Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
This 4-ingredient recipe can be made ahead, and is easy to make in large quantities, too! The festive color and fizz make this drink great for summer barbecues, pool parties, or gatherings with family and friends - especially when strawberries are in season. Don’t be surprised if our Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade becomes your favorite lemonade. This kid friendly recipe is a winner with all ages! Find out how to Pimp Our Recipe in our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
SPARKLING STRAWBERRY LEMONADE (non-alcoholic)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Hull strawberries, and add to a high speed blender cup (see Note #1). Purée until smooth (about 15 to 20 seconds).
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a 2 cup measuring cup, and slowly pour the strawberry purée into the strainer. Gently push the purée through the strainer (see Note #2). You will need ¾ cup puréed strawberries for this recipe.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a small measuring cup (1 or 2 cup). Add agave nectar (or superfine sugar) to the lemon juice, and whisk to combine (see Note #3).
- Using a clean fine mesh strainer, strain lemon mixture into the strawberry purée. Gently stir and push pulp into strainer to get all the juice. Whisk to combine, and pour into a pitcher (see Make Ahead Instructions below). Add sparkling water (or filtered water - see Note #5), and stir to combine. Serve immediately in ice filled 18 ounce glasses, and garnish with a strawberry or lemon wedge.
Notes
- We used the Nutribullet RX High Speed Blender, but the Vitamix Professional Grade High Speed Blender is also an excellent choice.
- Use a small spoon to gently scrape, push, and stir the purée through the mesh strainer. In order to prevent the seeds from passing through the strainer into your purée, make sure not to push too hard.
- We used agave nectar in this recipe, as it dissolves very quickly and adds a warm flavor to the lemonade. If you prefer using superfine sugar, make sure to whisk thoroughly to dissolve. The acid in the lemon juice will help it dissolve a bit quicker.
- Make Ahead Instructions: Pour strawberry lemon mixture into the pitcher, cover, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, stir mixture, add sparkling water, stir again, and immediately serve the lemonade. If you are using flat filtered water, you can add all ingredients to the pitcher in advance, and make sure to stir before you serve.
- Do not add sparkling water until you are ready to serve, otherwise it will go flat. If you are using flat filtered water, you can mix it in advance, refrigerate, and stir right before serving.
- Makes 4 servings, but can be increased to serve a crowd.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
77.03Fat (grams)
0.35Sat. Fat (grams)
0.03Carbs (grams)
19.55Fiber (grams)
1.31Net carbs
18.24Sugar (grams)
14.63Protein (grams)
0.56Sodium (milligrams)
39.62Cholesterol (grams)
0Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1
Hull 8 ounces fresh strawberries, and add to a high speed blender cup (see Note below). Purée until smooth (about 15 to 20 seconds).
Note: We used the Nutribullet RX High Speed Blender, but the Vitamix Professional Grade High Speed Blender is also an excellent choice.
STEP 2
Place a fine mesh strainer over a 2 cup measuring cup, and slowly pour the strawberry purée into the strainer. Gently push the purée through the strainer (see Note below). You will need only ¾ cup puréed strawberries for this recipe.
Note: Use a small spoon to gently scrape, push, and stir the purée through the mesh strainer. In order to prevent the seeds from passing through the strainer into your purée, make sure not to push too hard.
STEP 3
Squeeze ¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5 lemons) into another small measuring cup. Add 3 tablespoons agave nectar (or ½ cup superfine sugar) to the lemon juice, and whisk to combine (see Note below).
Note: We used agave nectar in this recipe, as it dissolves very quickly and adds a warm flavor to the lemonade. If you prefer using superfine sugar, make sure to whisk thoroughly to dissolve. The acid in the lemon juice will help it dissolve a bit quicker. For other recipe variations, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below for this recipe.
STEP 4
Using a clean fine mesh strainer, strain lemon mixture into the strawberry purée. Using a spoon, gently stir and push pulp through the strainer to get all the juice. Whisk to combine, and pour into a pitcher. Add 3 cups sparkling water (or filtered water - see Note below), and stir to combine.
Note: Do not add sparkling water until you are ready to serve, otherwise it will go flat. If you are using flat filtered water, you can mix it in advance, refrigerate, and stir right before serving.
Notes:
Make Ahead Instructions: Pour strawberry lemon mixture into the pitcher, cover, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, stir mixture, add sparkling water, stir again, and immediately serve the lemonade. If you are using flat filtered water, you can add all ingredients to the pitcher in advance, and make sure to stir before you serve.
Makes 4 servings, but can be increased to serve a crowd.
VIDEO
How to Make this Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade!
Blog Comments & Tips
A Vibrant and Refreshing Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipe!
One of my favorite childhood summertime memories is of my grandmother making homemade lemonade, as I anticipated the taste of that cool drink on a warm summer day. The process of making it was just as fun for me, as I would help her pick the lemons from her backyard tree, then we would both squeeze as many lemons as we could to make lots of lemonade. My grandmother had a sweet tooth and would pour in what seemed to be many cupfuls of granulated sugar into her lemonade. Even though our recipe isn’t nearly as sweet as her original lemonade, I think she would have loved the brilliant color and refreshing taste of our Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade.
Our Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade has such a vibrant color, and it is as tasty as it is beautiful! If you are looking for a change of pace from the traditional lemonade, then you must try our recipe. Our strawberry lemonade recipe is both tart and sweet, but not cloyingly sweet like other recipes.
The addition of agave nectar and sparkling water give it a special flair and flavor that we think you will love. Agave gives it sweetness and warmth (similar to honey), but without the sugar spike you might get from refined sugar. Although this lemonade has a lot of natural sugars from the fresh lemon juice and strawberry purée, replacing the refined sugar with agave helps lower the glycemic index a bit.
And, who doesn’t like a little fizz in their drinks to make it extra special?!
Although we prefer the bubbles and flavor of added minerals in sparkling water, you can certainly swap it out with flat filtered water instead. You can also replace the agave with granulated sugar (although we recommend using superfine sugar to help it dissolve more quickly).
How do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 4 tips to making this delicious Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade:
Use fresh organic strawberries and lemons for the best results.
Do not skip the straining process, as you don’t want to bite into the seeds, or have lemon pulp stick to your glass. And, be gentle - don’t push too hard when you are pushing the pulp through the strainer, or you will end up with seeds in your drink.
We prefer using either Pellegrino or Perrier sparkling water, but you can certainly use flat water. Just make sure it is filtered.
Do not mix the sparkling water with the strawberry lemon mixture until you are ready to serve, otherwise the bubbles will go flat.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Sweeter: Just add more agave nectar to taste (1 tablespoon at a time), or more superfine sugar (2 tablespoons at a time). If you prefer using honey, it’s best to use a simple syrup, as straight honey doesn’t always dissolve well in cold liquids. Try our Honey Simple Syrup recipe!
Make it Boozy: Add 8 ounces (2 ounces per serving) of your favorite vodka into the strained strawberry purée at the end of Step 2.
Make It More Festive: To add an extra special touch, add a sugar rim to each glass! Just rub a lemon on the rim of each glass, and dip the wet rim into a plate of granulated sugar. Tap off excess, and you are ready to pour when your guests arrive!
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to press the pulp gently through the mesh strainer, to make sure you don’t push any seeds into your purée.
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