Refreshing Homemade Cherry Lemonade: Easy 3-Ingredient Recipe
This easy 3-ingredient cherry lemonade is the perfect summer drink—naturally sweetened, vibrant, and incredibly refreshing. Made with fresh or frozen cherries, lemons, and your choice of sweetener, it’s a crowd-pleaser that comes together in just 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
- 4–5 large fresh lemons (about 1 cup lemon juice)
- ½ cup sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, or simple syrup), adjust to taste
- 4 cups cold water
- Ice for serving
- Optional garnishes: lemon slices, whole cherries, fresh mint sprigs
Instructions
- Make the Cherry Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the pitted cherries, sweetener, and ¼ cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cherries have softened and released their juice.
- Strain the Syrup: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl or pitcher. Pour the hot cherry mixture through the strainer, pressing on the solids with a spoon to extract all the syrup. Discard solids. Let syrup cool for about 10 minutes.
- Juice the Lemons: While the syrup cools, juice the lemons to get about 1 cup of fresh lemon juice.
- Combine Everything: In a large pitcher, combine the cooled cherry syrup, lemon juice, and 4 cups cold water. Stir well. Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness as needed.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve over ice with optional garnishes.
Notes
For a fizzy version, replace still water with sparkling water. The lemonade can be made a day ahead; flavors deepen overnight. To make a simple syrup, dissolve ½ cup sugar in ½ cup water over low heat before adding cherries. For a less sweet version, reduce or omit sweetener. The cherry syrup can be frozen in ice cube trays for instant lemonade later.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 ounces
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 5
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
Keywords: cherry lemonade, homemade lemonade, summer drink, 3-ingredient recipe, easy lemonade, cherry drink, refreshing beverage