This easy homemade lemonade uses fresh strawberries, 100% watermelon juice, and natural sweetener. It's the perfect refreshing summer drink for any special occasion or just a night in!
When it comes to lemonade, nothing beats a fresh squeezed lemonade at a fair. Mostly because of the environment, but also the loads of zing with loooooots of added sugar.
With this Strawberry Watermelon Lemonade my intent was to remove all that unnecessary refined sugar, keep the zing, and add in more fun flavor!
The flavors go so well together and the watermelon adds a punch of uniqueness that you don't usually get with basic lemonade.
Watermelon Juice: To be completely transparent, I'm not a fan of 100% watermelon juice. We have an incredible discount grocer near us and I've picked up a few different brands over the years in an attempt to like it, since I've heard so many people rave about it. With my last purchase, I was determined to make the best of it and turn it into something super tasty! Mission accomplished.
I don't think it matters what brand you use as long as it's 100% watermelon juice. If you try to use fresh watermelon you'll get a different texture and the flavor won't be as strong.
Lemons: I use both lemon juice and lemon zest in this recipe. Lemon juice does give you a zing, but it's not always as tangy as I want it to be. The zest adds an extra punch while also adding more sweetness.
I cut the lemons in half, peel them, take out as many seeds as I can and and toss them into the blender with the other ingredients. Why? Because it's faster and you can get more juice that way.
You can juice the lemons if you wish I've just preferred the above method!
Maple Syrup: I think this is the perfect sweetener for lemonade. I think honey distorts the flavor and any other "sugar alternative" would do the same. Liquid sweetener also means you don't have to wait for anything granulated to dissolve.
More Related Cold Drinks
Strawberry Watermelon Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries, quartered packed the cup!
- 3 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups whole lemon slices, peeled and seeds removed 2 ½ lemons
- 1 cup 100% watermelon juice
- 4 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Wash lemons and zest 1 lemon to equal 3 tsp.
- Cut lemons in half, peel off skin, and remove as many seeds as possible. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Place a tight mesh strainer above a large bowl and pour blended mixture into the strainer. Press and strain until you have only a small amount of pulp left. Compost or discard pulp.Option to juice lemons to equal 1 ½ cups but the method above is quicker and you'll likely get more juice out of the lemons that way!
- Chill remaining lemonade to enjoy or turn into popsicles!
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