Cool down with the ultimate summer drink… blackberry lemonade! Homemade blackberry syrup is mixed with refreshing lemonade, then topped off with a sugared rim and a few garnishes. Plus, it’s made with only 4 ingredients (including water)!
This is one of my Drink recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
With warmer temperatures looming, I don’t know about you, but I am ready for all things summer. Well, and spring, but here in the Midwest, spring means allergies… so I’m moving ahead to summer.
This refreshing homemade lemonade is perfect for sipping on a hot day! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and tart, with a beautiful color.
Not to mention, it only needs 4 ingredients, one of which is water. Yep, it’s really that simple. Berries, sugar, lemon juice, and water.
Plus, it makes enough to fill a pitcher, so feel free to invite some friends and enjoy!
How to make blackberry lemonade?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Make syrup. Combining the sugar and water is what makes a simple syrup, but adding the blackberries flavors it and gives it a beautiful red hue.
- Strain. I like to do this in a fine mesh sieve, to remove any seeds and fruit pieces.
- Combine in pitcher. No need for a fancy order, just add the lemon juice, water, and berry syrup.
- Chill and serve.
Helpful Tip!
I know it’s tempting to skip the straining step, but once the blackberries are mashed and simmered with the sugar, there can be seeds in there that you don’t really want to have in your drink.
Variations of this recipe
- Not from scratch – if you prefer to make this recipe using pre-made lemonade (Simply Lemonade is our favorite) or lemonade concentrate, you can certainly do that.
- Frozen berries – we pretty much always have fresh berries on hand (our son is obsessed with them), but in case you don’t have any, frozen blackberries will also work.
- Sparkling – if you love a little fizz in your cold drinks, feel free to use seltzer, sparkling water, club soda, or even lemon lime soda (although this will make the lemonade pretty sweet).
- Alcohol – if you wanted to add a splash of clear liquor, I certainly won’t stop you! Vodka, silver or white rum, or tequila are great options. To add fizz and alcohol, try some champagne or prosecco.
FAQ’s
Yes! You can take the method of making the berry simple syrup and use any of your favorite, or seasonal fruits, to make a flavored syrup. Strawberries and raspberries are two of our favorites!
You can serve this blueberry lemonade two ways. Both are equally delicious, it just comes down to how you want the drink to look.
1. You can pour the blackberry simple syrup into the lemonade pitcher and mix it all together. Then just pour into individual serving glasses and garnish as desired.
2. Or you can go for the ombre look. Just fill a glass about 1/4 of the way full with blackberry simple syrup, add some ice to a glass, then slowly pour in lemonade, and garnish as desired.
Making homemade lemonade ahead of time
You can make this entire blackberry lemonade ahead of time if you’d like!
Just keep the pitcher covered and refrigerated.
You can also make the blackberry simple syrup ahead of time, keeping it covered and refrigerated.
Storage
Leftover lemonade should be covered and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Drink it within a week for the best flavor.
If you wanted to make the blackberry simple syrup and store it, it should keep for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Lemonade Recipes:
My Favorite Mesh Sieve!
I use this sieve for so many things… straining the blackberry mixture for this recipe, dusting powdered sugar, sifting flour, and more!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from approximately 8-10 lemons)
- 5 cups water divided
To serve
- ice cubes
- extra granulated sugar for a sugar rim
- extra blackberries
- lemon slice
Instructions
Make the blackberry syrup
- Add the fresh blackberries, granulated sugar, and 2 cups of the water to a medium saucepan, and heat over MED heat.
- Stir as it heats, until the sugar is dissolved. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the berries, bringing out the juices.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a mixing bowl, and pour the cooled blackberry syrup to the sieve. Strain to remove any seeds.
Make the lemonade
- To a large pitcher, add lemon juice, remaining 3 cups of water, and the cooled blackberry syrup.
- Stir to combine, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until well chilled.
Serve
- Rim glasses with a bit of water or lemon juice, then dip rims in granulated sugar.
- Add ice cubes to glasses, then pour in chilled blackberry lemonade. Top with a couple of fresh blackberries, and a lemon slice if desired.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Listed recipe times don’t include the time for the syrup to cool to room temp, as this will vary from person to person.
- I’ve estimated this recipe will serve about 8, but feel free to divide the recipe up into a many servings as you’d like.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sandra says
I love how refreshing this is!! Seriously amazing!
Erin says
Looks absolutely fantastic! Can’t wait to make this!
Beth says
Oh, yes. This is going to be my new summer go-to! Those flavors are perfect for a hot day.