Cherry Lemonade Recipe (2 Ways)

This cherry lemonade is an amazing flavorful summer drink, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, just by adding a burst of cherry flavor into the lemonade base. It’s versatile and simple, made from scratch using all-natural ingredients. The recipe is easy to customize to your prefence or even turn it into a cocktail for an adult twist.

This cherry lemonade recipe is more than just a drink, it’s a moment of joy in a glass. With each sip, you’re getting a delightful dance of flavors: the sweetness of ripe cherries, and the tartness of fresh lemon juice.

For variety make sure to try my other lemonade flavors:

• Elderberry Lemonade
• Orange Lemonade Aka Orangeade
• Elderflower Lemonade
• Green Tea Lemonade

Cherry Lemonade Recipe

Now we arrive at the heart of the matter: the cherry lemonade recipe. You can make this recipe 2 ways:

• with fresh cherry juice or,
• store-bough cherry juice.

This recipe serves five or six (depends on the amount of ice and the size of the glass) and takes about 15-20 minutes of prep time.

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Ingredients You Need:

• 3/4 cup cherry juice (about 2 cups of fresh pitted cherries); If it’s the middle of the cold season and you don’t have fresh cherries you can buy some cherry juice (not from concentrate). Use tart cherry juice or black cherry juice. While fresh cherry juice offers an authentic, rich flavor and a host of nutritional benefits, bottled cherry juice provides convenience. Depending on your priorities—whether it’s taste, health benefits, or time constraints—you can opt for either. However, for the most genuine cherry lemonade experience, fresh cherry juice takes the cake.
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (approximately 3 lemons);
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp honey (use sugar as a substitute or other sweetener) adjust to your taste;
• 3 cups of water (add more if it’s too concentrated for you);
• Ice cubes for serving;
• Lemon slices and additional cherries for garnish;

Steps to Create the Perfect Cherry Lemonade

1. Prepare The Lemonade Base

In a large pitcher, combine the lemon juice with honey (or sugar), the citric acid from lemons will help disolve the honey faster.

2. Prepare The Cherries For Juicing

Luckily, there are several ways to juice cherries at home – with or without a juicer or blender. The resulting juice is super fresh and 100% additive and preservative free ! Wash the fresh cherries to start.

3. Pit The Cherries

Before juicing the cherries you need to pit them. Use fresh (ripe and in season for the best flavor) or frozen (and thawed) cherries to make juice. You’ll need aproximately 2 to 2.5 cups of pitted cherries for making 40 ounces of cherry lemonade.

4. Make The Cherry Juice

I’m using a blender here. Just transfer the fruit to the blender and blend until smooth and juicy. No need for added water. To remove the pulp, pass the cherry juice through a nut milk bag.

Assemble The Cherry Lemonade

Pour the cherry juice into the lemonade base, adding water to dilute and then stirring until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your cherry lemonade over ice, garnished with a slice of lemon and fresh cherry. For a grown-up twist, add a shot of vodka or gin.

Other Flavor Infusions

Consider adding fresh herbs like mint or basil for an extra flavor dimension. For a spicier kick, ginger could be an adventurous addition.

Tips for Storing Cherry Lemonade

You can store cherry lemonade in the fridge for up to 3 days or so, but it’s best consumed within 2 days.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid using bottled lemon juice or canned cherries, which can alter the fresh flavor of your lemonade. Also, remember not to over-sweeten; you can always add more sugar later, but you can’t take it away.

FAQ’s