Julie Clark
Updated:
Frozen Lemonade with Real Lemons (5 Ingredients)
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Frozen lemonade is a thick, frosty, blended drink made from fresh lemons, ice, water, and a little sugar. You blend everything for about 30 seconds until it turns into a lemon slushie, then adjust the sweetness to taste.
Ours frozen lemonade recipe skips the bottled juice and the corn syrup and uses real lemons plus a little zest. This helps it taste bright citrusy instead of syrupy.
Try our strawberry lemonade cake recipe, too.
Running a half marathon wasn’t originally on my bucket list, but it was on Matt’s list. Since I’m all about supporting him 100%, it quickly got added to my list. The race was physically hard, but mentally even harder. After thinking all the thinks that I could possibly think while pounding the pavement, all that is left to imagine is how much I want to sit down with a lemon tea or peach lemonade and a barbecue bacon burger.
You can bet that when we got home I whipped up some of this frozen lemonade. It takes 5 minutes, is made in a blender, and you can easily adapt the amount of sugar to your tastes.
Is this like Chick-fil-A frozen lemonade?
Not exactly. Chick-fil-A’s frosted lemonade is creamy because it is blended with ice cream. It’s more like a milkshake.
Our version is a dairy free, icy, refreshing frozen lemonade, more like the kind you would find at a state fair. All of the brightness of lemon without heavy flavor.
Want a creamier drink? Try our strawberry milkshake or pineapple cream smoothie.
Can you make frozen lemonade ahead of time?
No frozen lemonade is best blended right before you drink it. The texture is best at 10-15 minutes, then as the ice melts, it thins out.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container, but it will freeze solid and turn icy, so let it thaw for 30 minutes and reblend before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in frozen lemonade?
Fresh lemons, lemon zest, sugar, ice and cold water. There’s no bottled juice or corn syrup in our simple recipe.
How do you keep frozen lemonade from getting watery or icy?
3 cups of ice to 1 ½ cups of water is the best ratio for blending until frosting. If you over blend, it will thin out. You can also add more water or more ice to suit your preferences.
Can you use bottled lemon juice?
You can in a pinch, but fresh lemons give the best flavor. If you use bottled, start with ⅓ cup and add more as needed.
How much sugar should I use?
Start with ⅓ cup for a tart drink or up to ½ cup for a sweeter drink, then add more as you’d like.
Next time try our strawberry punch recipe or sparkling raspberry mint lemonade. If you love lemons, try our pink lemonade pie bars.
Frozen Lemonade with Real Lemons
Made with real lemons and fresh zest, never bottled juice or corn syrup. Blends smooth in 5 minutes and you sweeten it to your own perfect taste.
Servings 3 drinks
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 medium lemons
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ to 1/2 cup granulated sugar to taste
- 3 cups ice cubes
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
Instructions
- Zest a lemon and set aside the zest. Then peel the lemons and remove any seeds. Discard peels and seeds. 2 medium lemons
- Add the lemons, zest, sugar, ice and water to a blender and pulse until it is blended to the consistency you'd like. Zest of 1 lemon, ⅓ to ½ cup granulated sugar, 3 cups ice cubes, 1 ½ cups cold water
- Blend longer for a smoother frozen drink, and blend less for a icier drink.
Notes
- Sweetness: Start with ⅓ cup sugar for tart, ½ cup for sweet, then adjust to taste after blending.
- Texture: more ice thickens it, more water thins it.
- Serve within 15 minutes for the best frosty texture. It does not refreeze well so blend right before serving.
- Make it creamy: blend in a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a frosted, Chick-fil-A style version.
Nutrition
Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 28.6mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Very tasty! Hit the spot on a hot day. Family approved.
the pulp did not pair well with frozen lemonade
Very good. Black oil from the blender got in mine and I didnt get to drink all of it because my mom wont let me. what I did try tastes very good 😀
Hello! Can i use agave nectar or honey instead of sugar for this recipe or is sugar the best way to sweeten it?
Tasty and refreshing! 🙂
Perfect! Have been looking for a frozen lemonade recipe and I will look no further. Love how quick and easy it is!
I made it for myself since I was craving a fresh drink and it tastes so nice! I love the balance in the ingredients! It wasn’t too sweet and it was the perfect sourness! I am thoroughly satisfied❤️
Love the picture of you and your daughters.