade pink. They are super vibrant and you only need a handful of them. Plus you can use perfectly ripened berries or ones that are a little overripened, it doesn’t matter.

And I know what you’re thinking, isn’t it just strawberry lemonade? No! There isn’t enough strawberries in this to be a true strawberry lemonade, it’s just enough to make it pink.

Pink Lemonade in a lidded jar with a red straw. Fresh strawberries and lemons on the side.

Ingredients in Pink Lemonade

This ingredient list is simple but so flavorful! Keep reading for notes and potential substitutions on each ingredient.

  • Lemons: These are the star of the show, so make sure they’re ripe. A perfectly ripened lemon will be sweeter, dark yellow in color, and slightly squishy when rolled on the countertop.
  • Sugar: I use granulated sugar but cane sugar works great too. If you’re looking to reduce the amount of sugar, or omit it all together, I recommend using allulose.
  • Strawberries: You’ll need fresh strawberries, frozen strawberries tend to be watery and kind of ruin the fresh lemonade.
  • Water: No explanation needed, any type of water will do.

Don’t forget to grab a large pitcher or glass jar (if you’re just making one). You’ll also need a blender or food processor, and fine mesh strainer.

Ingredients needed. Lemon juice, granulated sugar, strawberry puree, and water.

How to Make Pink Lemonade

Here’s a short summary of the steps, plus tips you have got to read. The recipe card further down will have complete details.

1. MAKE A LEMON SYRUP. To a large pitcher, add the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Stir it together super well until the granulated sugar is dissolved and you make a lemon syrup.

ELIZABETH’S TIP: When pouring the lemon juice into your pitcher, pour it through a fine mesh strainer. This removes the lemon seeds and pulp from the juice.

2. ADD WATER to the lemon syrup and stir everything together until it’s well combined. Now you have lemonade!

3. MAKE A STRAWBERRY PUREE. In a blender or food process pulse together a quarter cup of water and the strawberries. Strain with a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp.

4. ADD STRAWBERRY PUREE to the lemonade and stir until it’s well combined into pink lemonade.

ELIZABETH’S TIP: Taste test your lemonade before serving it. You might need to add a little more sugar or another squeeze of lemon juice so it tastes exactly how you want it.

Storing Information

This pink lemonade is great for making and serving the same day, but you can also make a large pitcher for the refrigerator and drink it as you want.

Either way, it should always be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days and in an airtight drink container. If you happen to store it in a fancy open pitcher (like the one in my pictures), it will not last as long or taste as fresh.

You can also freeze your pink lemonade for up to 2 months.

Large pitcher of pink lemonade with a spoon in it for stirring.

Fun Ways To Enjoy This Pink Lemonade

MAKE SOME FROZEN LEMONADE SLUSHIES. Just freeze your pink lemonade in cubes. Throw it in your blender with a little lemon juice or water and blend. It’s as easy as that!

ADD SOME BUBBLES with club soda or mineral water. This kicks up your lemonade by making it a spritzer with tons of fizz and flavor.

MAKE IT A MOCKTAIL OR COCKTAIL with gin, vodka, champagne, or even white rum. I personally like to add non alcoholic coconut rum in mine.

Lemonade in a jar ready to drink with more in a large pitcher in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

My pink lemonade is sour, what can I do?

If your lemonade turned out a little too sour, you can add more sugar or strawberry puree. I recommend adding only a tablespoon at a time so it then doesn’t become too sweet.

Can I make this pink lemonade sugar free or reduced sugar?

Yes, this recipe can be made with reduced sugar or completely sugar free. I recommend using allulose sweetener 1:1 with the granulated sugar for sugar free. Or you can use half allulose and half granulated sugar for a reduced sugar pink lemonade.


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Enjoy Entirely, Elizabeth
2 jars of Pink Lemonade with fresh strawberries and lemon on the side. There is a large pitcher of more lemonade in the background.

Pink Lemonade

Elizabeth Swoish
This pink lemonade is 4 ingredients, full of flavor, and perfectly pink (thanks to fresh strawberries).
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Beverage
Servings 8
Calories 106 kcal

EQUIPMENT

  • citrus juicer
  • fine mesh strainer
  • glass pitcher
  • Blender or Food Processor
  • glassware - I used glass jars with lids and straws

INGREDIENTS
  

  • 5 large lemons - washed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar - or allulose for sugar free lemonade
  • 5 strawberries - washed with green tops removed
  • 6 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Firmly roll washed lemons on counter several times to loosen the juices. Cut the lemons in half and juice them with a heavy duty juicer.
  • To a large pitcher add the granulated sugar. Place a fine mesh strainer over the top of the pitcher and pour in the lemon juice. Discard the seeds and pulp.
    Step 1. Add granulated sugar to a large pitcher. Put strainer over top and pour in freshly squeezed lemon juice.
  • Stir together the lemon juice and granulated sugar until it dissolves and becomes a lemon syrup.
    Step 2. Stir together the lemon juice and granulated sugar until the sugar has dissolved completely.
  • Add the water and stir again until it's well combined. Set aside.
    Step 3. Pour the water into the lemon syrup mixture.
  • Add strawberries to a blender or food processor with a 2 tablespoons of water. Puree until the strawberries have broken down completely into a juice. Strain the juice from the seeds and pulp using a fine mesh strainer.
  • Add a small amount of the strawberry puree to the lemonade and stir it well. Add more strawberry puree until it is the perfect pink color.
    Step 5. Pour a small amount of the strawberry puree into the lemonade.
  • Pour into glasses with ice and sip!
    Large pitcher of pink lemonade with a spoon in it for stirring.

RECIPE NOTES

Storing Information:

  • Refrigerated, in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. 
  • Frozen for up to 2 months.
 

Make it Sugar Free or Reduced Sugar:

  • Sugar Free, use 1:1 allulose sugar in place for granulated sugar.
  • Reduced Sugar, use half allulose and half granulated sugar. 

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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By Elizabeth Swoish on June 13th, 2024
Elizabeth Swoish holding a camera up to her eye taking a photo.

About Elizabeth Swoish

Elizabeth Swoish is the founder and CEO of Entirely Elizabeth. She is a self-taught foodie and mocktail enthusiast with a business degree in data analysis. Read Elizabeth's food journey or connect on your favorite social media channels.

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