Pink Lemonade (Refined Sugar-Free)

I love pink lemonade. It’s just fun. How often do you get to drink something pink? Like a lot of kids, I grew up drinking pink lemonade and loads of other sugary drinks. But the kind of lemonade that I had was made from a powder that you added to water and mixed until it dissolved.

As a kid, I had always assumed that pink lemonade came from pink lemons. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I thought about this again and wondered what was in pink lemonade that made it pink. The short answer is probably what you would guess: lots of artificial colors and sweeteners. So with this information, I decided to make my own version of pink lemonade with simple, natural ingredients.

This recipe for Pink Lemonade is refined sugar-free, made up of only 5 ingredients, and free from artificial colors and sweeteners. Making this recipe will take 30 minutes and serves up to 6 people.

Do you like this recipe? Here are some other recipes that are refined sugar-free!

• Salted Caramel Iced Latte
• Oil-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lemonade for Two
• Vegan Almond Butter Brownies

How to Make Pink Lemonade (Refined Sugar-Free)

Making this pink lemonade recipe is simple, but it requires a little patience. To make this recipe, start by choosing your berries. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries and/or raspberries. I think this recipe is best when using half strawberries and half raspberries. Next, add the berries, water, and maple syrup to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes while mashing the berries. Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Add the liquid back to the sauce pan and whisk in the starch and water mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil again then reduce the heat and reduce the liquid for 5 – 10 minutes until 1 1/2 cups of berry syrup remain. Let the syrup cool while you squeeze the lemons and strain the juice. Lastly, add the lemon juice, water, and berry syrup to a large pitcher and stir to combine. Chill until cold enough to serve or pour over ice and serve.

Still here? Here are some of my favorite Spring and Summer recipes!

• Lemon Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms
• Rainbow Spring Rolls with Ginger Peanut Sauce
• Blueberry Syrup
• Sweet & Spicy Tofu

Products for this recipe (Sold through Amazon)

• Citrus Squeezer
• Tapioca Starch/Flour or Arrowroot Starch/Flour
• Maple Syrup

Pink Lemonade (Refined Sugar-Free)

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• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Berry Syrup

• 4 Cups Raspberries and/or Sliced Strawberries, Fresh or Frozen*
• 1 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
• 2 Tsp. Corn Starch, Tapioca Starch/Flour, or Arrowroot Starch/Flour + 1 Tbsp. Water

Pink Lemonade:

• 4 Cups Water
• Berry Syrup
• 1 Cup Lemon Juice

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Instructions

Make the Berry Syrup:

1. Add the berries, water, and maple syrup to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes while crushing/mashing the berries. Stir occasionally.
3. Strain the liquid and press the solids to get all of the excess liquid out. Discard the solids.
4. Add the strained liquid back to the saucepan. In a small bowl or cup, mix the starch and water together until well combined. Slowly pour the starch and water mixture into the saucepan while whisking.
5. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, whisking often, and reduce to 1 1/2 cups for approximately 10 – 15 minutes. After reducing, remove from heat and let cool. Keep in mind that fresh berries will take less time to reduce than frozen berries since they have less water to cook off. The syrup should be viscous like cough syrup after reducing but it will thicken slightly as it cools.
6. Optional Step: Strain the berry syrup again to remove any additional seed/pulp.

Final Steps:

1. While the syrup is cooling, squeeze the lemons and strain the juice.
2. Add the lemon juice, water, and berry syrup to a large pitcher and stir to combine. Chill in the fridge for 2 – 4 hours before serving or serve immediately with ice.

Notes

• *Raspberries/Strawberries: I recommend using half raspberries and half strawberries for this recipe.

• Prep Time: 20 – 25 minutes

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