Frozen Lemonade

Whip up this quick and easy frozen lemonade recipe as a refreshing summer dessert you’ll want to make over and over again!

A creamy frosty lemon drink

With just three ingredients, this homemade frozen lemonade may soon become one of your new favorite recipes.

Thick, whipped, soft, sweet, tart, tangy and oh so delicious, it is the absolute perfect treat for lemon lovers to cool off on a hot day.

Grab a spoon, or drink it through a straw!

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What does frosted lemonade taste like?

Chilled frozen lemonade tastes like a cross between lemon sorbet and lemon sherbet, with a similar texture to a lemon slushie.

If you’ve ever had a Lemon Chill or Minute Maid soft frozen lemonade, just imagine them in the form of a beverage.

The taste and texture will be richer and creamier if you add the optional ice cream. However the recipe is equally refreshing and delicious even if you leave it out.

If you do use the ice cream, it will taste more similar to the popular Brazilian lemonade (which is actually made with sweetened condensed milk and limes, not lemons).

Serve it for snack, dessert, or breakfast with a slice of Healthy Banana Bread.

Above, watch the frozen lemonade recipe video

Whipped frozen lemonade ingredients

To make the recipe, you will need lemon juice, lemon zest, sweetener of choice, and ice or water. Or turn the lemon drink into a copycat Chick-fil-A frosted lemonade by blending in a scoop of vanilla ice cream or coconut cream.

While the second ingredient in Minute Maid frozen lemonade is high fructose corn syrup (and it lists both sugar and corn syrup before any actual lemon), this homemade version can be made with no corn syrup whatsoever.

Make your own lemon juice by squeezing fresh lemons and discarding the seeds. Or you may buy 100% lemon juice at the grocery store, from brands that include Whole Foods, Wegmans, ReaLemon, and Santa Cruz.

Be sure not to skip the lemon zest, because this ingredient adds a ton of lemon flavor.

For a vegan frozen lemonade, either omit the ice cream or use your favorite plant based alternative. We love this dairy free Coconut Ice Cream.

Other healthy alternatives to store bought ice cream include Almond Milk Ice Cream, Oat Milk Ice Cream, Greek yogurt, Banana Ice Cream, or Homemade Frozen Yogurt.

Sweetener options that work well include white sugar, unrefined coconut sugar or cane sugar, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave.

To make a sugar free and keto frozen lemonade, choose a sweetener without sugar, such as erythritol, xylitol, or a monk fruit blend. I have not tried substituting stevia.

The recipe is naturally gluten free and egg free. It can also easily be low carb, low calorie, fat free, paleo, and dairy free.

Feeling adventurous? Try Avocado Ice Cream

How to make frozen lemonade

Making the recipe in a blender

For an almost instant frozen lemonade whenever a craving hits, add all of the lemonade ingredients to a high speed blender with a tamper.

Process the mixture on high, using the tamper continuously, until your desired thick and slushy texture is achieved.

To make the recipe in a regular blender or food processor instead of a high speed machine like a Vitamix or Blendtec, thaw the frozen ice cubes until they are soft enough for your blender to handle. Then proceed with the recipe.

Using the ice cream machine method

You can also make frozen lemonade in an ice cream machine. Prepare the machine ahead of time, following the instruction manual for your specific brand and model.

Start with very cold ingredients, and use one and a third cups of ice cold water instead of the three cups of ice. Stir all ingredients together in a large measuring cup or bowl, then pour the mix into your ice cream maker.

Churn for about fifteen minutes or until it looks like lemon slush. Serve in bowls or glasses, topped with fresh mint or candied lemon peel if desired.

Making the recipe in a bowl

Chill a large shallow container or bowl overnight in the freezer, and refrigerate all lemonade ingredients. As with the ice cream machine method, you should substitute one and a third cups of cold water for all of the ice cubes.

Once everything is cold, stir all ingredients together. Pour into the cold container.

Freeze for half an hour, then stir very well to break up ice crystals and to whisk air into the mix. Return to the freezer, then repeat the process every half hour until you achieve something similar to a lemon granita texture.

You may also like this Chocolate Sorbet

Frozen lemonade flavors

To turn the recipe into a healthy frozen strawberry lemonade slushie, simply stir in half a cup of mashed berries before blending.

Or add freeze dried raspberry powder or butterfly pea flower powder for a beautiful and all natural blue or pink frozen lemonade beverage.

You can replace half of the lemon juice with fresh orange juice, pineapple juice, or peach juice, decreasing the added sugar to taste.

Feel free to experiment and create your own custom flavors.

If you need flavor ideas or inspiration, Starbucks recently debuted new frozen lemon refreshers in pineapple passionfruit, strawberry acai, and mango dragon fruit.

While the blender is still out on the counter, whip up a Frappuccino Recipe or a high protein and nutrition packed Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie.

Nutrition benefits for the lemon recipe

Just one serving of this frozen lemonade supplies over 35% of the RDA for vitamin C.

The lemon beverage can be low fat, cholesterol free, and low calorie. And it counts as a source of hydration, with much less sugar than soda.

It also gives you the option to contain no sugar added or be refined sugar free.

Add the optional vanilla yogurt for a protein boost if desired.

The Best Lemon Recipes

Lemon Mousse

Lemon Pasta

Vegan Lemon Bread

Keto Cheesecake

Keto Lemon Bars

Or Vegan Lemon Bars

Lemon Meltaway Cookies

Vegan Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon Pixie Cookies