This is the easiest, quickest and most effective way to make limonada, limeade, or lemonade. In Spanish we call it limonada regardless of whether we are using limes or lemons, and it can be made with either. I used to make limonada the hard way: squeezing the juice out each lime or lemon. Then one day back in high school (a long time ago) I was hanging out at my friend Marisha’s house. It was a warm day and lemonade sounded perfect. At first I was shocked when I saw her put a whole lime, several cups of water and sugar in the blender. I was sure that it was going to a disaster, the strong taste of of the skin and the bitterness of pith were going to ruin it. She blended and strained the limonada, as soon as I tasted it (expecting I would have to politely pretend I liked it), I was amazed at how good and refreshing it was. The lime or lemon skins actually enhanced it, there was a slight bitter taste, but it was very subtle and actually made the limeade or lemonade better.
Quick and easy recipe for making fresh homemade limonada, lemonade or limeade using the blender
Ingredients
- 2 limes or lemons, quartered and any seeds removed
- 8 cups of cold water
- Approximately ½ cup of sugar, more or less based on your preference
- Ice cubes as desired and lemon/lime slices to garnish
Instructions
- Place the quartered limes or lemons in the blender with 4 cups of water and sugar.
- Blend until the limes or lemon is completely pulverized, the mixture should be slightly foamy with a whitish color.
- Strain the lemonade and add the remaining 4 cups of water.
- Serve with or without ice based on individual preference.
Notes
Yes, you blend the whole limes/lemons, skin and all. It does get bitter quickly, so drink it the same day you make it.
Like it? Try these other fruity variations:
Strawberry lemonade
Cherry limeade
You can make this limeade or lemonade by just throwing the whole limes or lemons in the blender, but it does make it a little bit easier to quarter them. Also, on the sugar side, I don’t like my lemonade too sweet so I usually add a little bit less, but if I’m making this for guests I’ll add more since most people seem to like their lemonade or limeade sweet. My rule of thumb is 4 cups of water per each lime or lemon, but you can also adjust that based on how concentrated you like it and the size of the lemons/limes.
I’ve also turned this into “adult” lemonade by adding vodka, it’s great for parties where you can quickly make a pitcher of spiked lemonade – and it’s very quick to make refills (which are usually needed as it goes very fast). Finally, while this limeade or lemonade is very refreshing, it does tend to get bitter if left out for too long, so it should be consumed on the same day it is made, on a warm day that shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Step by step preparation photo for blender limonada, lemonade or limeade:
Cindy says
August 13, 2017 at 9:04 amThis limeade is amazing! I used a strainer and pressed all the juice out of the pulp with the back of a spoon. I also used half sugar and half Stevia. We gave up soda pop a while ago and I’m always looking for alternatives. This is definitely going to be a staple at our house.
mimi says
June 28, 2016 at 6:46 amI have a box of limes. can the limes (only) be pulverized and frozen? mix with water and sugar for later use?
I wouldn’t recommend that, as they would be probably be very bitter by the time you use them.
Pamela Kelly says
September 19, 2014 at 6:33 amThis sounds refreshing:-). I will try it; wanted to share the idea of using evaporated cane juice sugar (find in grocery natural foods section) or honey as sweetener for an added nurtritional boost. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Kimberly says
August 10, 2014 at 2:45 pmI found this in a Google search for “easy limeade recipe.” Like the commenters before me, I thought it was rather interesting to blend the entire lime … but I did, and boy is it good! Thanks for this recipe!
Lorelii says
April 30, 2014 at 7:36 amI’m a little late to the party…..so good with a crushed mint leaf in the glass before you pour!
Squirrel girl says
August 18, 2012 at 6:46 pmWonderful recipe really tastes good with seltzer water
Josie says
July 28, 2012 at 11:48 amJust found your site about an hour ago & I made this immediately! (I had everything I needed.) I tossed in some strawberries & adjusted the recipe a bit. Tastes awesome! I’m Latina & love trying to cook new things! Can’t wait to try out many more of your recipes! Thanks a bunch!
Jennie says
August 26, 2011 at 5:34 amThank you for a wonderful, easy recipe! I’d gotten 2 bags of limes for free at our local fruit & vegetable market & thought limeade would be a perfect solution. I had broken my hand juicer, so this recipe was perfect! I’d never thought about using a blender before. I’m going to try a previous poster’s idea to blend some ice with it. My kids, ages 3 yrs. & 20 mos., loved helping me measure & pour the sugar, as well as drop the quartered limes in. I need to buy a smaller collander, though… my large one gets the limeade all over the kitchen! :) Thanks again!
Kalaup says
September 19, 2010 at 4:53 pmMy wife and I just made this. We she had the idea to blend it with some ice to make a slush and added a pinch of kosher salt to accentuate the sweetness, and it was delicious. Definitely going to make this multiple times a week. Now if I could just find that bottle of vodka we would have a party…
Cathy says
August 3, 2010 at 11:53 amI had a couple dozen limes leftover from making Virgin Mojito’s and was looking online for a homemade limeade recipe when I came upon this one. I was like a lot of the other posters, thinking that this was not going to work out. But, hey what have I got to lose except 2 or 3 limes and a half cup sugar. OMG this is the best limeade I have ever had. It literally takes less than 5 minutes before you are enjoying the best tasting limeade ever. Thanks so much for sharing.
Lee says
June 18, 2010 at 6:36 amThis is delicious! I have never had such an easy and fast lemonade before that tasted so good!
Debi says
May 30, 2010 at 3:49 pmI, as well, was skeptical about putting the whole limes in! I only had 1 lime to work with, so I threw it in the blender with 4 cups of water and 1/2 cup of granulated Splenda. It came out AWESOME!!!
Gonna try it again when friends come tomorrow night and add some vodka. ;)
Samantha says
August 2, 2009 at 12:08 pmI made this with a slightly adjusted recipe since I was clumsy and lost half of it while straining. I don’t really know what I did, but it came out delicious! I love the small amount of bitterness when drank alone, but I especially love how good it is paired with grenadine or iced tea. Really tastes just like lemons, but still sweet and tasty.
Amanda says
July 5, 2009 at 12:05 pmWe tried this today and thought it was lovely, although next time we’ll try peeling the lemons and adding a little less water.
Elsie says
June 30, 2009 at 9:02 amThis was so easy to make and it was so delicious! We make this at least three times a week as it is so refreshing in this hot weather. Thank you for the great recipe.
Rachel says
June 16, 2009 at 10:09 amHey Laylita!
Great Limonada! I was craving some this afternoon and it definitely took the edge off of the hot Texas sun. It reminded me of the summer I spent in Mexico. What a refreshing drink!
Heather says
May 25, 2009 at 2:21 pmThis was great, so easy. I added some watermelon in place of some of the water and it was divine! :)
Laura says
May 11, 2009 at 11:00 amWow! I tried this lovely limonada. So tasty. =)
Stephen says
April 29, 2009 at 11:20 amWow, It actually worked!
Sara says
January 2, 2009 at 8:54 pmHi there, tried this reciepe and I just love love it!! no more squeezing lemons and/or limes. And when I make it in front of people they look at me like all weird using a whole lime/lemon. I put this reciepe on my blog
Sara Says Awesome
http://ninjasarakicks.blogspot.com/
yes this drink is way awesome! Sara
Paula says
October 26, 2008 at 7:06 amMust bookmark this!
We live in Australia and have just planted a young lemon tree. So in a year or two we should (hopefully!) have plenty of lemons for me to try this!
Emily says
October 4, 2008 at 3:33 pmWow! I love it. My husband wasn’t so sure about it when he saw me doing it…told me if it was bad I was drinking it all. We both thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing.
Nicole says
September 10, 2008 at 2:56 pmHi. I literally just made this as per recipe, and it turned out great! It’s incredibly easy both to make and clean up (always a plus) and even more refreshing. I’m eager to try out the Ginger Infused Limeade soon. Thanks!
nymarnky says
September 8, 2008 at 9:05 pmGreat taste!! Yummy!! Thanks. A new family favorite.
Eysonfm says
September 7, 2008 at 4:24 pmUh, i don’t know if anyone has tried Pisco Sour… It’s a delicious drink based on Pisco and lemon juice. If moderators consider this as spam because it’s already been posted, I take it. Otherwise…here I go
Ingredients:
3 fl oz Pisco (a traditional Peruvian brandy)
2 fl oz lemon juice
1 fl oz simple syrup
Egg white
ground cinnamon
Blend the pisco, the lemon juice, the egg white and the syrup until it has foam on the surface. Serve in small glasses and add a little of ground cinnamon.
Enjoy.
I suggest that you use authentic Pisco, I mean. Pisco from a city called Pisco, in Peru. (Now you know where the brandy’s name comes from). If you have a Peruvian friend, he or she knows.
Viva el Peru!!!!
Eysonfm says
September 7, 2008 at 4:05 pmI shouldn’t have blended four lemons with only 8 cups of water. It was quite bitter. I needed more sugar and lemon juice. I liked it, though…=D
Erin says
August 22, 2008 at 8:47 amIt is the pith (white part) of the skin that causes the bitterness…..so, a thin skinned fruit will be less bitter. The dark part of the skin (the zest and oils) is what gives the intense citrus flavor. Thanks for a GREAT recipe!!!!
Judi Beard-Strubing says
August 21, 2008 at 6:06 pmThis reminds me of a favorite pie along the same line……. delicious and easy!
Stephanie’s Lemon Pie
1 lg. lemon cut in pieces, seeds removed, but w/rind & peel intact
1-1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 stick (1/2 c.) margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
A 9” unbaked pie shell, pressed into pie pan & fluted
Preheat oven to 350.
Put all ingredients (except pie shell) in food processor or blender and whir like crazy.
Mixture will be foamy. Keep whirring until it’s smooth, with no lumps of margarine.
Pour lemon filling in unbaked pie shell and bake 40 minutes. Will set up like custard.
Serve warm. Good chilled, too. Refrigerate any leftovers (yeah, right, like there’ll be any!)
Dawn says
August 21, 2008 at 4:42 pmFabulous idea! Trying it tonight. Husband is trying to get off sodas (and high fructose corn syrup!) so we’ve been making homemade lemonade. Last night, I saw the grocery receipt; he had no idea he’s been paying $5 for THREE organic lemons (his recipe calls for a dozen!)! SO VERY GRATEFUL to find this method!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!
lain says
August 17, 2008 at 12:27 pmThanks for the recipe, this is the best lemonade I have ever had. Quick and easy to make as well!
leen says
August 13, 2008 at 10:33 amBrilliant! use the whole thing!
Thnx a lot, this is much better tasting then just the juice (and using a lot less lemons)!
Ingrid says
August 7, 2008 at 8:24 amI like this idea! This I must try the next time I make lemon or limeade – which will probably be today. Tis the season for light refreshing drinks. Yesterday, I posted my Ginger Infused Limeade drink recipe. I have plenty of lime, lemons and ginger so I’m certain I’ll report back soon with my verdict. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Ingrid, limeade with ginger sounds so good, my husband is a huge ginger fan and loves the idea of mixing it with limeade, so we’ll be trying your recipe soon!
Steve-O says
July 29, 2008 at 5:35 pmI tried this, and I may have made a mistake. It was quite bitter. I didn’t like it very much. What did I do wrong?
Thanks.
Hi Steve – The limeade does have a slight bitterness to it since the lime peels are used, sometimes people just don’t like that taste so it might be a personal preference. It also depends on the limes/lemons, the thicker the peel the more bitterness the drink will have.
roentarre says
July 18, 2008 at 3:50 amIncredible recipe. Love it! I am going to cook it tonight!
ddw says
June 19, 2008 at 5:29 pmthis recipe is quite common in other parts of the world. try adding a dash of pepper or cayenne to it.
Frank says
June 19, 2008 at 5:24 pmI made this a long time ago.
I put the ice in the blender at the beginning.
It came out more like a smoothie.
add a little alcohol of your choice, if desired.
Jennie says
June 15, 2008 at 9:31 pmI tried this and love it!
Refreshing!
Beth says
June 7, 2008 at 10:06 amI bet you could do this with oranges too. Also, remember to wash the outside of your lemons, limes, oranges thoroughly if you’re adding the skins to your drink. So much wax, people’s hands, god knows what pesticides. Sorry, I’m a freak.
May says
June 5, 2008 at 3:29 pmThis is such a fresh idea!! i love lemon juice, i just don’t like squeezing the fruit.. i’ll sure try with the blender, thanks
Kate says
June 3, 2008 at 1:55 pmI made it last night with a lemon and a lime and mixed the result with vodka. I didn’t use as much water as you called for, since I was adding the vodka and wanted a good strong citrus flavor. It was amazing, and SO much easier than squeezing a ton of lemon juice. Also, I processed the fruit and sugar on their own first, and then streamed in the liquid. It made the fruit pulverize in mere seconds.
[email protected] says
June 2, 2008 at 9:19 amI made this yesterday and today and can’t get enough of it!! Lemon and lime yesterday and orange and lemon today it’s so refreshing and good.
ehsaan says
June 1, 2008 at 5:27 pmi liked it general but i realized if u dont use 1/4 cup sugar the bitterness comes out.
I also realized you REALLY have to blend it or else ull choke trying to drink big peices of pulp.
nonetheless creative and tasty.
i might skin the lemons next time.
Elle says
June 1, 2008 at 8:20 amMade this last night with one lemon and one lime and 1/2 cup sugar. It’s perfect! I’m going to need to stock up on them so we can have this everyday this summer. So refreshing! Thank you for sharing.
Jenn S. says
May 31, 2008 at 3:02 pmWhat an EXCELLENT idea! I just whipped up a batch for margarita mix, using about 6 limes, and agave nectar to sweeten instead of sugar, and I am currently enjoying a lovely, more subtle cocktail! Thanks!
pammiedoodle says
May 31, 2008 at 10:48 amI just made this using 1 lemon (and it was a little dry and old looking…LOL) and 1 lime and it is every bit as good as you say. THANKS!
pammiedoodle says
May 31, 2008 at 8:10 amThis is a wonderful idea. It will be over 100 here today so I will make this for my family. Love your blog.
Elle says
May 31, 2008 at 6:53 amI love this idea! I’d love a glass of limeade right about now, too. I’m going to try this over the weekend–thanks for sharing!
cribcat says
May 31, 2008 at 6:51 amThat’s just a Margarita waiting to happen. Looks great.
Emily says
May 31, 2008 at 3:14 amHoly moly! This is incredible! I have limes in the house now — will try this and report back!
Alex says
May 30, 2008 at 9:18 pmThat’s an excellent idea! I never would have considered blending an entire citrus fruit!