Prepare to indulge in this sweet summer drink, Blackberry Lemonade. Sip on this fun, family-friendly homemade drink all spring and summer—your favorite lemonade taste with a fun twist.
Every summer, we love making tasty drinks for the summer and spring. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so blackberry season and all things blackberry recipes are a must! We especially love our blackberry tart and blackberry pie!
We first had this recipe when we went to Applebee’s, and I just knew I had to recreate it at home. My family instantly fell in love with this sweet and simple drink.
No seeds, no problem! We've made this recipe so that there are no seeds. Simply drain the blended blackberry mixture in a fine-mesh strainer to remove them. If you don't mind the seeds, you can skip this step, making it even easier to make!
Try these other tasty homemade drinks! Go classic with our Homemade Lemonade, or make it fun with creamy lemonade or Brazilian limeade. These drinks are especially fun to make for holidays like the 4th of July or just backyard get-togethers.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Made with Fresh Fruit – This recipe uses real blackberries and lemons, which makes it a perfect refreshing drink for summer holidays, backyard BBQs, and poolside sipping.
- Quick & Easy – With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep, you can whip up this lemonade in no time—no fancy equipment needed!
- Versatile & Customizable – Add a splash of carbonation for a fizzy twist, add flavors like hibiscus, lavender, or mint, or turn it into a fun mocktail for any occasion.
What is Blackberry Lemonade?
Blackberry Lemonade is a refreshing summer drink made with a simple syrup, fresh blackberries, and lemons.
- Simple Syrup- We make this lemonade recipe with a simple syrup made with water and white granulated sugar. You will use more water later in the recipe and can add more sugar depending on how sweet you want it.
- Lemons- Fresh Meyer lemons are a go-to for this recipe. They will give the best zesty and tart flavor.
- Blackberries- The best part of this drink recipe is the fresh blackberries, so this is the ultimate late-summer drink. But you can also use frozen blackberries to make this all year long.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Blackberry Lemonade
Make this quick and easy blackberry lemonade with these easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. Use the photos below for extra guidance.
- Make a simple syrup with the water and sugar on the stovetop. Set aside and cool.
- Add fresh blackberries to a blender with a few tablespoons of sugar and a few tablespoons of simple syrup. Blend until smooth.
- Strain the mixture to remove the blackberry seeds. If you don't mind the seeds, you can always skip this step.
- Add the extra water, lemon juice, and strained blackberry mixture to a large pitcher.
- Mix and serve cold for a tasty refreshing drink.
Hint: We like our lemonade tart, so feel free to add more sugar to sweeten it up as needed.
Substitutions and Variations
Try some of our favorite substitutions and variations for different fun flavors!
- With sparkling water- Make this blackberry lemonade using half the water and substituting the other half with sparkling water.
- Herbal Infusion- Add hibiscus, lavender, or mint for some fun additional flavors.
Tips for Juicing Lemons Like a Pro
Getting the most juice out of your lemons is key to making flavorful dressings, marinades, and drinks. Here’s how to do it efficiently:
- Roll the Lemons First: Firmly roll the lemon on the counter with your palm to break down the membranes inside, making it easier to extract juice.
- Use Room Temperature Lemons: Cold lemons are harder to juice, so let them sit at room temperature or microwave them for 10 seconds to loosen the juice.
- Cut the Right Way: Instead of slicing crosswise, cut the lemon lengthwise—this exposes more of the juice sacs and allows for easier squeezing.
- Use a Handheld Lemon Juicer: A quality handheld juicer makes squeezing easier and helps catch seeds. Check out our favorite one here!
- No Juicer? Use a Fork! If you don’t have a juicer, stick a fork into the cut side and twist while squeezing for maximum juice.
These simple tricks ensure you get every last drop of fresh lemon juice!
Carbonated option
For a fun twist, swap out the water and sugar for Sprite to make an easy, bubbly blackberry lemonade with the perfect balance of sweetness and citrus! The carbonation adds a refreshing fizz, and since Sprite is already sweetened, you don't need the simple syrup or extra sugar. Just mix fresh lemon juice and blackberry mixture with your favorite lemon-lime carbonated drink, stir it, and enjoy a crisp, zesty lemonade with a little sparkle!
Storage
Store extra prepared drink in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Make sure you stir it well before serving because the ingredients will settle over time.
Can you freeze blackberry lemonade? Absolutely yes, and it tastes great! As a kid, I would freeze lemonade in ice cube trays with toothpicks in them to make homemade mini popsicles. You can do the same with this recipe.
Or you can pour the blackberry lemonade into popsicle molds or paper cups with sticks. Try blending the ice cubes to make a lemonade slushie!
Top tip
With all of our lemon recipes, we always suggest using fresh lemons! It will give you the best flavor and zesty lemon taste. If you're in a pinch, you can use lemon juice from concentrate but it won't have the same zingy taste.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Blackberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 6 oz blackberries about 1 ¼ cups
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar divided
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed lemon juice, see note 1
Instructions
- Combine ¾ cup sugar and 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan over medium heat to make a simple syrup. Stir regularly until the sugar has completely dissolved. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- While the simple syrup cools, juice your lemons and wash and pat dry your blackberries.
- In a blender (I like to use my smoothie cup attachment), add the blackberries, 2 Tablespoons of sugar and a few Tablespoons of the simple syrup (the exact amount doesn't matter, estimating is fine here- about ¼ of the syrup will do the trick). Blend on high for at least 30 seconds. Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. Discard solids. Add the rest of the simple syrup, the lemon juice and the rest of the water. Stir to combine then place in the refrigerator until serving or serve with a little ice.
Notes
- Lemon juice from concentrate is not as strongly flavored as fresh squeezed lemons. If you use lemon juice concentrate, you may need to add a couple more Tablespoons of lemon juice to get it tart enough.
- We like our lemonade tart, feel free to add more sugar for a sweeter lemonade.
- Alternatively, if you don't mind blackberry seeds in your lemonade you can add the blackberries, lemon juice, sugar and half the water to a pitcher and blend on high for 2 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining water and blend until combined.
Andrea says
Blackberry Lemonade hits the spots. It's a really fun berry twist on a family favorite drink.