A hint of zest for the BEST frozen lemonade!
If you’ve ever been to Texas, you know how HOT it gets in the summer!
On a scorcher of a July day, I needed something to take the edge off. So I juiced a few lemons, tossed it into a blender with a bit of honey and ice, then blended it up.
It was good, but… something was missing.
Then it hit me: it needed a bit of lemon zest for that deliciously bold lemon taste!
Once that was added, it was the absolute PERFECT homemade frozen lemonade. And it was so quick and easy to make! It had the lemon flavor of classic lemonade but in the form of a frozen treat. Plus, NO high fructose corn syrup.
(And if you like your frozen summer drinks with an adult twist, you’ve gotta check out this Frozen Mojito, Watermelon Frosé, and this Easy Pina Colada recipe!)
The 4 Ingredients You’ll Need
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Lemons. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are used in this recipe. You’ll need about 4-5 medium-sized lemons to get enough juice.
- Sweetener. The world is your oyster here! My personal preference is honey. It pairs great with the tart lemon juice and adds a nice floral flavor to the drink. Agave nectar is a solid choice if you are vegan. Regular white sugar—or better yet, your own simple syrup—can be subbed for honey. Liquid or powder Stevia can be used in place of the high-sugar sweeteners.
- Ice. The amount of ice you use will largely depend on how thick and slushy you want your frozen lemonade.
- Water. A little bit of water is added to help thin out the drink. You can add as little or as much as you’d like.
How to Make Frozen Lemonade at Home
The basic steps for making homemade frozen lemonade are simple to follow. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.
Zest the lemons before juicing.
When using both fresh lemon zest and juice in a recipe it is best to ZEST the lemon before JUICING. (See the notes below about zesting!)
For juicing, I always use a citrus juicer. Although, a simple fork to release the juice and a good squeeze will work, too! (Just make sure you catch any seeds!)
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add fruit juice, zest, honey, ice, and water to a high-speed blender. Blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until completely smooth. Stop and check the consistency. Add more ice if you’d like it thicker or more water if you want to thin it out.
Pro Tip: Less powerful blenders will work ok, but you’ll get a super smooth, and more slushy-like consistency if you use a more powerful blender such as a Vitamix.
Make it cute and start sipping!
My favorite way to serve this summer drink is in a cute mason jar with a paper straw and a lemon peel or fresh lemon slices on the rim.
If you want to get a little fancy, you can even give it a sugared rim, too. You can use the same method you use to salt a rim for a margarita.
Don’t want the glass? Pour this lemon slushy into a plastic cup for the littles or to drink poolside.
How to Prep a Batch Ahead of Time
If you’ve got a big crew coming over and don’t want to spend all your time juicing and blending, here’s a quick method for prepping it ahead of time:
- Prep the frozen lemonade and place it in a freezer safe plastic container.
- When ready to serve, pull it out 30 minutes to an hour in advance. If you’re pressed for time you can also pop the mixture into the microwave on low for a couple of minutes.
- Let some of it melt before you add it back to the blender. Blend until smooth and to your desired consistency.
Flavor Variations
Want to change this recipe up a bit? Here are a few other ideas you can try out:
- Use limes instead of lemons and agave nectar for the sweetener. (Or try out a mocktail version of this Frozen Mojito!)
- Fresh orange juice and zest would also taste delicious.
- Make an adult beverage by adding in a bit of vodka for a spiked lemonade.
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Homemade Frozen Lemonade
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Ingredients
- ½ cup lemon juice about 5 large lemons
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 ½ – 4 cups ice
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Zest two of the lemons before juicing to get 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Then juice the lemons until you get ½ cup of lemon juice.½ cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Add lemon juice, zest, honey, 3½ cups of ice, and ½ cup of water to a high-speed blender. Blend ingredients on medium for 1-2 minutes, or until completely smooth. Add more ice if you would like it thicker or additional water if you would like it smoother.⅓ cup honey, 3 ½ – 4 cups ice, ½ cup water
- Serve frozen lemonade in a mason jar with a straw and a lemon slice.
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Video
Notes
- Honey: Feel free to substitute with agave nectar or a homemade simple syrup. To make it low-carb, use 1-2 teaspoons of stevia liquid extract.
- Prep Ahead Instructions: Prepare the frozen lemonade and place it in a freezer safe plastic container. When ready to serve, pull it out 30 minutes to an hour in advance. If you’re pressed for time you can also pop the slightly thawed out mixture into the microwave to get it to melt more before blending. Let some of it melt before you add it back to the blender. Blend until smooth and to your desired consistency.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Frozen Drink Recipes
If you want a few more drink ideas to sip on for summer, try these next:
So so good.. perfect summer treat👍
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Ashlynn! It’s one of my favorites. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
So easy and refreshing! Used 3 lemons and 3 cups of ice and it was perfect. Thanks for sharing
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the lemonade. Thanks for your comment and rating, Reenie!