Make this refreshing, Easy Strawberry Basil Lemonade using fresh or frozen strawberries. It is a great drink to serve for parties, BBQs, get-togethers, potlucks, and brunches (vegan, gluten-free).

About Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Strawberry Basil Lemonade is a delicious summer drink with the tanginess of freshly squeezed lemon juice, the sweetness of strawberries, a refreshing twist of Genoese basil, and heaps of crushed ice.

This Italian-style strawberry lemonade is easy to make and you can make a big pitcher and refrigerate it to keep sipping throughout the day. It’s a great drink to serve the crowd.

This 4 ingredient drink is easy to make and gets ready in less than 15 minutes. You can also make this drink a cocktail by adding gin, white rum, or vodka. Interesting, right?

Strawberry Basil Lemonade Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

This ice-cold lemonade is my favorite drink for summer parties, BBQs, get-togethers, wedding showers, potlucks, and brunches, as it is effortless to make for a large crowd, and everyone loves it.

You can pour it into popsicle molds and freeze it too.

If you are looking for more strawberry recipes, here are some of my other favorites

• Strawberry Tea
• Strawberry Banana Milkshake
• Whipped Strawberry Butter
• Strawberry BBQ Sauce
• Strawberry Banana Pineapple Smoothie
• Strawberry Lassi
• Korean Strawberry Milk

Here are some more homemade lemonade recipes that you may like

• Sumac Lemonade
• Gin Lemonade
• Mango Ginger Lemonade
• Mulberry Lemonade
• Litchi Lemonade
• Brown Sugar Lemonade
• Activated Charcoal Lemonade

Ingredients

Strawberry – The hero ingredient of this summer drink is strawberries. Pick up the best fresh strawberries that are red, ripe, and juicy.

You can also make this drink using frozen strawberries and enjoy this lemonade round the year. Check out how to freeze strawberries when they are in season.

Lemon – Another ingredient that adds more flavor to this drink is Lemon. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best result. If lemons are not available, you can use lime juice. Just remember that limes are tangier than lemons, so adjust the amount of juice accordingly.

Tip – To get the most juice out of lemons, be sure they are at room temperature when you squeeze them. Roll them over the counter by pressing them with your palms before cutting.

Basil – I added fresh basil leaves to add a little twist to this drink. Use Italian basil (sweet basil) to flavor the drink. If you cannot find basil, then you can use fresh mint leaves in its place.

Sugar – You can skip the sugar if the strawberries are sweet enough. You can also replace it with honey (not vegan), maple syrup, or agave nectar.

Water Or Soda? Top up the drink with club soda. You can replace club soda with water or sparkling water.

You will also need lots of ice cubes.

Garnish the drink with strawberry slices, lemon wedges, lemon rounds, and a sprig of fragrant basil.

How To Make Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Preparation

Rinse 9 oz (250 g) of strawberries and chop off their top leafy part. Cut the strawberries into half.

If using frozen strawberries, thaw them to room temperature.

Rinse the basil leaves. Juice 6-8 large lemons. We need 1.5 cups of lemon juice.

Make The Strawberry Syrup

In a saucepan, combine 2 cups of water and 1.5 cups of granulated white sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.

Add 9 oz (250 g) of halved strawberries and ¼ cup of chopped basil leaves to the pan and stir gently.

Reduce the heat to low.

Let the syrup simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool down for 10 minutes.

Transfer the syrup to the large jar of a blender along with 1.5 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice and blend until smooth.

Make The Lemonade

Add ½ cup of syrup to a tall serving glass.

Add a halved strawberry, a few basil leaves, 1 lime round, and 4-5 ice cubes.

Top with chilled club soda and stir gently.

Serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

Boozy – You can add alcohol of your choice, like gin, limoncello, white rum, Moscato wine, sparkling wine, or vodka, to this lemonade to make an adult version.

Mixed Fruit – Seasonal fruit purees like watermelon puree, mango puree, raspberry puree, etc can be added to this lemonade.

With Water– Replace soda with water or sparkling water.

Strawberry Lemonade Slush – Use frozen strawberries to make frozen strawberry lemonade. The texture of this will be like a slush.

Strawberry Kombucha – You can use this mix to make kombucha as well. This will give added nutrition to this drink in the summer.

Strawberry Lemonade with Limes – Replace lemons with limes for a tangier lemonade.

With Acai – Add some acai paste or powder while making this lemonade.

Without a Blender – Mash the strawberries using a fork or a potato masher and pass the puree through a sieve. Then, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. You can use powdered sugar or sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar, as they will mix easily.

Storage Suggestions

You can make the strawberry basil syrup and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

You can also freeze the syrup for up to 6 months. To make this yummy drink, thaw the syrup, add it to a glass, and top it with soda. 

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