How to Make Frozen Lemonade

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 16, 2021

If it's a hot summer day, and you want something fancier than plain lemonade, you can always try frozen lemonade instead. There are lots of different kinds that you can make. All are easy to make, and just as tasty to drink. Once you know how to make frozen lemonade, you can serve it up at your next party or lemonade stand for something truly unique.

Ingredients

Simple Frozen Lemonade

2 cups (300 grams) ice
2 cups (475 milliliters) water
About 2 tablespoons powdered lemonade

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Frozen Lemonade from Scratch^{[1]
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1 cup (240 milliliters) freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 3 to 4 lemons)
1/3 cup (75 grams) white sugar
3 cups (700 milliliters) water, divided
¼ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Creamy Frozen Lemonade^{[2]
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1 cup (240 milliliters) freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 3 to 4 lemons)
½ cup (115 grams) white sugar
2½ cups (590 milliliters) water
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Makes 2 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Simple Frozen Lemonade

1
Pulse the ice in a blender until crushed. Don't worry about turning the ice into slush just yet. You just want to break the ice up. This recipe will give you more of a slushy-like consistency; it will not be smooth like a smoothie.
2
Prepare 2 cups (475 milliliters) of lemonade. Fill a pitcher with 2 cups (475 milliliters) of water, and add the powdered lemonade into it. How much powdered lemonade you add will depend on what brand you are using; in general, it will be about 1 tablespoon per 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water. Stir it briskly with a whisk until combined.

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3
Pour the lemonade into the blender and blend until everything is mixed together, or until you get a consistency you like. The ice should be mostly broken up. It won't be completely smooth, and there may be some larger chips left, like in a slushy.
4
Taste the frozen lemonade and make any necessary adjustments. If the lemonade is too sweet, add some more water. If the lemonade is too sour, add some sugar.
5
Pour the frozen lemonade into several tall glasses. This is enough to make two large servings, or four smaller ones. You can also garnish it with a mint leaf and/or a lemon slice for a touch of color.
6
Finished.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Frozen Lemonade from Scratch

1
Place a 9 by 12 inch (22.86 by 30.48 centimeters) baking pan into the freezer 30 minutes before you start making the lemonade. You will be freezing the lemonade in this. Putting the pan in the freezer will make it extra cold by the time you are ready to add the lemonade. The result will be a somewhat smooth—not quite like a slushy, but not quite like a smoothie either.
2
Combine the sugar, lemon juice, and 2 cups (475 milliliters) of water in a pitcher. Save the remaining 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water for later. If you'd like, you can also add ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest for extra flavor and texture. Make sure that everything is evenly mixed together and the sugar is dissolved.
3
Pour the lemonade into the pan, and freeze it for 90 minutes, stirring it every half hour. During this time, the lemonade will start to freeze and turn to slush. Every 30 minutes, open the freezer, and stir the lemonade with a whisk. This will break up any large, icy chunks, and give you a smoother drink in the end.^{[3]
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4
Whisk in the remaining 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water, and give the lemonade a taste. After the 90 minutes are up, take the pan out of the freezer and mix in the remaining cup of water. Give it a taste. If it is too strong, add a little bit more water. If it is too sour, add some more sugar. If it is too sweet, add a little bit more lemon juice.^{[4]
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5
Pour the frozen lemonade into a blender, and blend until smooth. Pulse it on low for 20 seconds, then on high for 20 more seconds. Make sure that there are no large, icy chunks remaining.^{[5]
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6
Pour the frozen lemonade into tall glasses, and serve. This makes either 4 small servings, or 2 large servings. For a fancier drink, garnish it with a sprinkle of lemon zest, a slice of lemon, or a mint leaf.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Creamy Frozen Lemonade

1
Combine the lemon juice, sugar, and water in a pitcher, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. If you can't get any fresh lemons, you can use bottled lemon juice (not lemonade) instead; you will need 1½ cups (350 milliliters) of bottled lemon juice.^{[6]
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2
Leave the lemonade in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill.^{[7]
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3
Add 1 cup (240 milliliters) of the chilled lemonade and 4 scoops of ice cream into a blender. Save the rest of the lemonade for more servings or for another recipe. For best results, use good quality ice cream, and not the "frozen dessert" kind.
4
Blend the lemonade and ice cream together until completely smooth. Make sure that the ice cream is evenly mixed throughout the lemonade. There should be not streaks or swirls.
5
Pour the frozen lemonade into 2 tall glasses and serve. At this point, you can use the rest of the chilled lemonade to made more frozen lemonade. Remember, you will need 4 scoops of ice cream for every cup (240 milliliters) of chilled lemonade.
- For an added touch, garnish the frozen lemonade with some whipped cream or a sprinkle of lemon zest.

Community Q&A

Question

If I don't have lemon powder, can I substitute it with normal lemon juice?

Leianni

Community Answer

You certainly may! Use any lemon juice/powder/dehydrated product you want.
Question

Can I make this ahead of time and put it in the freezer?

Leianni

Community Answer

Probably not. It will freeze into a big block. But if you mean for 20 minutes to an hour, yes.
Question

How can I make blueberry lemonade?

Leianni

Community Answer

Get a strainer and a spatula. Puree blueberries, then put the puree in the strainer and mix it around with the spatula (this way the skin won't get in). Then follow the recipe as usual.