Blueberry Lemonade

This Blueberry Lemonade is made with tart lemon juice and ripe blueberries for a naturally flavored spin on the classic beverage. Vegan, Gluten-free.

Course Drinks

Cuisine America, American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method No-Bake

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 200kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

For the Lemonade:

2 cups blueberries fresh or thawed from frozen
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice*
1/2 cup cane sugar* plus more if necessary
4 cups cold water
Pinch of salt
Ice for serving
For garnish optional: additional fresh blueberries, lemon slices, fresh mint

Flavor Variations (optional – choose one!)

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
½ piece fresh ginger peeled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Blend: Add the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt to the base of a large blender. Cover with cold water, seal well, and blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth (Note: if you have a smaller blender, use only 2 cups of water, then add the rest of the water to the pitcher in step 2 after straining)
Strain: Fill a pitcher with ice, then strain the blueberry liquid into the pitcher using either a fine mesh strainer or a nut milk bag. Both will remove the blueberry skins and seeds, but the nut milk bag does have a slightly smoother texture and is what I recommend!
Serve: Serve chilled and garnished with fresh lemon slices and blueberries, if desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; just shake well before serving as the blueberries will settle.

Notes

Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice has a more balanced flavor and tastes sweeter; don’t substitute for bottled!
Sugar: I used organic cane sugar for this recipe, but agave or maple syrup would also work. The lemonade is moderately sweet, so feel free to adjust the sugar level according to your personal preference

Nutrition