Blueberry Lemonade

You only need 5 Ingredients to make this easy blueberry lemonade recipe! Bright, cool, and refreshing, it’s the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day!

I’m all about easy summer mocktail recipes, and this homemade blueberry lemonade recipe is definitely worth adding to your list!

Made with fresh lemon juice and an easy blueberry syrup, this beautiful lemonade is PACKED with delicious berry flavor. It strikes the perfect balance between fruity and tart, with just the right amount of sweetness in every sip.

It’s got that delightful old-fashioned charm–easy enough for kids to help with the recipe and delicious enough to serve at a summer BBQ. You can even pack it in Mason jars for a picnic!

Did I mention you only need 5 simple ingredients to get started? Grab some fresh lemons, and let’s make a batch!

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• Blueberries. You can make this blueberry lemonade recipe with fresh blueberries OR frozen blueberries, so it’s easy to make year-round. Do keep in mind that if you’re using frozen blueberries, they’ll take a bit longer to soften in the simple syrup.
• Sugar. Regular granulated sugar or organic cane sugar is my go-to for the blueberry simple syrup. It dissolves well and gives this lemonade a classic flavor. See the FAQ for alternatives, if you need them!
• Water. You’ll need a little water for the blueberry syrup, then some COLD water for the lemonade.
• Fresh Lemon Juice. Using fresh lemon juice is a MUST for making your own lemonade! Bottled lemon juice will be overly acidic and bitter, and will really throw off the flavor. It’s worth it to use fresh!
• Maybe Some Fresh Mint or Fresh Basil. Not *strictly* necessary, but I love adding a little fresh mint or fresh basil to the mix. It won’t taste herby by any means, but the notes from the mint or basil will really bring out the flavor of the blueberry. (We do this in our Strawberry Basil Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade recipes and it works great!)
• Plenty of Ice Cubes. If it’s not ice cold blueberry lemonade, I don’t want it!

How To Make Blueberry Lemonade, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. First Make The Blueberry Syrup. Combine blueberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Add fresh mint or fresh basil, if using. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat and cook 8-10 minutes, or until the blueberries have softened.
2. Strain Out The Seeds. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds and press down with a spatula or wooden spoon to extract as much pulp as you can through the strainer. (Discard any remaining pulp).
3. Cool Or Chill. Cool the blueberry syrup to room temperature (or chill up to 2 days, until you’re ready to make the lemonade).
4. Combine Syrup & Lemon Juice. In a large pitcher, combined the cooled & strained blueberry syrup and the fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine. This is your own homemade lemonade concentrate! (Refrigerate the lemonade concentrate mixture at this point if you’re making it in advance. Finish the rest of the steps right before serving.)
5. Stir In The Water & Ice Right Before Serving. Pour 3 cups of water or sparkling water into the pitcher and gently stir to combine. (Taste and add more sugar/sweetener as needed, depending on the tartness of your berries and lemons.) Then, add 3-4 cups of ice to the pitcher.
6. Serve & Store. Enjoy immediately. Leftover blueberry lemonade will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.  

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Blueberry Lemonade

Can I Use Something Besides Sugar? The flavor will be slightly different, but yes, you can use a sugar substitute or alternative. There are a lot of simple syrup recipes out there you can experiment with. My favorite simple syrup substitute is agave syrup, which has a fairly neutral flavor. If you prefer to use an alternative sweetener, you can try this stevia simple syrup or this keto simple syrup that uses monkfruit. You’ll need about 1 cup or so of simple syrup to pair with the blueberries.

How Long Does Homemade Blueberry Lemonade Last? Since we’re working with fresh ingredients and aren’t adding any preservatives, this blueberry lemonade will only keep for about 3-4 days. I recommend drinking your homemade lemonade within 3-4 days. (Freeze it if you want it to last longer!)

Can You Freeze Blueberry Lemonade? You can! Because of the higher sugar content in fruit juice, it won’t freeze as completely solid as regular ice cubes, but you CAN freeze blueberry lemonade. Pour it into freezer safe jars (leaving at least 1-inch of room at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer), or pour it into ice cube trays and freeze until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store up to 1 month.

Go Sparkling! For a bubbly twist, try swapping out the cold water in the lemonade from club soda or sparkling water! It adds just enough fizz to be fun.

More Homemade Lemonade Recipes To Try

Easy Raspberry Lemonade

Classic Homemade Lemonade

Easy Peach Lemonade

Recipe Card

Blueberry Lemonade

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Bright, beautiful, and majorly refreshing, this 5-ingredient blueberry lemonade is the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day! 

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Ingredients

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For The Blueberry Simple Syrup:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries*
• 1 cup granulated sugar*
• 1 cup water
• Optional: 1/4 cup fresh mint or fresh basil

For The Blueberry Lemonade:

• 1 batch blueberry simple syrup (above)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice*
• 3 cups cold water or sparkling water
• 3–4 cups ice
• Optional garnish: lemon slices, fresh blueberries, fresh mint or fresh basil

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Instructions

1. First Make The Blueberry Syrup. Combine blueberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Add fresh mint or fresh basil, if using. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat and cook 8-10 minutes, or until the blueberries have softened.
2. Strain Out The Seeds. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to strain out the seeds and press down with a spatula or wooden spoon to extract as much pulp as you can through the strainer. (Discard any remaining pulp).
3. Cool Or Chill. Cool the blueberry syrup to room temperature (or chill up to 2 days, until you’re ready to make the lemonade).
4. Combine Syrup & Lemon Juice. In a large pitcher, combined the cooled & strained blueberry syrup and the fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine. This is your own homemade lemonade concentrate! (Refrigerate the lemonade concentrate mixture at this point if you’re making it in advance. Finish the rest of the steps right before serving.)
5. Stir In The Water & Ice Right Before Serving. Pour 3 cups of water or sparkling water into the pitcher and gently stir to combine. (Taste and add more sugar/sweetener as needed, depending on the tartness of your berries and lemons.) Then, add 3-4 cups of ice to the pitcher.
6. Serve & Store. Enjoy immediately. Leftover blueberry lemonade will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.  

Notes

• Blueberries. Frozen blueberries can absolutely be used in this recipe! It’ll just take a bit longer for them to soften in the simple syrup since they’re frozen.
• Sweetener. We genuinely love the flavor of using classic granulated sugar or cane sugar here. If you like, you can use agave syrup or a 1:1 sugar alternative, but your flavor will be different from ours.
• FRESH Lemon Juice! It’s crucial to use FRESH lemon juice here, not bottled juice. Bottled lemon juice will be overly acidic and bitter, and will really throw off the flavor of this lemonade. It’s worth it to use fresh!
• Try It In a Blender. Alternatively, you can place these ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree them before straining rather than simmering them on the stove. Then, strain the fresh raspberry puree and proceed as directed. This is a great option when you need something FAST, but the flavor won’t be as strong as when you make the syrup on the stove. (The cook time gives the syrup a better chance to infuse with flavor.) 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Drink
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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