Name: Easy Raspberry Lemonade
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Lemonade
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (7 to 8 large lemons)*; 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (about 1/2 pint); 1 cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar); 6 cups water, divided; Ice; Fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

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This raspberry lemonade is easy to make and bursting with fresh flavor! It’s loads better than anything you can buy from the store.

I have a thing for homemade lemonade: the flavor is so intensely fresh and delicious: it tastes like you turned up the volume on store-bought lemonade! It’s also free of all the artificial stuff that purchased lemonade might be hiding.

One of my very favorite variations on the theme is this beautifully pink raspberry lemonade: I absolutely love the sweet tart flavor and the bright color! It’s the ideal fruity drink for sipping on the patio, or for impressing guests at cookouts, brunches, and dinner parties!

5 Star Reader Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I made this for my girls. They adore it. Thank you for the recipe!” -Melissa

What You Need to Make Raspberry Lemonade

Making raspberry lemonade is very easy: you don’t even need to simmer a raspberry syrup on the stovetop! You’ll simply blend the berries with water and sugar (a genius idea invented by Alex!). There’s actually only 3 ingredients required, outside of ice and water. Here’s what you’ll need:

Lemons: The reason homemade lemonade tastes like someone turned up the volume on store-bought is the fresh lemon juice.
Raspberries: Fresh or frozen work just as well, since everything gets blended and strained.
Granulated sugar: This brings the perfect intense sweetness.
Water: 2 cups warm for the blender, 4 cups cold for the pitcher.

Best Way to Juice a Lot of Lemons

I’m not going to lie: it can take a while to juice 8 whole lemons! My favorite juicer makes quick work of it, though: and you won’t hurt your hands from squeezing so hard:

Top choice: a press citrus juicer. This type of juicer is incredibly efficient and ends up getting out even more juice than other types. Here’s the press juicer we use. It’s held up the best of any method, even after making over 300 cocktails.
Next best choice: a handheld citrus juicer. The next best juicer is the type with a ridged top.

Tips for Straining the Raspberries

The only other part of this raspberry lemonade that takes some time is straining the raspberries! You’ll throw them in the blender with warm water and sugar, then blend until a puree forms. Here are some tips:

Use a fine mesh strainer. You want to remove all the seeds here, so a fine mesh strainer is key for getting a smooth syrup-like texture.
Use a spatula to gradually force the syrup through. It will take longer than you think, but keep forcing it through with a spatula until all the seeds are removed.

Raspberry Lemonade Variations to Try

Sparkling water: Make sparkling lemonade and mix each serving with equal parts soda water or club soda.
Vodka: Make vodka raspberry lemonade by mixing 1 cup raspberry lemonade with ¼ cup vodka.
Gin: Opt for raspberry gin Lemonade by mixing 1 cup raspberry lemonade with 3 tablespoons gin.
Limoncello: Make spiked lemonade with ½ cup raspberry lemonade, 2 tablespoons vodka and 2 tablespoons limoncello.

How to Store It

Store it covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. The color stays vivid for 2 to 3 days, then softens toward a duller rose — still fine to drink, just less photogenic.

Stir before every pour; the raspberry base settles. Keep the ice in the glasses, not the pitcher. To make it ahead, refrigerate everything except the cold water, then add that and the ice right before serving.

Dietary Notes

This raspberry lemonade recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.